City of Jax announces new JFRD position to address fire safety

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The City of Jacksonville announced Thursday that it’s adding a new position to address fire safety and prevention within Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department.

This news comes after a fire tore through a Durkeeville home, leaving one family with nothing.

JFRD is now urging people to be safe with not overloading electrical outlets and being careful with space heaters.

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In this year alone, JFRD has been dispatched to 40 working structure fires, and there have been five deaths as a result.

In Durkeeville, three people are now recovering from a house fire. The family has a message for others.

“Get them to a place where you know they can maybe ride the winter out, so they don’t have to use space heaters because it’s really not worth your life,” said Tenesha Hayes, a daughter of one of the Durkeeville fire victims.

JFRD is currently working to ensure all Jacksonville residents have working smoke detectors. If you know you don’t have a working smoke detector, please call 6-30 CITY. JFRD will even install it for you.

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