MOORE HAVEN — “Small town life is where it’s at!” declares Glades County Public Safety Department (GCPS) employee Hiedi White about her home county.

“I am a lifelong resident of Glades County,” she said. She loves her hometown and the small-town family-oriented life she’s able to lead.

“I am a mom to two wonderful children, Bethany, 4, and Augustus, 3,” she said.

Employed by GCPS originally “in June of 2019 on Fire 1 to help the vacant position,” White explained, “I was thankful to Bob Jones for giving me the opportunity to come aboard.”

Mr. Jones is now the Glades County manager; however, he’s spent decades working for the county and was public safety director for many years.

“Then in August,” she said, “I was asked to apply for the administrative assistant position. Well, here I am! I absolutely love this job and look forward to many more years with a wonderful group of coworkers who have become family.”

Firefighter/Administrative Assistant White doesn’t plan to sit still behind a desk for too long at a time, though. She’s got a family legacy behind her and perhaps a higher destiny to fill.

“I am going back to school to get my EMT (emergency medical technician certification) and then Fire 2 to help where I can,” she said.

That’s the more advanced level of firefighters, who must learn additional lifesaving skills.

“Most people never get the opportunity to work in their dream job,” White said, “and here I am living the dream.”

She’s overjoyed to be able to do so in her home county that she loves.

“I will NEVER give up on Glades County, as my paternal grandfather, Jack Wilkerson, was the fire chief, and then my maternal grandmother, Bethany Stephenson, was the local ARNP (advanced registered nurse practitioner) here in Moore Haven, having her own practice,” White said.

“My parents, Leroy and SuAnn White, owned a pizza and sub shop called Hiedi’s Pizza and Subs. Glades County will always be my home,” she said.