Damage from the Aug. 18, storm ripped part of the siding off the south-facing facade of the James Hastings Fire Station Three building in Leland, but Fire Chief Dquan Wilson told the board at Tuesday’s regular board of alderman meeting that a contractor he used in the past gave him a good price to make the repairs.
Michael Smith of Smith Contracting bid the repairs out at $2,100.12, a price so low that Mayor Kenny Thomas congratulated Wilson on his business dealings.
Even though the price was low the Fire department's budget was lower.
At the end of the fiscal year, most cities' budgets are tight.
But, Mayor Thomas saw some funds in a few different revenue-generating accounts and moved them around to cover the repairs.
“Smith is going to fix every hole and opening we have,” Wilson said. “So, no more birds flying around in the firehouse.”
Before Wilson finished his monthly report to the board he told the members he received his 1001 certification
The state of Mississippi requires that firefighters acquire the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1001 certification, Firefighter I and II levels included.
Training for this basic qualification is provided by the Mississippi State Fire Academy (MSFA). The firefighter learns fire suppression, rescue operations, hazardous materials awareness, and incident command. Firefighter I is basic training; Firefighter II extends that training to include leadership and advanced firefighting operations.
A few days after the meeting Wilson gave a few more details about the damage to his firehouse and the plan to correct it.
"On that Sunday, when the high winds and storm came through, a lot of trees fell around town. A tree even fell across the street by the station, and the wind blew off some of the wood, paneling, and shingles, leaving a hole in our roof," Wilson said. "Once Smith gets everything fixed, I'm going to repaint the station myself, or the Fire Department will handle it during one of our training sessions."
Wilson also shared a little bit about the training that went into the certification he received.
"The certification I earned was a 1001 base certification, which is nearly equivalent to a full-time firefighter's 1001 certification," Wilson said. "It consists of Volunteer Firefighter I, which takes eight weeks, Volunteer Firefighter II for four weeks, Hazardous Materials training for two weeks, and Emergency Medical Responder (EMR) training for 12 weeks. A regular 1001 certified firefighter will go through seven weeks of training all at once, but I completed mine over the course of two years while still working."
