Lafayette County Fire Department

What Lafayette County Fire Department does

Lafayette County Fire Department is a county government emergency services organization headquartered in Oxford, Mississippi, providing fire suppression, basic life support (BLS) emergency medical services, and specialized rescue operations to all residents and visitors of Lafayette County. Founded in 1977 as a 501(c)(3) volunteer nonprofit, the department transitioned to full county government control around 2015 and now operates with 155+ members across 17 fire stations covering 650 square miles and serving a population of over 40,000. The department is structured into four divisions: Operations, EMS, Fire Prevention/Safety, and Training, with a leadership team comprising Fire Chief Wes Anderson, Deputy Chiefs of Administration and Operations, and Assistant Chiefs overseeing EMS and Training.

The department operates an "all-hazards" model with capabilities spanning fire suppression, light search and rescue (LSAR), rope rescue, vehicle extrication using hydraulic rescue tools (jaws of life), and water rescue via two rescue boats. EMS coverage is provided at the BLS level by 8 paramedics, 22 EMT-Basics, and 16 EMRs, deployed across 13 frontline engines, 3 wildland apparatus, 1 quick response truck, and 3 command vehicles. Fire prevention services include annual commercial inspections under the International Fire Code 2012, burn permit compliance inspections, and public education programs covering CPR/First Aid certification (AHA guidelines), Stop the Bleed, fire prevention, and fire extinguisher training.

The business model is government-funded through Lafayette County tax appropriations with no commercial revenue streams; emergency response services are provided free of charge to residents. Nominal fees exist for select certification classes ($10 for AHA BLS Healthcare Provider, $20 for AHA CPR/First Aid), while most community education offerings are free. Annual call volume has grown sharply from 1,147 incidents in 2020 to 2,822 in 2024 (a 146% increase), with 2025 tracking at a similar pace, indicating significant and rising operational demand within the department's fixed jurisdictional footprint.

Name

Lafayette County Fire Department

Legal name

Lafayette County Fire Department

Website

https://fire.lafayettems.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Lafayette County Fire Department is a county government emergency services organization providing fire suppression, BLS EMS, and specialized rescue operations to over 40,000 residents across 650 square miles of Lafayette County, Mississippi, from 17 fire stations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fire and Emergency Services

NAICS

Fire Protection (92216)

akta.pro primary industry

Fire & Rescue Services (Fire Suppression, Rescue) (BPAIAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Fire Prevention, Inspection & Code Enforcement (Life Safety) (BPAIAGAL)

Keywords

• Fire suppression services
• Emergency medical services
• Search and rescue operations
• Fire prevention education
• Community risk reduction

Headquarters

HQ city

Oxford

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices16 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Public tax funding: The Lafayette County Fire Department is a county government department. As of 2015, the county assumed total control of the original volunteer nonprofit organization. Funding is derived from Lafayette County government tax revenue and public appropriations. No commercial revenue streams.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Lafayette County Fire Department is a county government fire and emergency services agency providing fire suppression, basic life support (BLS) emergency medical services, and special operations (light search and rescue, vehicle extrication, water rescue, rope rescue) to all residents and visitors of Lafayette County, Mississippi. It also conducts annual commercial fire safety inspections, issues burn permits, and offers public education classes (CPR, Stop the Bleed, fire prevention, fire extinguisher training) plus free smoke detectors and home safety inspections.

