Lafayette Co. Fire Department seeks money for new hires
OXFORD, Miss. (AP) – The Lafayette County Fire Department wants money to hire six new employees because leaders say it’s getting harder to recruit volunteers.
The Oxford Eagle reports that Deputy Fire Chief Wes Anderson asked county supervisors for more than $334,000 to make the hires.
Anderson says people who wanted to volunteer years ago would show up at the fire department and hop on a truck. Today, state law requires volunteers to undergo 80 hours of firefighter training.
Many of the department’s 100 or so volunteers are aging or are University of Mississippi students or off-duty Oxford firefighters.
