The
mission of the Hattiesburg Fire Department is to provide
fire suppression, rescue, First Responder emergency medical
response, hazardous materials response, and fire prevention
and education services to the citizens of Hattiesburg. The
department operates four divisions with over 120 personnel,
with ten engine and ladder companies operating from eight
stations within the city. The current public fire protection
rating for Hattiesburg is Class 4.
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Fire Chief
David Webster |
Fire Chief David
Webster
Fire Chief David
Webster has been a member of the Hattiesburg Fire Department since 1986,
and is currently director of the department. He is a 1981 graduate of
William Carey College (now William Carey University). During his years
of service he has received various training certifications from the
Mississippi State Fire Academy and the National Fire Academy, a division
of the National Fire Administration. Chief Webster is also a nationally
registered Emergency Medical Technician and a member of the
International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) and the Mississippi Fire
Chiefs Association. He currently sits on the board of the Forrest County
Emergency Management District.
Chief Webster and his
wife, Kandi, have four children and three grandchildren. His main
goal as chief is to guide the department toward greater response
capability for the citizens of Hattiesburg through increased firefighter
training and resources availability.
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Assistant Fire Chief
Paul Presley |
Assistant Fire
Chief Paul Presley
Assistant
Fire Chief Paul Presley entered the Hattiesburg Fire Department
in April 1993, and promoted to Engineer in July 2000, Lieutenant
in March 2004 and Captain in December 2005. Paul attended
Northwest Junior College and the University of Southern
Mississippi. He has obtained numerous fire service
certifications including 1041
Instructor I & II, 1021 Fire
Officer, Smoke Divers, Fire Officer and Hazardous Materials
Technician, Managing Company Tactical Operations, and NIMS ICS
400. He also received a Certificate of Commendation in
December 1993, Firefighter of the Year in May 2004 and a
Certificate of Commendation in September 2007.
Divisions
The Hattiesburg Fire Department is organized into four divisions:
Fire Administration supervises departmental operations and
oversees a $6.5 million budget.
 Fire
Prevention enforces the city’s fire code through regular compliance
inspections of city businesses, plan review of fire protection issues
involving commercial construction, and occupancy compliance in public
assemblies. The prevention division also manages the department’s public
education programs, smoke detector placement for the elderly and fire
investigation.
Fire Prevention & Education - To schedule a fire safety demonstration
for your school, club or organization, please call 601-545-6678.
Fire
Training is responsible for initial cadet training, accreditation
programs for rescue, EMS and Hazmat certification, monthly in-service
training sessions and hazardous material response. Training is also
responsible for media and public relations at fire incidents.
The Operations division consists of three shifts that provide continuous
fire, rescue and related emergency response. These trained professionals
in fire suppression, rescue and emergency medicine respond with the
latest in fire equipment and apparatus, and are continuously improving
their capabilities to meet the growing needs of the city.
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Department Highlights
Vehicle Replacement Program – Established in 2002, the VRP manages state
insurance rebate funds to replace older apparatus with newer trucks on a
regular basis. This program has helped bring about the following
improvements to our response fleet.
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Greater dependability – Like any other vehicle, fire apparatus
deteriorate over time, even with the best of maintenance programs.
The VRP has helped us retire a number of trucks from the 1970s and
1980s: as a result we’ve increased the dependability of our entire
fleet.
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Increased rate of vehicle purchases – Since 2002, our department
has replaced two engines, two rescue trucks and one ladder truck. We
have also purchased one additional engine to respond from Station 8,
the newest addition to our station lineup. We now have no apparatus
– frontline or in reserve – older than 1990.
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Improved fire apparatus specifications to meet community needs –
With increased purchases, we’ve been able to take advantage of
improving apparatus design and specifications. Besides improvements
that are evolving from the fire apparatus industry, we’ve also taken
advantage of features that address needs specific to our city, such
as tighter turning radii and shorter wheelbases ideal for the
Southern Miss campus, and accommodations for firefighting foam and
large diameter supply hose. These improvements enhance our fire
rating and improve our capabilities in the city.
National Fire Incident Reporting System computerization – Since
2002 our department has participated in an online version of the
National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS). We can now track
fire incident data locally and compare fire trends in Hattiesburg
with state and national data.
