Emergency Medical Services

Highlands County Fire Rescue merged Fire and Rescue services in 2018. HCFR is the sole state-licensed EMS provider responsible for 24 hour-a-day 911 emergency medical response throughout the geographical boundaries of Highlands County. HCFR has a total of nine advanced life support (ALS) rescue units dedicated to emergency response 24 hours a day.

Highlands County Fire Rescue builds on seven guiding principles:

• Excellence in the medical care
• Lowest response time possible
• Providing service in the most economically efficient manner possible
• Excellent customer service to our patients
• Our key objective is to reliably deliver highly trained personnel to the patient’s side in a timely manner and ensure each patient is directed to the most appropriate healthcare facility based on their medical condition.
• The HCFR team's mission is to provide pre-hospital care to the citizens and visitors of Highlands County at the highest level possible.
• We provide these services by utilizing effective principles and practices of patient care while maintaining the dignity of those we serve.

HCFR core values when delivering these services are:

• Respect
• Integrity
• Professionalism
• Compassion

All HCFR team members function under the medical license of our medical director, Dr. Edwin C. Pigman, MD

To obtain EMS records:

1. Email hcbccrecords@highlandsfl.gov
2. Mail the request to:
   Highlands County Board of County Commissioners
   Attn: Records Management Liaison Officer (RMLO)
   600 S. Commerce Ave., Sebring, FL 33870
3. For more information, click here.

In 2021, HCFR responded to over 18,000 calls for service. The average response time countywide was 7.22 minutes. This time is calculated from the time a 911 telecommunicator answers the phone until our units arrive at the dispatched location.

HCFR is partially funded through ad valorem taxes appropriated by the County Commission into the Public Safety budget. The cost of providing these services is offset by charging a “User Fee” for transporting patients to the hospital.