Commissioner of Insurance
I have said many times that firefighting continues to rank as one of the most honored, yet dangerous and deadly professions in the world. The Mississippi State Fire Academy is one of, if not the, best firefighter training academy in the world. The dangers of firefighting can never be completely removed. It is, by the nature of the job, a very dangerous occupation. Good training, knowledge and skill can help a firefighter survive the physical dangers of the job. The training the State Fire Academy offers continue to be the most up-to-date and advanced as they can be. This year I am proud that the Mississippi Insurance Department, through use of grants, has been able to add to great tools to fire safety education so that Mississippi’s citizens can have some “advanced” training of their own to help them survive a fire in their home or place of business. The first tool is a Fire Safety House. It is a nearly 20-foot long, transportable trailer that shows people how to safely escape a burning building and allow instruction and lifesaving methods in a realistic setting. The second tool, one that firefighters can use, is the CoreControl cooling glove. The glove, created by Stanford scientists removes heat from the body by cooling blood. The glove is currently in use by fire departments across the country as firefighters overheat while fighting fires. The great benefit of the glove is that is cools the firefighter from the inside out and does not require the removal of turnout gear except for one glove. The firefighter can remove one glove, cool down for 2-5 minutes and return to fighting the fire without danger of heat exhaustion or stroke. We hope these new additions will continue to help us lower the death rate from fire in our state. Thanks to the continued effort and dedication of firefighters throughout our state, that death rate is steadily coming down. We have seen an over 35 percent reduction in fire deaths since 2011 when we had 84 fire deaths. In 2013 that number was down to 57. Fire dangers cannot be completely avoided but as I have said before, they can be lessened with great training and practice. There is no better place for firefighters to receive the best training in the world than at the Mississippi State Fire Academy. (MSFA) I am proud of the dedication and commitment to excellence of the fire service, and I salute the courageous men and women who respond every day to make Mississippi and the world a safer place for all.
Executive Director
The Mississippi State Fire Academy serves Mississippi, the nation, and the world by consistently providing the best training for fire service and emergency response personnel. We train approximately 15,000 students per year and offer more than 90 courses, many with multiple deliveries, and many offered both on campus and off-site through our field delivery program. The field delivery program allows fire fighters across the state to engage in critical training closer to their communities, reducing the amount of time these fire fighters must spend away from their departments to gain important knowledge and skills. Our students come from career and volunteer fire departments throughout Mississippi, fire departments outside the state, and even from the private sector. Over the years, business and industrial entities including many Fortune 500 companies have entrusted the Mississippi State Fire Academy with training their employees in fire and emergency response. We pride ourselves on adapting our instruction to a constantly evolving technological world. Classrooms and other on-campus facilities are equipped with wireless internet, webcasting, and teleconferencing capabilities. These assets lend us the flexibility to innovate our teaching methods and course delivery platforms as the needs of the students, and the fire departments and communities they serve, change. While our focus is training fire and emergency response personnel, we consider it a vital part of our mission to educate all Mississippi citizens about fire prevention and safety. To that end, we invite schools, clubs, and civic groups to visit our campus, tour the facilities, and learn how they can help minimize the potential for loss of life and property due to fire. You may also see our staff members and mascot at public events spreading the message. Whether we are preparing career, volunteer, or industrial fire fighters to respond to emergencies, or teaching the public how to stay safe, you can be assured that the Mississippi State Fire Academy is…
“Making a Difference When It Matters the Most…”
