When disaster strikes in Collinsville, the men and women of the Collinsville Fire & Rescue are ready to respond. The organization, with roughly 30 active members, responds to fires, vehicle accidents, emergency medical calls, and other incidents.
Fire Chief Tony Grice said the department has seen an influx of new volunteers over the past four years, which has helped boost its numbers. Having a strong membership base is crucial, he said, because not every volunteer can respond to every call.
“You’ve got to have a large group of volunteers who, when people are at work or on vacation or simply unavailable, you have enough people to show up and take care of the scene,” he said.
Founded in 1966 by the Collinsville Community Club, Grice said the department also has strong relationships with other volunteer fire departments in the surrounding area. Bailey, Martin, Suqualena, and Duffee fire departments will all come to help Collinsville if needed, and Collinsville will respond to their calls in turn. A minimum of 3 departments are dispatched to all house fires.
Training is also a major part of the department, and CF&R is fortunate to have skilled professionals who can teach others. The department is about to start teaching Mississippi Fire Academy courses, including HAZMAT and other 12-hour academy classes, in-house. They have 15 students enrolled in an 18-week Emergency Medical Responder course that begins next week to prepare volunteers better to respond to medical and trauma calls throughout the district.
“I’ve got a dedicated group that really cares, and they always want to take that next step,” Grice said.
Capt. Noah McWhirter, the training officer, said firefighting is an ever-changing profession. Since joining the fire department 10 years ago, the time to put out a house fire has been drastically reduced, he said. New and better practices are constantly being added and updated, and training needs to evolve alongside them.
Grice said the firefighters going through the EMR class, which he plans to teach himself, will be accredited by the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians. The national certification will allow them to take those skills anywhere in the United States.
“They can take that certification that they get from here and go anywhere in the nation and be recognized as an EMR,” he said.
While current volunteer firefighters work to expand their skill sets, CF&R is also partnering with the Lauderdale County School District to build the next generation of volunteer firefighters.
“We are now working with West Lauderdale, and students there are actually enrolled in our EMR program, so they’re going to be certified as well,” Grice said.
Brody Gressett, who serves as Junior Firefighter Chief, said he’s been involved with the department for about a year, and it’s one of the best decisions he’s ever made. The training and camaraderie of the department are much more than he expected.
“I’ve met a lot of great people, learned a lot of great things,” he said.
The upcoming EMR class offers another opportunity to learn new skills. Gressett said his age, 16, limits the role he can play at the fire department, but the medical course is fair game.
While they come from different backgrounds and hold different professions, Collinsville VFD members are like a family, Grice said. They help each other, hold each other accountable, and work hard to do their best for the people they serve.
Collinsville Day
Throughout the years, CF&R has enjoyed strong support from the local community, and nowhere is that more evident than at the annual Collinsville Day celebration.
Set for Saturday, May 2, the festival celebrates the Collinsville community while also raising funds for the fire department’s needs.
Grice said this year’s celebration is sure to be a hit. More than just vendors, the event will include a car show, food, live entertainment, family activities, a touch-a-truck event, and more, along with a kids’ zone with a variety of activities to keep younger residents occupied.
Anna Smith of Explorer Acres, which is sponsoring the kids’ zone, said her business offers a variety of animal encounters, activities, and camps for young children. The kids’ zone is available for children aged 13 and under, with those under 4 requiring an adult to accompany them.
“We’ll have the bouncy house, the petting zoo, an archery setup, and we’ll have many other games,” she said.
Smith said there will also be fun farming-related activities for kids.
“Basically, we’re doing a small version of our camp,” she said.
Collinsville Day is set for 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information about Collinsville Day or Collinsville Fire & Rescue, visit collinsvillefireandrescue.com or find them on Facebook.