TUPELO — The Tupelo Fire Department continues to struggle to staff fire stations across the city, following a trend affecting emergency services across both Northeast Mississippi and the nation.
Tupelo Fire Department Chief Brad Robinson said he’s spoken with chiefs in neighboring areas and cities and found, as in Tupelo, they are struggling to recruit new firefighters to fill vacancies opened by retirements.
“We are typically always trying to staff fully because … in order for us to keep our class of insurance rating, it is one of many (things) that needs to be done,” Robinson said, noting that he and several other chief officers fall within retirement age. “A lot of the chiefs I’m speaking with are having these issues as well.”
As of Wednesday, the Tupelo Fire Department has eight individuals who have the option to retire. The department also includes three uncertified firefighters and another three individuals training for certification, as well as one position that is vacant because an uncertified individual moved to a new department to be closer to family.
There are multiple ranks within the department, starting with Firefighter 1, a rank that designates an uncertified firefighter. Firefighter 2 and Firefighter 3 are different benchmarks reached through certifications and training.
Through a promotional test, a firefighter becomes a sergeant, which allows them to operate the pump and drive the fire engines. The rank of captain comes next; captains can handle the operations of the shift they manage. As of Wednesday, all sergeants, captains and administrative positions are filled.
Department close to fully staffed
The 96 TFD employees break down as follows:
- 1 administrative assistant
- 2 deputy chiefs
- 3 battalion chiefs
- 2 fire marshals
- 21 captains
- 24 sergeants
- 42 firefighters
Each shift, which comprises 30 firefighters, needs at least one captain and sergeant, and the rest include firefighters ranking on a scale of 1 to 3.
Joshua Parks, who joined the department about a decade ago, is one of those 21 captains. He noted his older brother is a firefighter, and Parks did not think about becoming a firefighter himself until he went in the “plant a seed” summer job program in 2011.
While shadowing at the fire station, Parks said he fell in love with the work. He applied to be a full-time firefighter shortly after.
“We are one big team. I’m just the tie-breaker if we have to have a tie-breaker,” said Parks, who made the rank of captain in 2023.
Parks said he has noticed the issues with staffing firsthand. He said more veteran firefighters told him there was a time when 100 individuals showed up for a shot to join the department. Now, there are between 40 and 45 people at try-outs.
To Parks, this dropoff in potential recruits is understandable.
“Millennials and Gen Z understand they can make about the same amount of money from their cell phones as we make going into a burning building,” he said. “You have to want to do this job. You have to want to help people in this fashion to be drawn to this profession.”
While he noted he didn’t have a solution for staffing himself, he wished there were more opportunities for young adults to get involved with the fire department, such as the program he went through.
“You can’t inspire someone to go into a burning building, do CPR or throw yourself into harm’s way to help somebody else,” he said. “That is something you expose people to, and if they’re willing to make that sacrifice and take a calculated risk, then go for it.”
Certifications continues on track
There are only so many firefighters who can go through the academy in a year. This year, with the three currently getting certified, Robinson said he expects a total of seven firefighters to earn their certifications before the end of this year. That’s down from last year’s 11 but up from the four that were certified in 2024.
Tyler Estes, 24, was one of the 11 who got certified last year. He’s been firefighting for about two years. For him, the fire service is more fulfilling than any other job he’s held.
“I had a few friends in the first service, and they told me to give it a shot, and it’s been rewarding ever since,” he said. “It’s blessed me more than anything. Helping people. At the end of the day, I wanted to feel good about something I was doing with my life. I didn’t want to go through life without a purpose.”
With many newer recruits getting certification, there is always a chance for retirement among the officers, of which Robinson said there are eight with the time, 25 years, required for retirement. He said he and others aren’t planning on going anywhere immediately, but their eventual retirements could throw a further wrench into the staffing at the department.
Overtime down, still a challenge
To maintain fire ratings, each shift must be staffed with a certain number of certified firefighters. To compensate for the gaps, the department has significantly increased its overtime for certified individuals. This year, he said, there was a decrease as the department continues to certify more people.
The extra time at work comes with additional stress, Robinson said, noting that burnout is a real possibility for those individuals serving overtime.
“(Burnout) is a big challenge, but the guys are resilient,” he said. “We’re still fighting that overtime just due to that minimum staffing number we need to keep … We’re trying to eliminate as much overtime as we can.”
While firefighters do rest while on shifts, he said sleeping in a fire station is much different than sleeping in one’s bed. He called it “fire station sleep.”
“Sleeping in a fire station is like sleeping at home with a newborn … trying to stay somewhat aware of what’s happening,” he said.
Parks said to combat burnout, he recommends that everyone in the department get a hobby outside of firefighting.
“You’ve got to have something totally separate from the fire service … be it fishing, painting, pottery, your wife or children or church — church is the best outlet,” he said. “When you’re off work, be off work. When you’re at work, be at work, but be where your feet are.”
Estes praised the service, noting that it was a great job for those who wish to serve the public.
“Every morning when I leave here, I feel like I did something good for the community. It makes my family proud. It makes me proud,” he said. “To have brothers, that’s what it’s about. If you want to help people, this is the career.”
