JFRD Announces the Graduation of Recruit Class 226
This afternoon, 18 new recruits graduated from the JFRD Training Academy and received their first assignments as Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department firefighters. Recruit class 226, which began on August 10th, celebrated its graduation at Florida State College at Jacksonville’s Kent Campus.
The recruits underwent rigorous training in firefighting techniques, emergency medical services, and physical fitness conditioning. They now join JFRD’ s more than 1,900 personnel serving the community across 70 fire stations.
“You didn’t earn this by accident, and you didn’t reach this stage because it was simple,” said JFRD Academy Instructor Captain Armondo Gonzalez. “In just over thirteen weeks, you pushed past limits you didn’t know you had. You built discipline with every drill. You learned teamwork with every correction.”
Two recruits were recognized for standout performance. Recruit Riley Graf earned the Karl “Klif” Kramer Award for most improved recruit. Recruit Ezekiel Romero received the Class 226 Esprit de Corps Award, the academy’s top honor for the recruit who best represents the spirit, loyalty, and morale of the class.
“Recruit Class 226 is ready to serve, said Director/Fire Chief Percy Golden II. “These 18 recruits put in the work and earned their place in this department.”
The 13-week advanced recruit training program builds on the candidates’ firefighting and emergency medical certifications and prepares them for the challenges they will face as firefighters in the largest fire department by land mass in the continental United States. Training included classroom instruction, hands-on skills development, and emergency response scenarios, as well as Ashes-to-Iron, a two-week mentorship and resilience program, and 24-hour training shifts designed to mirror the demands of a full shift in the field.
“Class 226 pushed each other, lifted each other up, and finished this journey together”, said Division Chief of Training Terrance Holmes. “They are prepared to serve Jacksonville with the professionalism and skill that JFRD is known for.”
Please join us in welcoming Recruit Class 226 to the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department.