Fire Department

The Ocean Springs Fire Department was first organized October 30^th 1880 and became the first “chartered” Fire Company in the State of Mississippi on September 22^nd 1881 with their motto being “To the Rescue”. Today, we still have the same motto but presently hold a Class 5 fire rating from the Mississippi State Rating Bureau and is made up of 37 personnel. We operate out of three (3) fire stations with three (3) twenty-four (24) hour rotating shifts with each shift having eleven (11) personnel. Each shift includes a Battalion Chief, three (3) Lieutenants, and seven (7) Firefighters.  The Fire Department Administration includes a Chief, Deputy Chief, Training Officer, and Fire Inspector.  Our personnel are heavily trained in all aspects of emergency response, mitigation, prevention, and strive to provide excellent service to the public in any situation or circumstance where our presence is requested.

Mission Statement
The mission of the Ocean Springs Fire Department is to provide those services designed to protect life, property, and environment from any adverse effect in a safe, professional, and compassionate manner.

Fire Chief Derek McCoy

A life-long resident of Jackson County and a 22 year veteran of the fire service. He served 6 years as a Chief Fire Officer for a neighboring department before coming to the City of Ocean Springs in October of 2019 leading Ocean Springs department as Fire Chief.  Chief McCoy holds a B.S. in Fire Administration from Columbia Southern University, and is a graduate of the 2017 Class of the Jackson County Leadership program. He is a Certified Fire & Explosion Investigator and has obtained numerous other certifications in hazard response and mitigation. He currently serves as a Board Member for the State of Mississippi’s Fire Personnel Minimum Standards and Certification Board as well as serving as the President for the Mississippi Fire Investigators Association for year 2020. He is a member of the Mississippi Fire Chiefs Assoc., Mississippi Fire Investigators Assoc., International Association of Arson Investigators, and the National Assoc. of Fire Investigators.