Jacksonville first responders face off in first Guns and Hoses basketball game

Jacksonville’s first responders traded uniforms for jerseys during a friendly basketball showdown aimed at bringing the community together and giving back.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Members of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department faced off on the basketball court Saturday for the first annual Guns and Hoses basketball game.

The event brought first responders and the Jacksonville community together for a day of competition, fun and giving back.

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Gerry Brown Sr., the host of the event and an account executive with Zawyer Sports & Entertainment, said the game was designed to show the community another side of the people who serve Jacksonville.

“We want people to see that our first responders are people who save lives in the community and are also people who like to have fun as well,” said Brown.

Brown said similar events have been held involving other sports, and basketball was the latest way to bring people together.

“So, we do this on the hockey side, boxing, and now basketball, and like he said, it’s about bringing the community together and just providing fun events for them to do,” Brown said. “People get to come out and enjoy a fun day of basketball.”

For Jacksonville resident Nakiaya Douglas, attending the game was about supporting the people who serve the community.

“I think it’s important for the community because it’s always a good thing to give back, you know, like you build up the community and then you give back to the ones that are gonna be building it up,” said Douglas.

Brown said all proceeds raised from the event will go toward the Jacksonville Firefighters Union and the F.O.P. Foundation. He also said organizers hope the event continues to grow and become an annual Jacksonville tradition.

“This will be a yearly thing, probably around this time each summer,” said Douglas. “So, you know the idea is to get the community together, growing each year and we got a couple hundred people out here today, and we hope that’ll be a couple thousand here years to come.”