Port Gibson fire chief thankful for assistance

City of Port Gibson Fire Chief George Hudson said Sunday morning that he is grateful for the response from the City of Vicksburg and Warren County.

Hudson was referring to his request for mutual aid late Saturday, for a response to a commercial structure fire that started around 4:30 p.m. Hudson said the fire at 224 Hudson Street was brought under control by around 4:50 p.m. The remaining problems however were burning embers inside of the roof and wall areas.

Hudson’s request for mutual aid was answered by Vicksburg Fire Chief Craig Danczyk who deployed Ladder 15 from Station 5. Captain Sam Brocato, Lt. Joe Graham, and Firefighter Wade Thomas were aboard the fire truck. Warren County Fire Coordinator Jerry Briggs also responded to the call.

Hudson said as soon as the truck began to put foam into the area of the roof, large embers fell out.

”We no doubt would have been back down there in the middle of the night.”

The ladder enabled firefighters to saturate the structure from above and smother any remaining fire remnants with foam.

The City of Port Gibson operates a volunteer fire department, with Hudson being their only salaried employee. The department has around a dozen members. Claiborne County has a paid department, again with limited manpower and resources.

Hudson said, “We definitely need a ladder-type truck, something similar to what Vicksburg sent would be ideal.”

Unfortunately, the apparatus he referred to is the city’s newest and cost in excess of 800 thousand dollars, which is a bit out of the small city’s price range.

This is the second time that the City of Port Gibson has received mutual aid from Vicksburg and Warren County. Last year a similar response occurred during a larger fire in the former theatre in the downtown area. Mutual aid assistance is normal in many areas of the state.

Hudson said, “Chief Danczyk and Jerry Briggs are always willing to help anyone needing assistance, and we stand ready to return the favor.”

In addition to being Fire Chief, Hudson is a member of the Claiborne County Board of Supervisors along with owning several businesses in Claiborne County.