The graduation ceremony, held at the Main Library Auditorium, was hosted by the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department's Emergency Preparedness Division. The National Emergency Management Advanced Academy is a national-level certificate program offered through the National Disaster and Emergency Management University, part of FEMA's National Preparedness Directorate.
To earn their certificates, participants completed four separate weeks of classroom instruction totaling about 160 hours, along with a capstone project. The coursework covered strategic and critical thinking, decision-making under pressure, real-world incident analysis, leadership style assessment, contemporary issues in emergency management, legal challenges, and effective communication.
"If you know JFRD, you know we are known for firsts," said Director/Fire Chief Percy Golden II. "We were the first fire department to operate emergency medical transport services. We were the first fire department to create a hazardous materials team. And today, we are adding another first to that list, the first department in the country to fund and source an entire graduating class for the National Emergency Management Advanced Academy. If it benefits our citizens, we are going to find a way to accomplish it."
Director/Fire Chief Percy Golden II delivered opening remarks, Executive Director Kevin Guthrie of the Florida Division of Emergency Management served as the keynote speaker, and student representative Senior Master Sergeant Abby Mears of the Florida Air National Guard spoke on behalf of her fellow graduates.
"This academy strengthens the relationships that matter most when disaster strikes," said Division Chief of Emergency Preparedness Andre Ayoub. "These graduates now share a common foundation of training and trust that will serve every county represented here."
The 28 graduates join only 1,200 alumni nationwide who have completed the academy, including five from the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department.
Graduates represented agencies across Duval, Baker, Clay, Flagler, Nassau, Putnam and St. Johns counties, including Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department, the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, Baker County Sheriff's Office, Clay County Sheriff's Office, Nassau County Sheriff's Office, the Florida Division of Emergency Management, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Florida Air National Guard, National Weather Service, American Red Cross, Northeast Florida Regional Council, University of North Florida, Jacksonville Port Authority, Jacksonville Aviation Authority, JEA, Mayo Hospital, and emergency management divisions from St. Johns, Clay, Flagler and Putnam counties.