Booneville FD ‘Lip Sync’ Challenge Video in national spotlight

BOONEVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – A fire department in Northeast Mississippi is in the running for a top spot in an upcoming CBS television special.

The Booneville Fire Department’s lip sync challenge video is featured in an interactive special where viewers vote for their favorite performances featuring first responders.

For firefighters, answering calls and conducting equipment checks is part of any shift.

But over a four day period last summer, Booneville firefighters got a crash course in the art of making a music video.

The video was made at the tail end of the lip sync challenge craze that swept the nation.

Booneville native Trevor George now works in the music industry in Nashville and has produced a number of music videos.

He came up with the song, and concept, getting the entire community involved in the professional production. It took four days to shoot and three weeks to edit.

“He told us it was going to be a top-notch video. When we saw it was amazing,” said Chief of Fire Prevention for the Booneville FD Bryan Westbrook.

The video caught the attention of producers for the upcoming CBS show, Lip Sync to the Rescue.

It is one of 30 videos on the show’s website and it is in the running to be featured on the TV special.

“It boosted their morale, the community loved it, got behind it, we didn’t know it would go this far,” said Booneville Fire Chief Michael ‘Frog’ Rutherford.

Although Booneville is up against some larger police and fire departments in larger cities across the country, that doesn’t matter.

What does matter is the number of votes cast.

“One person can vote as often as they want to, in this race. You vote on CBS website, under Lip Sync to the Rescue. Find the video, preferably Booneville’s video, vote as many times as you want. Being the only department in the state of Mississippi in this contest, I think it would be good for the state also, and the challenge for the video is for the nation, quit being so divisive and draw people together,” said Westbrook.

The top ten videos will make it to the television special, where a live vote will decide the winner.

Vote for Booneville FD here.