Florida Blue customers are relieved after the insurance company agreed to a new contract with Baptist Health hours before the Monday night deadline.

A firefighter with Ware County Fire Rescue died Thursday when the fire truck he was riding in overturned in a crash.

It’s not often you get candidates for public office agreeing on a controversial issue. But, that’s what is happening in the race for Jacksonville’s next mayor on the topic of police and fire pensions.

No one ever thinks it will happen to them, but Jacksonville Fire and Rescue said it receives calls on Thanksgiving day all the time about fires or burns from a turkey frying accident.

This weekend, three Jacksonville firefighters who died in the line of duty last year were honored at the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial in Emmitsburg, Maryland.

A product claiming to keep your home and family safe from fire popped up on our social media feed. We put it to the test.

A product claiming to keep your home and family safe from fire popped up on our social media feed. We put it to the test.

Fire departments know that during these cold snaps, the chance of fires go up. There are some things that can be done in our homes now to try to prevent fires from happening.

The dangerous surge of the Delta variant is hitting first responders in the worst way.  Two men, deputy Jody Hall and retired police officer Eddie Bounds, became the latest first responders to die due to COVID.

A Southeast Georgia biofuel facility continued to smolder Monday afternoon after wood pellets inside the warehouse burst into flames Sunday evening, and the News4Jax I-TEAM has learned this was not the first fire on the property.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Part of Union Street will be closed for several days after a three-alarm fire that started Saturday at an abandoned commercial building in downtown Jacksonville, authorities said. Jacksonville police also taped off Union Street between Laura and Main streets. The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said Sunday that due to the fire, Union Street at Main Street will remain closed for several days, creating traffic delays for those coming into downtown on eastbound Union Street. The current detour diverts eastbound Union Street traffic to southbound Laura Street. Due to yesterday's structure fire, Union St. will remain closed for several days.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville Fire and Rescue crews battled a massive fire at an abandoned funeral home Downtown that took a little over an hour to get under control and involved the collapse of the roof and second floor, fire officials said. Flames could be seen pouring from the building at Main and Union streets as firefighters battled to douse the fire with several ladder trucks from above. Eventually, more than 45 apparatus and over 110 firefighters were on scene to battle the blaze, which they were able to get under control in a little over an hour. Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry tweeted video of the firefighters, asking for prayers as they battled the dangerous blaze. Riska said State, Union and Laura streets downtown were all closed as firefighters battled the flames, but that they would reopen as crews were released from the scene.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – As Florida prepares for the first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to be distributed, there’s a push to get firefighters who deal with medical calls to the front of the line. Right now firefighters who are also EMTs are not in Phase 1 of the vaccine plan like hospital workers are. All we’re saying is treat them the same way you treat our doctors and nurses.”News4Jax also reached out to Randy Wyse with the Jacksonville Firefighter’s Union. He said all Jacksonville firefighters who are on the street are trained EMTs. A CDC spokeswoman issued an emailed statement:“ACIP, CDC’s independent vaccine advisory committee, traditionally develops vaccine recommendations that go to the CDC director for approval before becoming official CDC policy.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A group of firefighters is suing the City of Jacksonville. Now, 31 Black Jacksonville firefighters have filed a federal discrimination lawsuit, and it centers around a condition called pseudofolliculitis barbae. It occurs when facial skin becomes inflamed or facial hair becomes ingrown. The lawsuit claims the firefighters have to choose between the skin problems and the pain or keeping their career fighting fires. They want to be firefighters and paramedics they want to help people,” said attorney Anthony Hall, who represents the firefighters.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The fast-growing Gate Parkway area has been served since last September by firefighters working out of a temporary structure. “These fine men and women have been in a temporary station. Reducing response times and lowering insurance rates are a few benefits for the placement of the new station. JFRD said members working at Fire Station No. It’s very important that we can respond and meet those NFPA numbers to keep our response times down,” Powers said.