When homes catch fire, vehicles crash or residents suffer medical emergencies in Lauderdale County, the first people arriving to help aren’t getting paid. All throughout the county, volunteer firefighters respond to fires, medical calls and more, at all hours and all year round.
National Volunteers Week is April 19-25 and is used to bring attention to volunteer firefighters throughout the country.
Lauderdale County Volunteer Fire Service is made up of 17 stations, said Fire Coordinator Allan Dover. There are 22 physical buildings and more than 300 trained volunteers.
The frequency of calls is different for each station. Russell is currently the busiest station with around 150-225 calls per year, Dover said, with Collinsville and Martin seeing around 150 calls per year as well.
“It doesn’t seem like a lot whenever you talk about 150 calls, but on average you’re going to put at least two hours for that call,” he said. “So that’s 300 hours in a year that you’ve taken away from church, from family, from youth sports, things of that nature.”
Becoming a volunteer firefighter requires a lot of time. New volunteers go through a six-week orientation course and test before moving on to level 1 training, which is another six weeks. After that, it takes two more weeks to get through level 2 training, followed by eight hours at the fire academy.
While the official number is 88 hours to complete the training, Dover said its usually more around 250 hours to reach the level one and two certification.
“We will start our class on volunteer certification, and everybody’s really psyched. First night, 24, 25 people coming here, and then whenever they realize how much time they’re going to have to dedicate to this in order just to pass it, I’m down to 12, I’m down to 11 right now,” he said.
Fighting fires and responding to emergency calls takes a toll physically as well. Going from dead asleep to getting out the door as fast as possible in the middle of the night spikes blood pressure and heart rate, and over time, has an impact on the heart and circulatory system, Dover said.
Responding to fatal traffic incidents and other situations also impacts firefighters mentally, he said, and that can lead to mental health problems such as post traumatic stress.
In addition to the time and energy they’ve invested into being volunteer firefighters, Dover said firefighters also put their money into their service. Gas, insurance, car maintenance and other expenses come from the volunteers’ pockets.
Only around 1% of the population will ever need volunteer firefighters’ services, but everyone in the community benefits from their efforts. Fire departments’ capabilities play a large role in insurance costs for homeowners, Dover said. Insurance premiums in a Class 10 area, with limited fire protection, are roughly 41% more than in a Class 8 area, which includes a reliable volunteer department.
Each of Lauderdale County’s 17 stations is unique and has its own leadership structure. As fire coordinator, Dover said his job is to manage the big picture and let each fire chief run their department.
Currently, Dover is working with the Board of Supervisors on some insurance options that he says will benefit the county’s volunteer firefighters and provide them with more and better coverage than the current policy.
Lauderdale County firefighters are trained professional firefighters. While they may not get paid, they get their reward from the benefit they bring to the community.
Dover said he encourages residents to stop and thank their local firefighters for what they do, support their fire department’s fundraisers and, if passionate about public service, get involved.
Technology company Corderill LLC will be a tenant at Compass Datacenters campus in Meridian, the Mississippi Development Authority announced Wednesday. The project represents a corporate investment of at least $100 million in data center equipment and will create at least 20 direct jobs.
Compass Datacenters announced plans in January 2025 to develop a hyperscale data center campus in Lauderdale County. The campus represents an overall investment of $10 billion, including tenants’ information technology equipment.
The Mississippi Development Authority has approved Corderill for its Data Center Incentive based on the company’s expectation to fill the new jobs requirement. The city of Meridian and Lauderdale County also are assisting with the project.
“We in Meridian, Lauderdale County, are extremely excited to have Corderill invest in our community as part of the Compass Datacenters project. This is a great example of how partnerships rule the day in economic development. Lauderdale County, the city of Meridian, the state of Mississippi and Mississippi Power Company are all working together to make Compass Datacenters and Corderill a reality in our community,” said East Mississippi Business Development Corporation President/CEO Bill Hannah
Gov. Tate Reeves said Wednesday’s announcement is another example of how the Magnolia State is building up its rapidly growing technology sector.
