TAMPA, Fla. - Fifteen aspiring firefighters are one step closer to battling blazes and helping the community thanks to a new program in Hillsborough County .

What we know:

The program is called STEP, or specialized training for emergency professionals.

It’s a first-time program for Hillsborough County Fire Rescue and it allows students to earn dual certificates for EMT and firefighting.

The tuition, which is about $6,000, is paid for by a community development grant from the county’s affordable housing program.

"One of the things for me is I didn't have the money to be able to stop everything I was doing in life. Life gets expensive. As you get older, life gets more and more expensive," Eric Delamata said.

:"They are paying for everything for you. It's a once-in-a-lifetime chance

See Full Page