Tupelo Hosts State Fire Fighters Conference

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TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) — More than 200 fire chiefs and firefighters from around the state have descended on Tupelo for a weekend of training and networking.

State firefighters are sharpened their skills on the extraction of accident victims where every second counts.

And inside the Bancorp South Arena the latest in fire fighting equipment was on display.

It’s the 78th annual Mississippi Fire Chiefs and Firefighters Conference.

And many out of town departments both near and far were here.

“It’s an opportunity for fire chiefs to come in and network and look at the new products that are out on the line and just get some education and network to help to their job in their cities,” Tupelo Fire Chief Thomas Walker.

“The conference is a good thing for the fire chiefs in the local area, ” says Verona interim chief Charles Smith. “It gives you an idea of some of the classes that they teach here. It allows you to get a little better update on the things that go on in the fire service and you get to meet some of the chiefs and see how they do things in their departments and you get to fellowship and get to know each other here and just see how things work, Smith explains.

Smith was proud to show off the new engine that has just been delivered and will be officially put into service next week.

And several fire departments took part in a competition to test their ability to work as a team.
Stacie Graham is the Mooreville-Eggville Volunteer Fire Department.

“Like if you’re asleep at night or at home and if you have to get up and put all your gear on to respond to a call,” she says. ” It just seeing how fast that you actually respond to a call and also when you get the fire how fast you can get the hose and get it charged and everything and to actually put a fire out,” Graham explains.

Even though there were dark clouds hanging over the Bancorp South Arena parking lot, that didn’t deter these fire fighters because they have to work in all kinds of weather.

“Whether it’s thunder storming or whatever or there’s a life or something that needs to be saved it don’t matter, that’s what we’re here for,” Graham reassures.

And at the morning session of the conference Tupelo’s youngest fire fighter Breyer Floyd was given special recognitions. The Make-A-Wish Foundation recently granted his wish to become a fire fighter.

“They presented fire fighter Floyd with honorary memberships to the fire chief’s association to the fire fighters association and the state fire academy made him a certified fire fighter in the state of Mississippi,” says Walker.

That was perhaps the highlight of the entire weekend.