meet our team

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Joe LaCognata is the Founder and President of Fire Rescue Support, Inc.  Joe started his involvement with emergency services in 1986 as a volunteer firefighter and EMT.  Since becoming a pastor in 1994, his connection with emergency services has been through the chaplaincy with both police and fire departments.  Joe currently serves as Chaplain with Marion County Fire Rescue, Ocala Fire Rescue, The Villages Department of Public Safety, the Florida State Fire College, and the Florida Fire Chiefs Association. Joe is also the Statewide Chaplaincy Coordinator with the Florida Firefighter Health and Safety Collaborative.

Joe has completed Basic Chaplain training through the International Fellowship of Chaplains. He is an Approved Instructor in Individual and Group Crisis Intervention with the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation and has his Certification in Critical Incident Stress Management from the University of Maryland Baltimore County Department of Emergency Health Services. Joe is an Endorsed Chaplain with the North American Mission Board and a Master Fire Chaplain with the Federation of Fire Chaplains. Joe holds a PhD in Educational Leadership from Illinois State University and is an Instructor III with the Florida Fire Service.

Joe has been married to Kim since 1985 and they are the proud parents of five amazing children and four wonderful sons-in-law.

Josh served nearly 10 years with Marion County Fire Rescue as a Driver/Engineer before leaving to pursue another business interest. However, his love for the fire service and for his brother and sister firefighters brought him back to serve as a chaplain beginning in 2016. 

Josh brings not only fire rescue experience, but also integrity, faith, and his heart for people.

Josh and his wife Meghan have been married since 2011 and have three boys.

Josh grew up in Marion County and as a senior in high school he attended the Marion County Fire Rescue Career Academy. He started full time with MCFR as a Firefighter/EMT in February of 2009. Josh then went on to paramedic school in 2010 and worked as a Firefighter/Paramedic assigned to the Hazmat station.

In 2016 Josh left the fire department to pursue a ministry opportunity in Kansas City, Missouri. He never thought he would leave, but he knew that God was drawing him to this opportunity, and he wanted to be obedient. Josh moved back to Florida in 2020, to help in ministry at a church here in Ocala, and he immediately began thinking of ways he could get involved with the fire department again. He started serving as a chaplain in May 2023.

Working as a chaplain, Josh is living out his dream in the best way: sharing hope and encouragement with the people that he respects and admires most. In Josh's current full time job, he works with people who struggle with depression, anxiety, and PTSD symptoms. This experience makes him a valuable asset to peers who may be struggling.

Josh has been married to his wife Courtney since 2010 and they have 5 amazing children.

Bob is a 25-year veteran of Marion County Fire Rescue. He joined the department in 1990 and served as a firefighter/EMT and Lieutenant at numerous stations across the county. Bob attended Florida State Fire College and also received comprehensive training in HAZMAT. 

"I enjoyed every day of my career as I served alongside my fellow firefighters. I saw each day as a fresh, new opportunity to go out and help someone who was in need. Now, after spending close to nine years in retirement, I feel the Lord is calling me to return to the profession and serve in a new capacity. As a chaplain, I hope to provide guidance and support to my fire family as well as the residents of Marion county."

Bob have been married to his wife, Ginger, since 2019 and they have two spoiled rescue pups.