Involvement in the community – Our department continues to increase
its involvement in neighborhood and community events, including
safety presentations at neighborhood meetings, medical stand-bys at
sporting events, and school visitations – over 500 such events each
year.
Improved firefighter personal safety equipment – Over the last
five years, we’ve seen significant upgrades to aging personal
protection gear for firefighters:
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Replacement of all firefighting helmets with new models that
are compliant with current standards.
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Purchase through the Fire Act Grant of all new
self-contained breathing apparatus units that replaced a
dangerously aging system.
Technological Advancements – HFD has taken advantage of a
number of firefighting technologies with a number of
improvements over the last five years.
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5” water supply hose – Now on all accommodating trucks,
this large diameter hose enables us to maximize fire flows
from the municipal water system throughout the city.
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Thermal Imaging Cameras – These devices enable
fire fighters to identify hidden fire and see through smoke
to speed fire rescues. Plans are underway to increase the
number of available cameras for all fire companies.
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Advanced firefighting foam – HFD is now using a new
technologically advanced foam solution that is extremely
effective in fighting petrochemical fires and as a
complement to other types of incidents.
Site for a Regional Response Team for Weapons of Mass
Destruction Incidents – In conjunction with the Hattiesburg
Police Department, Hattiesburg Public Works and AAA
Ambulance Service, our hazardous materials team was first
selected in 2003 to function as regional response team in
the event of a Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) incident.
Our partnership with state and federal agencies has brought
over $1.5 million in federal grants to the city.
Increased Fire Cause & Arson Investigation capabilities
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Our fire investigators have increased their level of
training at both the State and National Fire Academies to
match an increased commitment to fire cause determination.
Under this increased emphasis, fires listed as
“Undetermined” have dropped from 39% to just 2.8%, while
those recognized as “Incendiary” have increased from 5.5% to
42.8%. We are following through on these findings with
increased investigation and prosecution.
Knox Box security entry system for local businesses – This
computer-controlled security system enables firefighters to
gain after-hour access at a business without delay during an
emergency incident. Without this system in place, fire
fighters must either force entry to the business – which
causes damage – or await the arrival of a key holder, which
may cause additional damage from hidden fire or a similar
condition. The Knox Box system saves time, money and damage
for area businesses.
Education and Certification Pay for Firefighters – This
program seeks to reward firefighters who develop specialties
in firefighting, rescue and emergency medicine. These
incentives encourage firefighters to undertake rigorous
educational or certificate programs that increase the
effectiveness and range of services to Hattiesburg citizens.
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Station Numbers & Locations
Fire Station #1 - 810 Main Street
Fire Station #2 - 111 Arledge Street
Fire Station #3 - 53 Academy Drive, Suite 1
Fire Station #4 - 5033 Highway 42
Fire Station #5 - 922 East Hardy Street
Fire Station #6 - 3804 Montague Blvd.
Fire Station #7 - 46 Parkway Blvd.
Fire Station #8 - 104 Lamar Blvd.
Division Names & Phone Numbers
Fire Administration - 601-582-3311
Fire Prevention - 601-545-6678
Fire Training & Haz Mat - 601-545-4650 Safe at Home
Sate at Home - Preventing Fires in
Mississippi is about life or death. Every year, the devastation
caused by residential fires hits Mississippi particularly hard. Safe at
Home is a personalized, homegrown campaign to reduce the number of fire
deaths and injuries in Mississippi. This effort is designed to
reach each community - from the Gulf Coast to the Delta - and each
person with important messages and resources to improve fire safety.
For more information on preventing fires in your home, please visit Safe
at Home - Preventing Fires in Mississippi at
http://www.safeathome-ms.org.
Home Safety Council
The Home Safety Council wants you
to be ready in case a disaster happens where you live. In a fire,
flood, tornado, hurricane, or power outage, you may have to find a safe
place away from home. In some emergencies you may have to stay at
home for many days. Either way, you and your family should be
prepared. For information on keeping the people you love safe at
home visit
www.homesafetycouncil.org. To teach children about safety at
home visit www.coderedrover.org.
Is your home as safe as it should be? Take the Home Safety Council
online tour at www.mysafehome.org.
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