Tucker Fire Department in Neshoba County has received a new fire truck. "We generally have to replace them every 15 to 20 years depending on the capabilities and how many residents are in the district, the mileage of the district," says Jeff Mayo with Emergency Management Agency.
Up-to-date equipment helps improve capabilities of fighting fires. It also helps improve the fire protection rating in the district.
"That has a large impact on your insurance premium that you pay for your insurance for your dwellings or houses, structures," says Mayo.
The Tucker district is rated a class 8. Response times play a big role in determining the rating.
Response times on average are five to seven minutes, but it could take longer depending on where the emergency is and how long it takes for the volunteer firefighter to get to the station.
"All 12 fire departments out in the unincorporated areas of the county, they're all volunteer so their response times are going to vary," says Mayo.
There's no one at the stations full-time and Neshoba County doesn't have the means to place someone at each location, so they continue to work on improving the system to respond faster.