State Senate honors first African American fire chief in Mississippi

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – A pioneering firefighter is getting some overdue recognition.

The Mississippi Senate and the City of Starkville have honored former Starkville fire Chief Willie Johnson with a resolution from the state.

Johnson was the first African American fire chief in the state of Mississippi.

Johnson’s legacy began in 1988 when he took on the unprecedented role.

He said the experience was worth the challenge.

“It was very challenging with the personnel both black and white,” he said. “To be honest, those challenges were great to try and make everything balance out equally and evenly and that’s the way I was going to promote and manage the department”.

His influence sparked an interest in the fire and rescue field in the state’s African American community.

Current Starkville Fire Chief Charles Yarbrough said his impact hit close to home.

“He is the reason I wanted to be chief,” said Yarbrough. “Ten days after I started at the Starkville Fire Department, I met Chief Johnson. I wanted to be like him, and I got the opportunity. He encouraged me. So, it’s really good to see the process take place. It’s long overdue.”

And Johnson’s presence encouraged more African Americans to join the department.

“Through my tenure there as fire chief over 12 years, when I left they were 50% black. If we give a person an equal, fair chance, they will excel”, said Johnson.

Yarbrough said hiring firefighters in 2023 has been a challenge.

“Recruitment and retention are the two most important issues that any chief across the state, the nation is dealing with. It’s critical to have good people in your department because we’re protecting the citizens. If we don’t have the people in place, we can’t protect the citizens the way we need to. It causes over time, which causes people to not want to work. It’s a big deal to make sure we have people in place at all times,” said Yarbrough.

Becoming a firefighter isn’t easy, but Yarbrough said if you’re thinking about becoming a first responder, don’t hesitate to find out if the public service field is for you.

“This is a great career. It’s not a job, it’s a career. It’s a great opportunity, you’re serving the people you live with so I would encourage them to come to the department. Come see us, and join the fire department,” said Yarbrough.

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