New Albany Gazette
Mississippi fire service leaders met with federal lawmakers about fire service priorities
By Hank Wiesner Special to the Gazette
New Albany Fire Chief Mark Whiteside arrived Tuesday, Feb. 11 in Washington D.C. for the 2025 Congressional Fire Services Institute Symposium and Dinner (CFSI) with this year’s title "Get engaged! Stay Engaged!" and was greeted by heavy snow.
Chief Whiteside was there for the Mississippi Firefighters and Mississippi Fire Chief's Association Executive Board members “to meet with our leadership in Washington D.C.,” he said Thursday morning, Feb. 13.
Wednesday morning, Feb. 12, the group met with lawmakers and key decision-makers to advocate for critical support for firefighters and emergency responders—both in local communities and across the nation.
The issues they discussed included fire service priorities, including securing funding for lifesaving equipment and training to addressing issues impacting firefighter safety and wellbeing.
Mississippi’s firefighters and fire chiefs are more than first responders—they are advocates, community leaders, and champions for public safety, Chief Whiteside said.
“We took care of business, and we laughed along the way also.
“We as a group brought concerns of the Mississippi Fire Services. The Mississippi Firefighters Association and the Mississippi Fire Chief's Association were well represented and had informative meetings with our Congressmen and Senators about our needs.
“We feel steps were made to move upward and forward. There is strength in numbers, and if we don't speak up and ask, the answer is always "no". When we ask, and we do ask, we also justify, and have the thought of all 82 counties on our minds,” the chief concluded.
Added Mississippi’s U. S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith:
“We had a great meeting last week with the Mississippi Firefighters Association. We talked about the vital work, training, and programs that our firefighters do to keep our communities as safe, and discussed the ways to continue working together to ensure they have the resources they need."