VIDEO: Fire Preparedness

OKTIBBEHA COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Response training courses are required for potential firemen to join the department, but in certain situations it can be impossible to arrive in time.

After that fire this morning in Oktibbeha County, fire fighters are encouraging rural residents to have their homes prepared for sudden fires.

This time there were no deaths or injuries, but that’s not the case every time.

To keep that from happening, rural homes need to have the proper fire safety tools to keep residents safe until firemen arrive.

“We always worry about the heating season with portable heaters, extension cords,” said Oktibbeha County Fire Coordinator, Kirk Rosenhan.

After the call was made around 1:30 early Wednesday morning, it was only a matter of minutes before firefighters responded, and even then it was too late.

“The central Oktibbeha department and the District 5 department responded,” said Rosenhan. “Upon arrival, they found a house fully involved.”

Rosenhan says it’s not a lack of response training; it’s simply the location of the fire.

“Of course, we do driver training. We have emergency vehicle operating courses, but the response time is just a function of where you live and where the fire is. Distance is always a problem,” said Rosenhan.

To keep fires at bay, or at least minimize injuries, firemen encourage all residents to equip their house with proper fire prevention kits, like fire extinguishers.

“That is always a problem, and we always encourage everybody to have a couple of smoke detectors, and also if you have gas heat and so forth to get a carbon monoxide detector,” said Rosenhan.

Rosenhan also said on December 16th, The Red Cross, Starkville Volunteers, and the Fire Departments will be giving out free smoke detectors to residents.