Battalion Chief Todd Blake was hired by Palm Beach County Fire Rescue in September, 1987. He is a state-certified Paramedic, Fire Service Instructor II, Fire Safety Inspector, and has an Associate's Degree in EMS Management. He has worked as a Firefighter/EMT, Paramedic, Flight Medic, Company Officer, and District Chief, before assignment to Battalion 5 in June of 2009. He began his fire service career as a volunteer firefighter in Richmond, Ohio in 1974, where he became a state certified paramedic in 1984.