Jacksonville firefighters are getting a new dedicated health hub, as the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department on Monday broke ground on a Health & Wellness Center that leaders say will finally put medical care, fitness facilities and screening services under one roof. The facility is billed as a permanent home for the department’s occupational health work, meant to make regular testing and follow up less of a logistical headache for crews spread across the city.
This morning, we broke ground on our new Health & Wellness Center, a milestone years in the making.
— THEJFRD (@thejfrd) Feb 23, 2026
Firefighters face cancer, cardiac risk, toxic smoke, and extreme physical demands every shift. Since 2018, JFRD has invested in annual physicals, pulmonary testing, cardiac stress testing, and ultrasound screenings. https://x.com/i/status/2025970701581115428
Center Targets Cancer And Cardiac Threats
Firefighting is not just dangerous in the moment. The job carries long term health hazards, including elevated risks of several cancers and a high rate of on duty cardiac events. Federal researchers have documented links between firefighting exposures and cancer, and NIOSH says those findings are helping drive broader surveillance and prevention efforts. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has also highlighted cardiovascular strain as a leading on duty danger, while pursuing standards aimed at cutting toxic exposures and strengthening medical monitoring.
What JFRD Says The New Hub Will Do
At the groundbreaking, Chief Percy Golden II framed the project as a long overdue investment in the people behind the rigs. The center, he said, “is about taking care of our own so that we can take care of others,” according to the department’s post on the ceremony. The announcement noted that since 2018 JFRD has put money into annual physicals along with pulmonary, cardiac and ultrasound screenings, and it described the future building as the permanent base for those programs. The statement was shared by THEJFRD.
Part Of A Bigger Local Buildout
The health center is arriving as part of a broader construction push for the department. Earlier this week, JFRD and city officials also turned dirt on Fire Station 66 in East Arlington, a project they say should trim response times in that fast growing area. News4Jax covered the station event and the department’s recent capital spending.
Link To National Firefighter Health Efforts
The move lines up with national work to better track and prevent cancer among firefighters, including the CDC’s National Firefighter Registry for Cancer. That program is collecting work and health data to sharpen prevention strategies, and NIOSH's NFR now includes tens of thousands of firefighters. Local health hubs like the one JFRD is building are seen as a way to make that kind of routine screening and follow up more practical for crews who spend most of their time on the front lines.
One thing officials did not put on the table on Monday was a clear completion date. The department’s post did not include a construction timeline, and city or design documents with a schedule have not yet surfaced. JFRD says it plans to release more details as the project moves from groundbreaking into full design and construction, and its announcement remains available on THEJFRD.
