History

The Lafayette County Fire Department began as a 501©(3) non-profit organization that was incorporated as the Lafayette County Volunteer Fire Department on March 30, 1977, with the expressed purpose to “acquire and maintain all types of property, both real and personal, which may be used in the prevention and fighting of fires; to engage in any and all types of activities…[to] promote and foster better fire prevention and fire safety among its members and the citizens of Lafayette County; to acquire all types of firefighting equipment and to educate and train volunteer members of the County of Lafayette in the prevention and fighting of all types of fires; [and] to engage in such activities as shall benefit the County of Lafayette in fire prevention, fire safety and all other aspects of firefighting and control.”

The Charter members made up the governing Fire Board with two engine companies, Engine Company 2 and Engine Company 3. Harmontown was chartered as Engine Company 1 and would come under the LCFD umbrella later.  As the LCFD grew to incorporate more engine companies, each district joined in succession and was awarded the sequential company number.  College Hill joined as Engine Company 4; Yocona as Engine Company 5; Tula as Engine Company 6; Abbeville and Taylor, originally chartered independently, came in as Engine Companies 7 and 9 respectively while Toccopola (in Pontotoc County) remained Engine Company 8 and served the eastern corner of Lafayette County in mutual aid.  Lafayette Springs, Philadelphia, Paris, Highway 6 West, and Union West, joined as Engine Companies 11, 12, 14, 15, and 16.  Central Station, built in 2004, emerged as Engine Company 10.  Station 17, in the Bryant’s bottom area, was opened in June of 2018.

Before the 1977 charter, Oxford Fire Department, a combination department of volunteer and paid firefighters, responded to fires in the County.  Jerry Johnson served as our Fire Coordinator from 1992 to 2015 and Wes Anderson is the current Fire Coordinator, as well as the Fire Chief. Chief Anderson reports directly to the Lafayette County Administrator and Lafayette County Board of Supervisors.

Today, the Department operates out of 15 fire stations and is made up of full-time, part-time and paid per call members.  Lafayette County has assumed total control of the department and original nonprofit organization has transitioned to an association.  Total membership includes 100 paid per call, 30 part-time, 22 full-time shift personnel, 3 full-time chief level officers and 3 part-time chief level officers and 1 full-time Fleet and Facilities Manager.  It serves over 40,000 people and covers 650 square miles. Some of the capabilities of the Lafayette County Fire Department consist of fire suppression, community risk reduction, search and rescue, rope rescue, emergency medical services and other special operations.