Eighteen new firefighters joined the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department (JFRD) on Wednesday, Nov. 4, after graduating from the agency's Training Academy.

Recruit Class 226 held its graduation ceremony at Florida State College at Jacksonville's Kent Campus, according to a JFRD announcement. The graduates received their first station assignments across JFRD's 70 fire stations.

The class began training on Aug. 10 and spent 13 weeks in an advanced program that builds on candidates' existing firefighting and emergency medical certifications. Training included classroom instruction, hands-on skills work, emergency response scenarios and 24-hour shifts designed to mirror real field conditions. The program also featured Ashes-to-Iron, a two-week mentorship and resilience component.

JFRD Director and Fire Chief Percy Golden II said the graduates earned their spots.

"These 18 recruits put in the work and earned their place in this department," Golden said, according to the department's statement.

Two recruits took home individual honors. Riley Graf received the Karl "Klif" Kramer Award for most improved recruit. Ezekiel Romero earned the Esprit de Corps Award, the academy's top honor for the recruit who best represents the spirit, loyalty and morale of the class.

Capt. Armondo Gonzalez, a JFRD academy instructor, addressed the graduates during the ceremony.

"In just over thirteen weeks, you pushed past limits you didn't know you had," Gonzalez said, according to the department. "You built discipline with every drill."

The 18 new firefighters join a force of more than 1,900 JFRD personnel. The department describes itself as the largest fire department by land mass in the continental United States. JFRD did not specify which stations received the new graduates.