Jeep is overheating help!

Hey guys,
On the way back from my fire station I ran into a bit of a problem. My CHECK GAUGES light went on and the temp shot up to 260 in less than a second. I shut the Jeep down but the gauge was still all screwed up and didnt go down for awhile. All of the sudden it shot back down? I drove home lightly and when I got home my roommate noticed the water was gurgling? What do u guys think? Waterpump? Thermostat? How do I check if these things are failing?

Thanks in advance for the help guys!

Yeah, Jeep gauges do that. They go from "doing fine" to "full blast" all the time.

You need to go over your entire cooling system. Change your t-stat. Check your water pump and fan. Check your radiator.