By FireRescue1 Staff
HATTIESBURG, Miss. — Three firefighters had a close encounter with a tornado that ripped through their fire station Saturday morning.
The firefighters were returning from a call earlier in the morning when they realized the tornado was coming their way.
“We looked out the door and realized what was going on,” firefighter Cody Keys said. “We got into the back of the [fire] truck, laid down and held on, let the storm pass.”
Although the station’s roof and doors to the truck bays were ripped off, the firefighters put on their gear to help those who may have been injured nearby, reported the Hattiesburg American. A fire truck was also damaged.
“They went still after all that and went and checked on those people in the community,” Hattiesburg Fire Chief Paul Presley said.
Chief Presley said it is likely the station will have to be rebuilt from scratch; firefighters will work out of another station until then.
No other stations in the area were damaged.
https://www.facebook.com/Hattiesburgfiredept/posts/1839734619629436