Twenty-seven Jones County volunteer firefighters were honored Saturday night at the JCJC Whitehead Advanced Technology Center for completing extensive training leading to certification. Twenty of the volunteer firefighters completed the Mississippi Certified Volunteer Firefighter 1 course, which encompassed over 140 hours of classroom and practical instruction.

Additionally, these firefighters had to attend a skills check-off training at the Mississippi State Fire Academy and all successfully passed. Seven other volunteer firefighters completed the Medical First Responder training leading to certification as nationally registered medical first responders. This training encompassed 40 hours of classroom and practical instruction and at least another 40 hours of home study.

Jones County Fire Coordinator Dan McKenna served as master of ceremonies for the evening ceremony, which included the invocation by Jones County Fire Chaplain Drew Blanton. 

Speakers for the ceremony included Andy Dial, president of the Jones County Board of Supervisors; Regina Kitchens, JCJC coordinator for workforce development; Edwin Blue, Firefighter 1 instructor; Stacy Brownlee with Rustin VFD, who spoke on behalf of the class; Lance Chancellor, who spoke on behalf of MFR Instructor Keith McMullen; and guest speaker George Stevens, who serves as the Lamar County fire coordinator.

The graduates of the Firefighter 1 course included:

Matthew Runnels – Boggy VFD

Dustin Gatlin – Boggy VFD

Jessie Jones – Boggy VFD

Daniel Holifield – Glade VFD

Chase Holifield – Glade VFD

Billy Smith – Hebron VFD

Brian Smith – Southwest Jones VFD

Wanda Welsh – Ovett VFD

Sally McRainey – Moselle VFD

Melissa Anderson – Moselle VFD

Todd Peterson – Moselle VFD

Rickey McRainey – Moselle VFD

Justin Jones – Shady Grove VFD

Keren Thompson – Moselle VFD

Lane Anderson – Moselle VFD

Joseph Thompson – Moselle VFD

Austin Harper – South Jones VFD

Corey McAlpin – Union VFD

Stacey Brownlee – Rustin VFD

Russell Bennett – South Jones VFD

The graduates of the Medical First Responder course included:

Deb McKenna – Ovett VFD

Thomas “Tiny” Mozingo – M&M; VFD

Jessie Jones – South Jones VFD

Dustin Gatlin – Boggy VFD

Karen Gatlin – Boggy VFD

Pam Sumrall – Soso VFD

Zack Robinson – Union VFD 

Jones County Board of Supervisors President Andy Dial congratulated the graduates and noted, “We appreciate your service to Jones County and to the communities you represent. You unselfishly give of your time to help others in need and put your lives on the line during all aspects of the emergency response. May God bless you as you go forth and fight fires, respond to accidents and give aid to those needing medical assistance.”

Lamar County Fire Coordinator George Stevens extolled the graduates to be prepared for what is to come, “You will encounter many things during your service as a volunteer firefighter and/or medical first responder and many of those things will not be pleasant. There will be times when you make the difference between life and death, and other times when you will be unable to affect the course of the event. Know that your efforts are appreciated and please be safe in all of your emergency responses. You represent the first line of defense in our Homeland Security and as volunteers are a vital component of our emergency response system. You have sacrificed greatly by the hours spent achieving these certifications and I congratulate you and your families for your willingness to do a job that most people cannot.” 

The evening also included a somber memorial for the two Jones County volunteer firefighters who have lost their lives in the line of duty since the inception of the volunteer fire departments in Jones County.

Hebron Fire Chief Harold Hinton was killed in a tanker rollover accident on May 24, 1989, and Pleasant Ridge firefighter Sally Renee Clark succumbed to injuries related to a heart attack on April 18, 2005, following a fire department training exercise.

The Jones County Color Guard stood at full attention as a bagpiper played “Amazing Grace” for the assembled firefighters and guests. The ceremony concluded with the graduates being presented their certificates by Jones County Fire Coordinator Dan McKenna and Jones County Board of Supervisors President Andy Dial with the guest speakers personally congratulating each graduate.