Training Division

The Training Division prepares and equips personnel with the skills they need to serve the community. The division provides thousands of hours of training each year. This includes education, safety, fitness management, research, and evaluation. Training Division staff also support other JFRD divisions and assist numerous outside agencies across the region.

A primary responsibility of the division is preparing new JFRD firefighters through recruit classes. These structured classes allow firefighter trainees to complete intensive instruction before entering the field. In 2017, the Training Division graduated five recruit classes while continuing to educate current personnel. In early 2018, instructors trained 91 firefighter recruits, the largest single class in JFRD’s modern history.

Since 2020, more than 650 new personnel have completed training. On average, the division teaches two to three recruit classes each year. The facility also trains more than 200 students annually. These students complete roughly 900 hours of instruction to meet the state’s minimum and advanced requirements for firefighters.

The Training Division’s curriculum extends beyond basic firefighting. Courses offered include advanced firefighting, trench rescue, structural collapse, rope rescue, vehicle extrication, pediatric emergency care, advanced life support, medications, and hazardous materials response.

In addition to teaching, the division develops and issues departmental standard operating procedures. Division staff also provide critical support services to JFRD and partner agencies.

The campus is designed to replicate real-world conditions. Facilities include a burn building, a multi-story tower for high-rise rescue training, a two-story liquid propane tank, fire pits, and a fossil fuel pit. Most of these structures can be set on fire for live training. Field exercises in shipboard and aircraft firefighting are also offered.

The Training Division operates in partnership with Florida State College at Jacksonville. Together, they prepare career firefighters and students seeking state certifications. Most recently, JFRD partnered with CSX to build a state-of-the-art hazardous materials training site.

Through instruction, innovation, and strong partnerships, the JFRD Training Division ensures our firefighters are ready for the most demanding challenges.