By Vivian Austin
The Sun Herald (Biloxi, Mississippi)
Copyright 2007 The Sun Herald
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News
ST. MARTIN, Miss. — Firefighters with the West Jackson County Volunteer Fire Department are hoping South Mississippi residents will help them cast enough votes online so that the station will win $100,000.
Voting begins Saturday in the Firedog Across America Essay Contest that will provide cash for 10 fire department finalists. Those departments each have won $20,000 for their station operations.
Richard Smiley, chief safety officer in St. Martin, said the station placed among the 10 finalists for the story he wrote about the VFD, including its beginning and trials during Hurricane Katrina.
“For every vote cast, win or lose, a dollar will be given to the department,” said Smiley.
St. Martin Fire Chief Bruce Cox said the voting total could add up to $250,000 besides the $100,000 grand prize to the fire department that receives the most votes.
The top winner will be named May 15 and prizes awarded in June.
Smiley has won a $10,000 home electronic package as author of the essay. The prizes include a big-screen television, computer, X-Box 360 and home theater from Circuit City.
He said his essay was one of 5,500 entries nationwide.
“When they called me two weeks ago, I was totally flabbergasted,” said Smiley. “We are the only one in Mississippi. The other fire departments are in other states.”
Smiley said any fire department could have entered the contest, but the focus was on volunteer firefighters.
Cox and Smiley said their former fire chief, Pete Andersen, told them about the contest and asked Smiley to write an essay. Anderson died earlier this year.
“We are hoping to have the new truck around the end of this year,” said Cox.
Any other money the West Jackson County VFD receives in the online voting also will go toward the new firetruck, which will replace a 1991 model, one of two used to serve the St. Martin area.
“If we can get more money for the down payment, then the faster we can pay it off,” Cox said. “We can buy more equipment at a later date.”