New Starkville Fire Chief discusses his journey to the top of the ladder
STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – The Starkville Fire Department has a new chief.
For nearly 30 years, Dewayne Davis has served Starkville protecting others as a firefighter.
Davis began his firefighting journey as a volunteer in 1992. He made it a career when he joined the Starkville Fire Department in 1996.
“Once I started in the volunteer part of it, it was fun. It was fulfilling and kind of exciting,” Davis said. “You know, you get to go out and help people. So that was a spark or inspiration for me to move on to another part of the service, becoming a career firefighter.”
From there, he moved up through the ranks, now he has reached the top of the ladder.
“The position became available, and I was asked if I would serve as the interim, and I did so,” Davis said. “And I kind of liked, you know, what I’m doing here. The department supports me. They are behind the decisions that we make. And that’s kind of what we want. We want to move forward and cause this department to be one of the better departments in the state of Mississippi.”
Fire Inspector Jonathan Wade and Training Chief Brian Arnett have worked with Davis for more than 20 years.
Both said that your co-workers in this field feel like family, and it’s more of a fire “house” than a fire station.
“We are working 24, 48 hours together,” Wade said. “So basically, we’re staying together. We know everything about each other and their families. We go to each other’s events and stuff. So we’re really, really tight.”
“I can remember when I got hired, Dewayne Davis was driving the truck I got hired or assigned to initially.” ” Arnett said. “Just the amount of respect I had for him then and over the last 20 years, you know, that respect just grown greater. When I see his kids, it’s like I’m so excited to watch his kids grow up. They’re like family to me, too.”
This can be a difficult career. Seeing tragedy weighs on a person over time. But having your family with you on the journey helps you get through rough times.
“They have your back during a fire. They have your back after the fire. They have your back the next day and so on. So that family bond that we built kind of helps mitigate a lot of the dangers of the trauma we face,” Arnett said.
Davis, Wade, and Arnett agree that making a difference in the lives of others is one of the most meaningful parts of the job.
“The most fulfilling part is going out to help someone who’s in distress,” Davis said. “In distress, they are, you know, actually seeking help. And once you show up on the scene and you can make their situation better, you may not be able to erase the situation, but you can make it better by providing a good service, and that is fulfilling.”
