From staff reports

All of their hard work of training and practicing paid off when seven firefighters from Choctaw County passed their skills tests to become Certified Volunteer Firefighters. The volunteer firefighters spent 40 hours of classroom training and passed a written test before heading to the Mississippi Fire Academy, in Jackson, to test their skills.

During the skills test, the students fought fires, participated in equipment cleanup, practiced rescuing people, and the many other skills necessary before they could return home as a certified volunteer firefighter

The new certified volunteers are from Bywy Volunteer Fire Department Joey Cook and Billy Murphy, from Reform Volunteer Fire Department Joey Fiebig, Josh McBride and Greg Swindle and from Weir Fire Department Fran McGee and Paul Newlin.

See more pictures on page 13.