“Corderill’s $100 million investment in Mississippi as a tenant in the Compass Datacenter is another win for the citizens of Lauderdale County. By building the foundation modern companies require, we are attracting projects that create good‑paying jobs and long‑term opportunities for families in our state,” Reeves said. “This project reinforces our role in powering the digital systems that are shaping our future, and I am excited to welcome Corderill as the latest partner to Mississippi’s growing tech community.”
MDA Executive Director Bill Cork said the state’s preparation and ability to move quickly makes it easier for companies to build or expand. Lauderdale County already had the infrastructure Corderill needs, he said, which made the area a good place for the company to invest.
“Our forward-thinking approach enables companies to stay on track, generate revenue faster and create excellent jobs for the people of our state,” Cork said.
Lauderdale County took a step forward in mental health care Friday as Mississippi State University-Meridian opened its new Mental and Behavioral Health Clinic. University officials said the clinic will both benefit students pursuing several medical degree programs at the Meridian campus and bring more resources to bear on addressing mental health needs in the community.
Rep. Billy Adam Calvert, who represents part of Lauderdale County in the state House Of Representatives, said Mississippi is experiencing a mental health crisis, and the new clinic will train more professionals to address that problem.
“When I first ran for office in 2019, mental health wasn’t on the radar for me, running. I didn’t really have a wealth of knowledge about it,” he said. “But since then, the state, we have probably spent $700-$800 million of state funds on mental health. So to me, this is a big deal. This is a big deal that can help patients.”
Calvert said the need for mental health care is nationwide, and he commends MSU for stepping forward to help address it.
Lauderdale County Supervisor Josh Todd, who serves as board president, said he also welcomes the new clinic to the area. In addition to growing access to mental health, he said he has personal reasons for wanting the clinic open as his daughter looks to enroll next fall.
“My daughter is able to stay home. My daughter isn’t going out of state to another college. She’s staying right here,” he said. “Now 20 years ago that did not mean a lot to me, but it does now.”
MSU-Meridian Executive Vice Provost Dr. Peter Ryan said university leadership is excited to have the clinic open and bring opportunities for both students and those needing mental health services.
“We look forward to serving this community in mental and behavioral health and also training the next generation of mental and behavioral health specialists,” he said.
Dr. Lesley Clack, dean of the School of Health Professions, said the clinic is open and ready to provide mental health care to those in need.
“We have therapists ready to provide adult, children and group and other types of services, so we are open and ready to serve you here, and we are very proud of that,” she said. “We also have the opportunity of this being a great training ground for our students, and so we are very excited about that as well.”
Mississippi Air National Guard members from Meridian’s Key Field were recognized for outstanding service Thursday during the Air and Space Force Association G.V. Sonny Montgomery Chapter’s 19th annual meeting. The yearly event highlights service members from units attached to the 186th Air Refueling Wing who have gone above and beyond in leadership, excellence and determination over the past year.
Amanda Cassel, left, and Langford Knight stand for a photo Thursday at the Air and Space Force Association’s annual meeting where Cassel was named Teacher of the Year.
Langford Knight, president of the G.V. Sonny Montgomery Chapter, said the mission of the Air and Space Force Association is to support the Air National Guard and its members however it can. Recognizing those who have demonstrated their commitment to service is a key part of that effort, he said.
Recognized as Outstanding Airman of the Year is Senior Airman Ashton Bailey. While still relatively young, Bailey has shown a talent for problem solving and finding solutions when it matters, said Col. Cydridge Gray of the 186th Air Component Operations Squadron. Gray said Bailey leans forward into the challenges, works to understand the mission and come up with solutions that achieve the mission goals.
