abstract
| - The Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department (JFRD) is the agency that provides fire protection and emergency medical services for Jacksonville, Florida. The department also serves all unincorporated areas of Duval County. JFRD is one of the largest fire and rescue departments in Florida and the 14th largest in the United States, servicing metropolitan, suburban and rural areas that encompass an area of approximately 840 square miles with a population of more than 850,000. It comprises six divisions: Operations, Rescue, Training, Fire Prevention, Administrative Services and Emergency Preparedness. These divisions control the functions of 57 Fire and Rescue locations including two (2) marine companies, a Special Operations and Technical Rescue team, two Hazardous Materials (HazMat) Teams, 30 Advanced Life Support transport units, 25 Advanced Life Support engine companies, a USAR team and other specialty teams. The department has a professional career force of approximately 1300 diverse men and women. JFRD is one of the premier fire organizations in the country. Notable accomplishments of the JFRD are: 1.
* Establishing the first Hazardous Materials team in 1977; 2.
* Becoming the first major city to fund a pre-hospital emergency care system, better known as rescue service; 3.
* Becoming the first fully accredited local emergency management program in the nation; 4.
* Establishing one of the first Advanced Life Support (ALS) services in the nation; 5.
* Becoming the first fire department to successfully extinguish a fully involved petroleum tank fire.
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