SA/GPE Vol Fire Dept

GULF PARK ESTATES/ST. ANDREWS

FIRE DEPT.

1401 Elm St.

Ocean Springs, MS 39564

Phone: (228) 872-5341

Fax: (228) 872-5341

7/25/2016

To Whom It May Concern:

This is to inform the Gulf Park Estates/St. Andrews Fire Protection District’s response area’s citizens, that our fire insurance classification has improved from Eighth, to Seventh Class. This took effect on July 27, 2016. This is due to our apparatuses being properly equipped, 3 first class fire engines, 2 tankers, 2 brush trucks, 1 high water rescue, hundreds of training hours, and all the response to incidents from our career and volunteer firefighters to assist their community. We will continue to strive to improve, and keep on lowering our rating, and saving our community as much money as we can. Thank you for supporting your local Fire Department.

Sincerely,

Wayne Emile, Jr

Fire Chief

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St Andrews/Gulf Park Estates Volunteer Fire Department.

The St Andrews/Gulf Park Estates Fire District is composed of 5 Board of Directors Commissioners; 4 full time paid employees and 40 (+ or -) volunteers that serves the two communities. There are 2 fire stations; the St Andrews station which is located at 1401 Elm Street (between St Andrews and Pinehurst), the other one is located at 2300 East Simmons Bayou Dr in Gulf Park Estates.

The 5 board members serves at the will and pleasure of the Jackson County Board of Supervisors, and as recommended by the District 5 Supervisor. The 5 board members currently serving are:

Patty Hammons (President), resident of the GPE community

Bunky Boswell (VP), resident of the GPE community

Carleen Cole (Secretary), resident of the SA community

Dane Reid (Treasurer), resident of the GPE community

Hal Galloway, resident of the SA community

Wayne Emile, Jr, is the Fire Chief. He has served in this position for 1 year. He was previously a Captain with the department, and has 14 years of full time firefighting experience. In addition to supervising the 4 full time (paid) employees and 40 volunteers, he also insures that the equipment is maintained in top operating condition. This equipment consists of:

2 front line fire engines

3 tanker/pumper engines

1 high water rescue truck

2 brush trucks.

E-62, E-63, T-67, Rescue 65, Brush 61, and the Command truck are kept at the St Andrews fire station and E-64 and T-66 is kept at the Gulf Park Estate station. 1 paid employee is on duty at the St Andrews fire station, and 1 paid employee is at the Gulf Park Estate station 24/7.

The phone numbers for the Fire Department are:

Office St Andrews station: 228-872-5341 9-5

Chief's Cell: 228-860-0661 24/7

24 hour Gulf Park station: 228-872-5955

Monies for the operation of the fire district comes from taxes assessed by the County Board of Supervisor with administrative control and expenditure of the funds by the 5 fire district board members.

The SA/GPE fire district currently has a fire rating of 8. Of course, the lower the number, the cheaper our fire insurance is. Many steps are being taken to get our fire rating lowered to the lowest rating available for our area. Without fire hydrants in place every 400' like most cities, it is a task. We have a lot of new equipment, a new fire engine, and many more active members then we had when the rating bureau came last time. They come to evaluate the departments every 5 years. We are due to see them any day. We are hoping to see a change the next time we are evaluated. Most Departments that are NOT in cities have anywhere from an 8 to a 10.

The Central volunteer fire department also maintains an unmanned fire station in the Ocean Beach estates community located at 4920 Beach street. The two fire departments work hand in hand to assist one another when necessary.

Remember, in all emergencies, 911 should be the first number called!