On a spring afternoon in Lafayette County, a fire engine pulls up to a smoking building. Inside, two victims are reported trapped.

Without hesitation, a high school fire crew approaches the building. In minutes, the fire is out, and both “victims” are rescued. It’s only a simulation, but the skills and teamwork are real.

The Lafayette County Fire Department’s first high school fire training program wrapped in May 2025. The pilot initiative was launched in partnership with the Oxford-Lafayette School of Applied Technology.

Over the course of the school year, students learned everything from vehicle extrication and CPR to hose deployment, search and rescue, and how to pump and operate a fire engine.

“They did everything we do in real life,” said Assistant Chief of Training Jamie Phillips. “They worked with live fire. It was not gas. It was real wood and stuff in there burning, and they stretched hose lines, pumped the fire truck to the right number, operated the fire truck, and operated the fire ground.”

The hands-on experience and team exercises helped students learn to operate in high-stress situations and build trust and camaraderie.

“Fire service makes everybody friends when everybody realizes that you’ll die for them,” Phillips said. “Smoke-filled, high heat, zero visibility scenarios would make you trust a lot of people that’s right there beside you more than you trust your average person.”

The program drew different kinds of students, including those who may not have considered college after graduation.

One student is currently training to pass his physical test to enter the fire academy. Two juniors are planning to return during the next school year and enroll in EMT training. Another senior plans to enroll in the state fire academy after graduation.

“I figured if I could get one or two each year, it is well worth the time that we spent with them, especially local kids who are not planning on moving away and leaving,” Phillips said.

The program will return next school year with 15 new students already planning to participate. Returning juniors from the 2024-2025 cohort will help lead the next group.

“This service really sets a standard for their future, helps them with that structure, understanding organizational leadership and how that looks,” said Lafayette County Public Information Officer Beau Moore. “It’ll be exciting to see what happens next with this first group of kids that came through.”

All the program participants can become volunteer certified firefighters for Lafayette County immediately and fast-track through an 8-week training to become state-certified upon graduation.

Despite its success, the program faces one major hurdle — funding. The entire pilot was run at no cost to the school district. Materials such as gear, fuel, books and instructional materials were covered by the fire department.

“We’re still in the process of raising money for getting the high school its own gear,” Phillips said. “We have a lot of gear here, and we just made it work.”

Each set of firefighting gear for a student costs about $4,000–$6,000. Once purchased, it can be reused for future classes. Unlike the full-time firefighters’ black-and-yellow gear, the students’ gear will be black and orange, clearly marked with their role in the high school program. This means that if students are present at a real fire scene, they can be easily identified and moved to safety if needed.

Fundraising event planning is in progress. People interested in donating to the program can call the Lafayette County Fire Department at 662-232-2880 and ask for Assistant Chief Jamie Phillips.