Florida's doing something other states refuse to touch when it comes to first responders.
Washington politicians talk big but deliver nothing.
And Blaise Ingoglia just exposed one thing about Florida fire departments that has Washington, DC bureaucrats fuming.
Florida CFO Hands Over $5.5 Million While Federal Government Fiddles
Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia stood in front of seven Florida fire departments Monday and handed them checks totaling more than $5.5 million.
The biggest chunk went to Citrus County for a new fire station at the Inverness Airport.
Three and a half million dollars to relocate Fire Station 8 to a spot that'll cover 7,200 more homes and slash response times.
Gilchrist County got $1.375 million for new fire rescue equipment.
Cross City's getting $415,000 for their public safety facility.
The rest went to smaller departments in Inverness, Williston, Bronson, and Inglis through Florida's Firefighter Cancer Decontamination and Firefighter Assistance grant programs.
"Florida has the best firefighters in the nation that work hard to respond quickly and effectively to all emergencies," Ingoglia said. "Our hometown heroes and their dedication deserve our investment to protect the ones that put their lives on the line every day."
The Cancer Crisis Washington Ignores
Firefighters face a 9% higher cancer diagnosis risk than the general population and 14% higher mortality rate from the disease.
Look at the data from Canada between 2007 and 2021.
Cancer killed more than 84% of firefighters who died on the job.
The American Cancer Society published research last July showing firefighters die from skin cancer at rates 58% higher than everyone else.
Kidney cancer kills them 40% more often.
Every time a firefighter runs into a burning building, they're breathing in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and diesel exhaust.
The PFAS chemicals in their own protective gear are poisoning them.
Carcinogens soak through their skin, get inhaled in the smoke, and end up in their bodies when they touch contaminated equipment then grab something to eat.
Old fire stations weren't built with decontamination rooms or storage to isolate contaminated gear from living quarters.
Departments in blue cities say they can't afford equipment upgrades.
Florida's cancer decontamination grants pay for specialized equipment and training that scrubs cancer-causing chemicals off gear and skin before firefighters carry them home.
What Florida's Doing That Other States Won't
Florida created the Firefighter Cancer Decontamination Equipment Grant Program in 2020 starting with $250,000 annually.
By 2024, the program doubled to $1 million.
Since Ingoglia took over in July 2025, he's distributed over $20 million in seven months.
That includes $8.2 million in October, $5 million in early October, $1.4 million in September, $1.5 million in January, and now $5.5 million in February.
Compare that to the federal bureaucracy where programs take years and billions disappear into overhead.
The state Legislature passed the original bill unanimously.
Florida puts state budget money directly into fire stations, rescue equipment, and cancer-fighting gear without federal strings.
"CFO Ingoglia has continually stood by Florida firefighters to make sure that they have everything they need to do their job safely and effectively," said Trip Barrs, president of the Florida Fire Chiefs Association.
Small volunteer departments in towns like Bronson got cancer decontamination grants under $10,000 while Citrus County got millions.
The money goes where firefighters need it instead of getting filtered through federal agencies.
Citrus County Fire Chief Craig Stevens watched his department struggle with outdated facilities for years.
"We are incredibly grateful for CFO Ingoglia's continued support of Citrus County and our firefighters," Stevens said. "Our new fire station will place our crews in a stronger strategic position, allow us to operate more efficiently, and better protect the citizens of Citrus County."
Washington Talks, Florida Acts
Washington bureaucrats hold hearings about first responder safety.
They pass bills with fancy names and pat themselves on the back.
Then money sits in agencies while firefighters keep getting cancer at rates that would shut down any other workplace.
The CDC established the National Firefighter Registry for Cancer to collect data.
NIOSH publishes studies showing firefighters face elevated cancer risks.
Federal researchers know what's killing firefighters.
But when fire departments say they don't have the budget for decontamination equipment, where's the federal money?
Florida's not waiting for Washington, DC.
The state runs three grant programs through the Department of Financial Services plus direct budget appropriations.
Departments apply, get reviewed, and receive checks.
No federal bureaucracy required.
Ingoglia has presented 40 checks to fire departments in less than eight months while also exposing $1.86 billion in wasteful local government spending and returning $248 million in unclaimed property to Floridians.
He's running the state treasury like a business instead of a slush fund.
Federal politicians could learn something if they bothered to look.
Sources:
- Anita Padilla, "Florida CFO awards $5.5 million to local fire departments for safety, equipment," Central Florida News, February 2, 2026.
- Florida Department of Financial Services, "Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia Awards Over $5.5 Million to Seven Local Florida Fire Departments," February 2, 2026.
- American Cancer Society, "New ACS Study Suggests Firefighters Face Increased Mortality Rates for Several Cancers," July 28, 2025.
- Al-Hajj, S., et al., "Occupational injury among firefighters in Canada: a trends analysis of fatality and time-loss injury claims (2007–2021)," Injury Epidemiology, December 17, 2025.
- International Agency for Research on Cancer, "IARC Monographs Volume 132: Occupational exposure as a firefighter," 2022.
- Florida Department of Financial Services, "Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia Highlights Major Accomplishments of 2025," December 23, 2025.
