The Jacksonville Beach Fire Department and Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department became one Saturday after a unanimous vote of approval by the Jacksonville City Council in September to lay the groundwork for the merger.
Just under 30 Jacksonville Beach firefighters will undergo new training as they transition into roles within JFRD.
"They'll go through some pretty extensive training through the next few weeks, safety training, and then they'll just be assigned throughout the JFRD in open and vacant positions that we have," said JFRD Acting Director/Fire Chief Keith Powers.
Powers, who will soon take the permanent role of Director/Fire Chief, said the merger was a smooth transition that finalized Saturday.
Jacksonville Beach residents will now receive fire and rescue services from JFRD, which also services the Jacksonville International Airport, Baldwin, Neptune Beach and Atlantic Beach.