Eleanor W. Byrd joined the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department on June 29, 1991 as a firefighter/emergency medical technician assigned to Station 12. She served one year there before transferring to Station 4. In 1994, Byrd earned a promotion to engineer and transferred to Rescue 41, where she remained until a 1997 transfer to Rescue 4. In 1998, Byrd was promoted to lieutenant and assigned to Rescue 2. She became the first female Jacksonville firefighter to be promoted to captain in 2003. She remained at Rescue 2 until late 2004, when she took over the administrative training coordinator responsibilities at the Training Academy.

Mayor John Peyton appointed Byrd chief of the Fire Training Division in September 2006.

Among the more memorable events of her career, Byrd deployed as a Strike Team member during hurricanes Charlie in 2004 and Katrina in 2005.

Byrd earned a bachelor's degree in business management from the University of North Florida in 1994. She also holds an associate's degree from Florida Community College at Jacksonville awarded in 1989. In addition, she received certifications as an emergency medical technician in 1991 and as a paramedic in 1996 from FCCJ.

As chief of the Training Division, Byrd directs a staff of 17 personnel.