Product overview

Lafayette County Fire Department operates as a combination fire department with full-time, part-time, and paid per call members providing fire suppression, emergency medical services, and special operations across 15 fire stations serving over 40,000 people across 650 square miles. The department's service portfolio includes core emergency response services (fire suppression, EMS, vehicle rescue), fire prevention and safety programs (commercial inspections, burn permits, code enforcement), public education offerings (CPR/First Aid certification, Stop the Bleed training, fire extinguisher training), and community safety services (home safety inspections, smoke detector distribution). The department is organized into divisions including Operations, EMS, Fire Prevention/Safety, and Training.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Operations and Special Operations Handles fire suppression, emergency medical response, and motor vehicle collision responses across 17 stations with 15 engines and 11 squads, including special operations such as light search and rescue (LSAR), rescue boat operations, rope rescue, and automobile extraction (jaws of life). Available 24/7 to Lafayette County residents and visitors at no charge.
• Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Responds to emergency medical calls and provides Basic Life Support (BLS) level care using 8 Paramedics, 22 EMT-Basics, and 16 EMRs operating from frontline engines, wildland apparatus, and command vehicles.
• Fire Prevention and Safety Services Conducts annual fire safety inspections for all commercial and public buildings under the International Fire Code 2012, issues burn permits for commercial land clearing, and provides fire safety education classes including Stop-Drop & Roll, Home Exit Drills, Cooking Safety, and General Home Safety programs.
• Public Education Classes Offers AHA CPR/First Aid certification classes (for healthcare providers at $10/person and non-healthcare providers at $20/person), Stop the Bleed certification, Lafayette County CPR, AHA CPR in Schools, Fire Prevention Training, and Fire Extinguisher Training for workplaces, schools, and community groups.
• Smoke Detector Program Provides smoke alarms to Lafayette County residents upon request to enhance home fire safety, available at no charge via an online request form.
• Home Safety Inspections Provides home safety inspections for citizens, offering guidance on fire safety through a downloadable Home Safety Checklist, available to Lafayette County residents.
• Training Services Provides comprehensive internal training programs including Basic Firefighter Training (Rookie School), Apparatus Driver/Pump Operator certification, Vehicle Extrication and Rescue training, and Fire Officer (Supervisor) training to LCFD members.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2,822 annual emergency calls handled in 2024, demonstrating significant and growing operational demand across fire suppression, EMS, and rescue operations.

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Memphis Fire Department: Municipal fire department providing fire suppression, EMS, and specialized rescue services for a large metropolitan area in western Tennessee, near Lafayette County. Directly comparable as a public-sector fire/EMS provider with similar all-hazards capabilities, though at a substantially larger scale.
• Tupelo Fire Department: Municipal fire department serving Tupelo, Mississippi, in the same northeast Mississippi region as Lafayette County. Comparable as a mid-size public fire/EMS provider with similar service mix including fire suppression, EMS, and public education.
• Starkville Fire Department: Municipal fire department serving Starkville, Mississippi, in the same northeast Mississippi region. Comparable as a public fire/EMS provider with similar community education, fire prevention, and emergency response programs.
• Oxford Fire Department: Municipal fire department serving the City of Oxford, located within Lafayette County. Provides overlapping fire suppression and EMS response within the same geography, with jurisdiction divided between the city and the county department.
• DeSoto County Fire Department: County-level fire department serving DeSoto County in northwest Mississippi. Most directly comparable as a Mississippi county fire department with a similar combination staffing model, station network, and all-hazards service mix.

Others

• National Fire Protection Association (NFPA): National nonprofit that develops fire safety codes and standards (including NFPA 1, NFPA 101) and provides training and certification. Indirectly comparable as the standards-setting body whose codes (e.g., International Fire Code 2012) the department enforces.
• American Medical Response (AMR): Private-sector EMS and emergency response provider operating across multiple U.S. states. While Lafayette County operates its own BLS EMS, AMR represents the private-sector alternative model for emergency medical services and is thematically comparable as an emergency response provider.

Broad incumbents

• Mississippi State Fire Marshal's Office: State-level fire safety agency under the Mississippi Department of Public Safety. While not a direct operational peer, it is the state-level authority that oversees fire code adoption, training, and prevention — functions that complement Lafayette County's fire prevention division.

Regional players

• Grenada Fire Department: Municipal fire department serving Grenada, Mississippi. Comparable as a regional public fire/EMS provider in north-central Mississippi, though smaller in scale and operating in a different geographic submarket.
• Corinth Fire Department: Municipal fire department serving Corinth in northeast Mississippi. Comparable as a small-to-mid public fire/EMS provider operating in a nearby county with similar rural/small-city service characteristics.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/LafayetteCo_FD
• Facebookfacebook.com/LafayetteCountyFD
• Instagraminstagram.com/lafayettecounty_fd
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lafayette-county-fire-department

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Lafayette County Fire Department