Chief Jones, a UNF graduate, joined JFRD in 1991 and moved through the ranks, from firefighter to fire district chief, before his appointment to Division Chief in July 2013. His service as Fire Marshall is the culmination of more than 22 years of experience and expertise in the application of state fire codes.
 
“Since 1991, Chief Jones has dedicated his life to serving the citizens of Jacksonville. He has served under three mayoral administrations as the city’s Fire Marshall. This is a testament to the knowledge and dedication Chief Jones brought to work every day,” said JFRD Chief Keith Powers. “His knowledge of the fire code is unmatched and on January 3, JFRD and this city will be losing a very valuable asset. We wish Kevin the best in retirement and thank him for his service to the City of Jacksonville.”
 
In turn, Deputy Division Chief of Fire Prevention Allen Mason will be promoted to Division Chief and serve as Fire Marshall. He joined JFRD in 2004 and has worked his way through the department’s ranks, most recently being promoted to Deputy Division Chief as part of Mayor Deegan’s efforts to build a bench and create mentoring opportunities for succession planning. Over the past year, Chief Mason has had the opportunity to train under Chief Jones as a result.
 
Chief Mason is an innovative thinker who works collaboratively across internal departments and external agencies. As one of the first individuals in JFRD to receive a Lean Initiative Green Belt, his Lean project found efficiencies to conduct more inspections with the same number of staff and no additional resources.
 
Fire Prevention Captain Damian Bell will be promoted to Deputy Division Chief of Fire Prevention. Captain Bell also joined JFRD in 2004 and has worked his way through the ranks, with a focus on fire safety inspections, fire prevention, public education, and training.
 
“I am grateful to Chief Jones for his many years of service, and to Chief Mason and Captain Bell for stepping up to lead the Fire Prevention Division. It speaks to the training and mentoring opportunities within JFRD, as well as their commitment to the department and our city,” said Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan. “It has been our goal to provide career pathways and leadership opportunities for diverse talent within JFRD. Today’s announcement is another example of our efforts to promote rising stars to lead the best fire department in the country.”
 
The above leadership changes will go into effect on January 4, 2025. In November 2023, Mayor Deegan and Chief Powers announced a new JFRD leadership team that reflected the demographics of the city.