Poplarville Fire Chief Jason Bannister provides the Democrat with a yearly report on his department.

In 2022, the Poplarville Fire Department received 397 calls for service, which were up 50% from 2021. Of those 397 calls, 252 were EMS-related (medical calls, motor vehicle crashes, and extractions). Fifth-one of the calls was some type of fire calls with 8 of the 51 being structure fires. The remaining 94 calls are classified in our other categories which include hazardous conditions, public service calls, good intent calls, and false alarms.

The department also installed over 50 smoke detectors and conducted 22 fire inspections. They also conducted fire prevention presentations at multiple schools throughout the year.

“The firefighters and staff of Poplarville Fire Department have been working hard not only responding to calls but taking on projects to move the department forward. Everyone is doing an outstanding job,” said Bannister in a written statement.

In 2022, the Poplarville Fire Department received $500,000 from the State of Mississippi to purchase a new fire truck. The new fire engine was ordered in June of 2022 and is nearing completion. The projected delivery date is the third week of January 2023.