Respect Camp: Devin DeLucia

June 20, 2023

Respect Camp: Devin DeLucia

Devin DeLucia is a modern-day hero whose story embodies the virtues of hard work, dedication, and perseverance. As a firefighter and rescue specialist, Devin has demonstrated remarkable courage in the face of danger, putting his own life on the line to save others. But Devin's story doesn't end there. Driven by a passion for travel and photography, he founded his own media company, DeLucia Media, which has already made waves in the world of government training content, product showcasing, and fitness.

His journey has not been without its challenges, however. Starting his own business at a later age required immense sacrifice, both personally and from everyone around him. An unwavering commitment to his goals has helped him overcome these obstacles and emerge stronger than ever.

Devin's intrepid spirit has led him on expeditions across the globe, from the rugged terrain of American mountain ranges to the exotic depths of the Bahamian waters. With his keen eye for photography and videography, he has skillfully captured the awe-inspiring beauty of these diverse landscapes and generously shared them with the world.

His story is a testament to the human spirit's indomitable will to succeed, and his journey serves as a source of inspiration for anyone looking to achieve greatness in their own lives. As the renowned psychologist Jordan Peterson once said, "To stand up straight with your shoulders back is to accept the terrible responsibility of life, with eyes wide open." Devin DeLucia embodies this ethos, and his story reminds us that with hard work, determination, and a willingness to take risks, anything is possible.

Devin DeLucia

“I come from a family of firefighters. My father was in for 33 years, uncle was in for a few years, and cousin has been in for about 10 years.

I kind of put it off for a while because I wanted to see if there was anything else I would be interested in. Once I figured out there wasn’t, I went and got my necessary classes to be able to apply to become a firefighter. I got picked up by Polk County in 2018. The requirements to be in special operations was to have been employed for a year and a half and have attended and completed the 160 hour Hazardous Materials Technician class. I went and paid for that on my own and completed that class.

I applied and tested to be in special operations right around my year and a half mark. After that I went on to complete the necessary 380 more hours of classes to reach the certification of Rescue Specialist. Rescue specialist means I have all of the necessary levels of search and rescue disciplines required in the state of Florida, as well as the HazMat Technician class.

I was moved to our heavy rescue unit and have been there for about 2 1/2 years. Last year I also screened and tried out for our Swat Medic program. After passing a battery of PT and practical tests, I was invited to attend the 7 day basic SWAT school program with our county sheriff’s department. Having passed that I was granted a spot on the team.

Right around 2019 I began to develop a passion for overseas travel. I was in Asia for around 2 months, Iceland for 2 weeks, diving in the Bahamas a few times, Mexico, Costa Rica, Peru, as well as various mountain ranges in and around the United States. During this time I developed a talent for photography and videography. Through these skills it inspired me to start my own media company, DeLucia Media. DeLucia Media specializes in government training content, product showcasing (especially overseas), and fitness.

Devin Delucia fitness

I think the biggest hurdle I’ve had to overcome is starting my own business at a later age in the game. There’s other work with my career, my family, etc., and it takes some sacrifice and buy-in from everyone around you. You take a LOT of losses in the beginning as far as being turned down, told you’re not good, not getting clients, time away from home and family etc etc. It’s a huge learning curve. No one likes to be told no, or you aren’t good enough. Being in the fire service, it’s taught me to just keep moving forward. Try, fail, learn, try again, complete, repeat. I guess if you believe in what you’re doing enough, and keep consistent with that practice, the end result will always be better than the initial.

This definitely put a strain on my family. Much like everyone else, I used to party when I was younger and go out all the time and not really focus on anything that has to do with real responsibility. So now you have to just buckle down on it all. I’m constantly gone though. It’s either shift work, training, filming, editing, and tracking for all of the above. After a while it starts to take a toll on your family and social life. I’m lucky to have an amazing support system at home with my family and girlfriend. They understand and appreciate the goal. So I’m fortunate in that aspect.

My immediate goal would be to continue to grow the company. I won’t be happy until I’m on an expedition in Antarctica filming. However, I’d like to not have to personally film in the next 3 years as this business continues to grow. Just to have a functioning entity on its own; a crew for this, crew for that. I just answer the phone, and coordinate. I’ve been fortunate to work with some amazing people and companies already. The plan is to build and leverage that. As far as the fire career, the next logical step is just continue to take classes and promote up.

Not to sound overly cliche, but my biggest role model father for sure. Not only is he an amazing husband and father, He’s been nothing but supportive and inspirational. He’s also a hero. He was doing Fire and EMS when it was basically trial and error. Who knows how many lives he’s touched. He was also heavily involved with FEMA and emergency management towards the end of his career and got deployed quite a bit to help with major disasters around the US. The guy has always been first in line to help people and has never complained once. I don’t know anyone who I could respect more. He’s a role model to everyone.” - Devin DeLucia

Devin DeLucia skydiving prep

Devin DeLucia's story is not just one of personal achievement, but also of the human spirit's boundless potential for growth and transformation. Through his unwavering commitment to his passions and his willingness to endure the hardships of starting his own business, Devin has shown us that there is no limit to what we can achieve when we set our minds to it. His adventures around the world and his mastery of various disciplines are a testament to the human ability to transcend boundaries and seek out new horizons. In a world often consumed by divisiveness and negativity, Devin's story serves as a reminder that we can choose to be the architects of our own destiny and that our potential for greatness is limited only by the limits we set for ourselves. As we continue to explore the mysteries of the natural world, let us also remember to explore the depths of our own potential and the profound meaning of our existence.


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