Recognized as Outstanding Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year is Tech Sgt. Tyler Fleming. Lt. Col. Philip Garrett of the 186th Civil Engineering Squadron, said Fleming came to the 186th from the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency and immediately began improving the unit’s emergency response capabilities. In addition to rewriting the Emergency Management Plan, which hadn’t been reworked in a decade, he organized the first major accident response exercise in 14 years, provided training to more than 250 members of the Guard and more.
“In just a couple months in the job, I was seeing visitors come through the building, and they weren’t coming to me. They were coming to Ty,” Garrett said. “Everything from safety, security forces, wing plans.”
Recognized as Outstanding Senior Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year is Master Sgt. Merche Copeland. As senior non-commissioned officer Copeland is tasked with managing the 51 people in the 186 Medical Group. She helps guide and mentor them, hold them accountable and address issues that come up throughout the week, said Lt. Daniel Ward.
“I don’t know what we would do without her,” he said.
Recognized as First Sergeant of the Year is Senior Master Sgt. Ira Hamilton. On a recent deployment to Guam, Hamilton was tasked with leading 205 people in flying more than 400 refueling missions, which in total delivered more than 13 million pounds of fuel to aircraft operating in the Pacific region, said Chief Master Sgt. Chris Guyse.
Col. Cynthia Smith speaks Thursday at the Air and Space Force Association’s annual meeting where members of the 186th Air Refueling Wing were recognized.
“He is a role model who inspires both officers and enlisted personnel, consistently encouraging their personal growth while fostering a culture of excellence,” Guyse said. “His leadership, compassion and unwavering dedication made him the clear choice for this honor.”
Receiving the Chief Master Sgt. Wayne Benthall Leadership Award is Master Sgt. Jason Horton. The Chief Master Sgt. Wayne Benthall Leadership Award is given to airmen who conduct themselves with integrity, leadership, excellence and show a heart for service, said Capt. Addison Swink of the 186 Logistics Readiness Squadron, and Horton fits that perfectly
“Master Sgt. Horton leads with humility, purpose and commitment to others that reflects the very qualities Chief Benthall was known for,” Swink said.
Receiving the G.V. Sonny Montgomery Patriot Award is Senior Master Sgt. Richard Cavenaugh. Capt. Tyler Monk of the 248 Combat Airfield Operations Squadron, who presented the award, said much of what he has learned about being a leader has come from Cavenaugh.
“He has taught me so much about leadership and about how to treat people,” Monk said. “This guy will give you the shirt off his back.”
The Air and Space Force Association also recognizes Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics instructors by selecting a Teacher of the Year. Receiving this year’s award was Union High School’s Amanda Cassel.
Knight said he had a chance to visit Cassel’s AP Computer Science class, which she began three years ago, and was extremely impressed by what he saw. Students were not only learning how to work with computers, but also had to make decisions and be able to explain why they took the path they did.
“It wasn’t two plus two equals four or this is how you write a code. You had to be able to defend why you want it this way. The critical thinking is what this is all about. This is what the future is all about,” he said.
As her airmen are recognized, Col. Cynthia Smith, commanding officer for the 186th ARW, said other Meridian Guardsmen are representing the Magnolia State while supporting current military efforts. While not able to give specific details, Smith said members of the 186th ARW are deployed in support of Operation Epic Fury, against Iran, and were previously involved in Operation Midnight Hammer, a previous military initiative in June 2025 targeting Iranian nuclear sites.
The days of viewing the National Guard as a slow-moving, hard to mobilize support organization are gone, Smith said, and members of the 186th ARW must be mission ready at a moment’s notice.
“If you’ve studied history, there was a time when the Guard was considered just a flying club, not really taken seriously. It was a reserve, but it was a reserve that would take a long time to build up to where they needed to be to be used, and in a lot of cases sort of looked down upon by the active duty,” she said. “Boy has that changed.
“We maintain a level of readiness now, and I can speak to this, the response time that we have from the time I get the phone call to the time they need to be prepared to go out the door is no longer counted in months or weeks or days. It’s counted in hours.”
