Firefighter Strike Force Team to assist Volunteer Firefighters in Lee County
The initiative will help supplement volunteer firefighters and could also impact insurance premiums for homeowners
LEE COUNTY, MISS. (WCBI) – When volunteer firefighters answer calls, they have to leave from home, work, or wherever they are, and that can take precious minutes.
That’s where Lee County’s Firefighter Strike Force comes in.
“Basically, they respond with the districts. When 911 dispatches one of the fire districts to a call, these units respond with them, and they are a tool to be used by the district,” said Marc Flanagan, emergency services director for Lee County.
Flanagan says the strike force is made up of two two-man teams. One team works out of Saltillo and covers calls north of I-22; the other team is based at Verona, covering all calls south of the interstate. Strike force members are paid while on duty, assisting the volunteer firefighters.
Each team has its own truck to answer calls.
Not only will the strike force help supplement volunteer firefighters, but also help lower fire ratings, and that can mean more money in homeowners’ pockets.
“Anywhere from $300 to $500 a year, we going from 10 to some places, 7 and a lot of it depends on where you are in county. One of our goals is to have one of the safest and best, not even in the state, but in country, we want to make sure our people are safe,” said Lee County District 3 Supervisor Wesley Webb.
The strike force is on duty Monday through Friday from 7 am until 5 pm.
The office of emergency services was established late last year to over see emergency response efforts in the county.