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. Dozens of firefighters have tested positive for COVID-19 and hundreds of firefighters have been quarantined, according to the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department. Fire Chief Keith Powers said Monday that 232 JFRD employees were in quarantine, 33 of whom have tested positive for COVID-19. I think the department has done a great job of making sure everyone is well trained, Wyse told News4Jax on Monday. Wyse said firefighters are trying their best to steer clear of the virus, but some situations are unavoidable. Wyse said he expects everyone in the department to have been tested for COVID-19 by the end of the week.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. Five days after nine Jacksonville firefighters were injured battling a huge blaze inside a car-carrier ship docked at Blount Island Marine Terminal, all but two are out of the hospital. The firefighters escaped the ship with their lives, but with burns to their heads and hands. JFRD Chief Kieth Powers was there as the explosion happened. We came very close to losing some firefighters the other night," Powers said. Wyse is concerned that all of the firefighters involved may also have mental scars of trauma from this life-changing moment.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. Eight of 120 firefighters battling a stubborn fire aboard a car-carrier ship docked at the Jacksonville Port Authoritys Blount Island Marine Terminal were hospitalized after an explosion. The explosion occurred nearly three hours after firefighters responded to the fire Thursday afternoon. The ship, a Norwegian vessel called Hoegh Xiamen was carrying old and used cars and had been scheduled to leave Jacksonville. Of the firefighters hospitalized, four were treated for burns, one was taken into surgery for injuries Thursday night and another firefighter has been in intensive care, News4Jax learned. Four of them were taken to the burn unit at Shands in Gainesville -- two by helicopter, two by ground transport.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. Some of the Jacksonville firefighters who were injured in an explosion that occurred while they were battling a fire aboard a cargo ship sustained significant injuries and have a long recovery period ahead, Fire Chief Keith Powers said Friday. Eight firefighters were hospitalized in Thursdays explosion on the ship docked at Blount Island, and a ninth was treated for heat exhaustion. RELATED: Maritime expert explains why cargo ship fire is particularly hazardousTheres four or five of them that have got some pretty significant injuries. Theyre going to be out a long time, Powers said. Theyre going to be OK, just a long, long, long recovery.Randy Wyse, president of the Jacksonville Association of Firefighters, pointed out that going into a ship thats on fire is one of the most dangerous tasks a firefighter faces.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Three members of the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department have tested positive for COVID-19 and 77 have self-isolated, Mayor Lenny Curry said Monday. After the first firefighter tested positive last week, according to Powers, 47 firefighters and paramedics from all three shifts of Station 28 self-quarantined and were tested for COVID-19 while the station was being thoroughly sanitized. When the firefighters were tested for COVID-19 over the weekend, Powers said, a second firefighter tested positive and then a third. An entire shift of 10 firefighters from Station 54 has self-quarantined, according to the city. Twenty other JFRD members have self-quarantined due to other exposures unrelated to the three firefighters who tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total number to 77.

(Photo below of missing boaters launching the boat Friday courtesy Cori Turner Herring via Facebook)McCluney's brother, Kevin, said this boating outing had sentimental value to his Justin. The items found in the water were spotted about 50 miles off the coast of Mayport, however, the Coast Guard said the life vests and cooler were not from the missing boat. Fire Rescue crews have joined Coast guard crews which have already searched more than 4,800 square miles, going 80 miles offshore, searching by sea and air. The Coast Guard was alerted at 8 p.m. Friday when they never returned to shore, and weren't receiving texts or calls. Anyone with information about the boaters or can help in the search is asked to call the Coast Guard at 904-714-7565.

The two men, both firefighters -- one with Jacksonville Fire Rescue --haven't been seen or heard from since they left. JFRD members coordinated a search along with the Coast Guard. Coast guard crews have already searched more than 4,800 square miles, going 80 miles offshore, searching by sea and air. The Coast Guard was alerted at 8 p.m. Friday when they never returned to shore, and weren't receiving texts or calls. Anyone with information about the boaters or can help in the search is asked to call the Coast Guard at 904-714-7565.