The guest speaker for Thursday’s meeting was State Sen. Jeff Tate, who represents parts of Lauderdale and Clarke counties. Tate is also chair of the Senate Veterans and Military Affairs Committee, and spoke about legislation impacting the National Guard.
Earlier this year, the State Legislature passed Senate Bill 2018 which created a reimbursement for National Guard members for premiums paid for TriCare insurance. The bill was signed by Gov. Tate Reeves in March and has gone into effect.
Tate said that bill was the fourth piece of legislation taken up by the Senate as the body wanted to send a clear message that helping the Guard is a priority.
“That was a bill that we passed week one, and that was to show that that was our priority in the Senate,” he said.
Other initiatives taken by the Senate include a measure to curb claim sharks from scamming or taking advantage of veterans’ claims, legislation allowing local governments to contract with military installations for infrastructure projects, authorizing a study of ibogaine, which has been shown to help veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and more, Tate said.
While prior to taking over as committee chair, Tate said his proudest achievement in helping the Guard came through efforts securing a $20 million state appropriation to build a new fire and rescue station at Key Field. The earmark was by far the largest Lauderdale County has seen and was made to show the state’s commitment to the 186th ARW as it competed to house the next generation of tanker aircraft.
“The biggest thing that I love about my job is that it is my responsibility to find that veteran and get them with the VA to a phone number that actually works, to an individual that’s going to make sure that that benefit gets taken care of,” he said.
MERIDIAN, Miss. – Lauderdale County is celebrating the second full week of April as National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week. Celebrated annually, this week honors the thousands of men and women who respond to emergency calls, dispatch emergency professionals and equipment, and render life-saving assistance to the world’s citizens.
The Lauderdale County E-911 center fields calls from Lauderdale County, Meridian and Marion, and coordinates first responders including fire, law enforcement and emergency medicine.
Kevin Smith, executive director for Metro Ambulance Service, said telecommunicators are trained professionals who are the first point of contact for people in a crisis. It could be a relatively minor problem or something beyond horrific, he said, yet they are trained to remain calm and professional, working to connect people to the emergency resources they need.
“That’s the hardest job of all,” he said.
Smith said the job goes far beyond answering the phone and putting information into a computer. Telecommunicators can be the last voice someone hears or have to hear the sound of a parent who just lost their child. It’s a job that the public depends on, he said, but often underestimates the toll it takes on those who do it.
“They are an integral part of the entire public safety sector,” he said.
Lauderdale County Sheriff Ward Calhoun said National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week is a time to recognize the people who aren’t in the spotlight but are always behind the scenes helping both the public and first responders through emergencies.
“It’s a good opportunity to recognize individuals who aren’t seen by the public but really are first responders,” he said.
Information provided by 911 dispatch is essential in responding to emergency calls, Calhoun said, and the data telecommunicators gather helps law enforcement and other emergency responders understand the situation and plan their response. The work of 911 telecommunicators absolutely makes a difference, he said.
“We’re extremely thankful for their diligent, hard work every day that helps us serve the community,” he said.
In recognition of their dedication, local businesses are stepping up to provide lunch, dinner and dessert for the county’s telecommunicators throughout the weeklong observance. Sponsoring businesses include:
—Domino’s
— Raising Cane’s
— McDonald’s
— Captain D’s
— BeeHive – Marion
— Subway
— Jeans Restaurant
— Newk’s
— Mr. Rogers
— Papa John’s
— Southern Fryers
— Kentucky Fried Chicken
— Magnolia Restaurant
— Western Sizzlin
— McAlister’s
— Meridian Community College
— ComSouth
A swag box for telecommunicators is also being provided by Chick Fil A.
Lauderdale County currently has a staff of 17 emergency telecommunicators and is working to hire more. Anyone interested in becoming a 911 telecommunicator can call 601-482-7559 for more information.
