As Warren County firefighters mourn, other fire departments step up to fill in
The brotherhood among firefighters was on full display in Warren County Friday morning during a time of need for local firefighters.
Following the death of former Warren County firefighter Danny Cogan in a house fire Sunday, firefighters from departments throughout Hinds County filled in for Warren County firefighters Friday morning to enable them to attend the funeral.
“It is what we do,” Lauren Stubblefield, the Lieutenant of Engine 1 in Utica, said. “We back each other up all the time. That is how we operate in our county. We get called to assist other counties on a pretty regular basis. It is part of what we do and it is part of watching out for one another and taking care of one another both on the fire ground and off the fire ground.”
Although she lives in Hinds County now, Stubblefield is a native of Vicksburg and said it meant a lot to be able to help out Friday.
“When our chief called us the other day it meant a lot to me because I grew up here and I know a bunch of the people who are going to the funeral today,” she said. “It just really means a lot to be able to come and help them out.”
Eleven firefighters from various Hinds County Departments spread throughout Warren County along with multiple trucks ready to handle any calls that came their way.
“It is an honor to help out our brothers and sisters here in Warren County while they’re hurting. It is our way of paying tribute to the fallen,” Joey Jamison, the assistant chief in Raymond said.
It proved to be a quiet morning as they only had to respond to two medical calls, but it was their presence that had the biggest impact.
“It is very rewarding that they will come in,” Culkin firefighter Chuck Tate said. “We’ve done the same sort of thing. We swap out assisting different departments. We’ve gone other places. It is just the way fire service works.”
Before stepping down a couple months before his death, Cogan had served as a captain with Northeast Volunteer Fire Department. He died in what was deemed an accidental fire at his home on Roy Young Road that was fully consumed by the time Warren County firefighters arrived on scene.
“Danny was the guy that was typically always there,” Tate said. “He especially got involved with the junior firefighters and was a mentor to them and somebody who gave them guidance. He was a good guy.”
The funeral for Cogan was held in Rolling Fork.
This post originally appeared on VicksburgPost.com.