What Does A Fire Department Do?

Fire Suppression

Our methods of extinguishment have been refined over the years through education in fire sciences. Basically speaking, the best method of extinguishment is a quick interior attack if possible. This is made possible with the improved personal safety equipment that today's firefighters use. Turnout gear and breathing apparatus helps us get closer to the fire for short periods of time.

Auto Extrication

We have a set of hydraulic spreading devices called "The Jaws of Life". These tools enable firefighters to spread, pull and cut metal to free-trapped victims of vehicle collisions. To assist in this operation we also use power saws, cable hoists, glasscutters and assorted hand operated tools.

Medical Life Support

For several years Bridgetown firefighters have been providing Basic Medical Assistance which involves Standard First Aid and CPR. We are dispatched most of the time the ambulance service receives a call. Most times we can be on the scene within 3-6 minutes.

Public Fire Education

We provide station tours to anyone serviced by the Bridgetown Fire Department. Fire safety programs for children and adults include our annual Open House every year in the Fall. We teach the importance of fire safety, and safety awareness in related areas.

Bridgetown receives monies from the State of Mississippi, the county of Desoto and from your water bill listed as Fire Dues. The Fire dues you contribute while voluntary, help keep your department operating on a daily basis. All of the dues collected in the Bridgetown Coverage area are given to the Bridgetown Fire Department. If you would like to see the coverage area, please click at the top on the tab "Coverage Area". Once a year we receive an Insurance rebate check from the State. Also once, sometimes twice we will receive funds collected by the County from a 1 mill tax on county residents for county fire departments like yours.

This year your fire department has purchased a Pierce Saber Pumper for our first in Engine. This was an investment of over $200,000.00 and will be paid yearly for the next 10 years. Until this engine was purchased, Bridgetown has never owned a brand new pumper from the outset. We were very fortunate that the investments in older equipment, which is what we could afford at the time, paid off in the long term for the community. Until this purchase we were operating out of an 1989 KME engine.

Our breathing air packs cost the department approximately $2500.00 each. There is very little upkeep and these packs will last us approximately 10 years. We carry 11 of these SCBA's.

To outfit a firefighter completely, we have to provide a helmet, boots, coat and pants, gloves, a nomex hood, and a radio. This investment alone costs us over $2000.00 per man. Here at Bridgetown we pride ourselves on using the finest available personal protective equipment we can provide at a reasonable cost. For instance we use leather boots which are lighter weight than the traditional rubber boots and cause less fatigue while fighting a fire or working a car accident. We use the traditional helmets which provide better head protection for our people. We provide a personal alpha pager to each member so that if they are in a place they can't carry their radio, we can get a message to them for whatever reason without disturbing people around them.