Causeyville Fire & Rescue: Helping neighbors and the community

Causeyville Fire & Rescue is not a large department, but its members are dedicated to what they do. Fire Chief Billy Hagwood said he has 23 active volunteers, with 13 certified firefighters. Together, they cover a service area of 24 square miles.

“We basically do everything, respond to everything like a paid department,” he said. “If they page us, we go do what we can whatever the situation is.”

The department was founded in 1987 with the station located on Vimville Causeyville Road. Unlike some of the busier departments within the county which get calls daily, Causeyville Fire & Rescue was called out 64 times in 2025.

A low call volume is good in that it means no wrecks, fires or other emergencies in the community, but it can also be difficult to keep volunteers motivated and engaged when there isn’t a lot to do.

Causeyville has mutual aid agreements with Long Creek and Southeast Fire & Rescue, as well, Hagwood said, and the department also helps its neighbors in Clarke County when needed.

In a rural area of the county, Hagwood said Causeyville does have some fire hydrants but mostly relies on water shuttle when fighting fires. There are six designated fire lakes throughout the department’s service area where tankers can fill with water.

Long Creek and Southeast also operate a water shuttle and work together to make sure those fighting the fire have all the water they need.

“Everybody’s got at least one tanker, so they pull up, drop their tank, dump their water and they go to wherever we’re filling at,” he said.

Each year on the third Saturday in November, the department hosts Causeyville Day, which acts as the department’s big fundraiser for the year. The event features Boston butts, barbeque plates, ribs, live music, vendors and more. The past 10 years have also featured a car show as part of the festivities.

“That’s been going on since, well, before the firehouse got started,” Hagwood said.

While the department gets some money through fundraising, from the county and grants, every volunteer fire department is hurting for resources, Hagwood said. Costs to outfit a firefighter have skyrocketed to where equipment costing a few hundred dollars 20 years ago now costs thousands.

What most people don’t realize, he said, is that equipment expires. After 10 years, the jacket, pants, air pack and everything else a firefighter wears at a fire must be replaced.

“Whether we wear it into a fire or not, if you’ve got brand new gear that’s 10 years old, it’s never seen a fire, you’ve got to take it out of service and replace it,” he said. “It takes a lot of money.”

A recent purchase for new gear for three firefighters came in at approximately $14,000, he said.

The goal is to have two sets of gear for each firefighter so they can wash one set after a fire and still be good to go. Firefighters are exposed to a lot of carcinogenic materials, and washing gear is needed to get all that off, Hagwood said.

Funding isn’t the only need for volunteer fire departments, Hagwood said. Like other departments throughout the county, Causeyville Fire & Rescue needs more volunteers.

Having worked for 27 years as a firefighter at Naval Air Station Meridian and more than 40 years of experience in firefighting, Hagwood said he understands not wanting to put on an air pack and run into a fire. Given the choice, neither does he.

“There are a thousand things to do outside that house fire. You don’t have to even go in to fight fire. You don’t have to touch nothing or actually do firefighting,” he said.

Volunteers can learn to drive the firetrucks or tankers, how to pump the trucks, stage equipment for firefighters so they don’t have to walk all the way back to the truck to get what they need and more. Even helping the department with fundraising efforts or other needs makes a difference.

One way residents can support their local fire departments is through their electric bills. Hagwood said East Mississippi Electric Power Authority customers can choose to add $1 to their monthly electric bill to go to the volunteer fire department of their choosing. Several rural water associations within the county also offers the option.

Hagwood said those funds are distributed quarterly, and the department has benefited from the programs. Even a few hundred dollars each quarter makes a big difference.

While small, Causeyville Fire & Rescue does what it can to protect the people and property in its community. The dedicated volunteers answer fire, medical and other calls as quickly as they can and bring whatever resources available to help their neighbors.

“I can remember before there was a volunteer fire department here. Somebody’s house burned, slab to the ground, everybody went and stood back and watched,” he said. “You didn’t have a fire truck. What else were you going to do?

“It’s to help your neighbor or somebody in your community that you know. You’re there to do the best you can with what you’ve got.”