JACKSON CO., Miss. (WLOX) - For the first time, the Helena and Escatawpa communities are now protected by their very own fully-staffed fire station.

Jackson County Fire Station 22, also known as the Helena Fire Station on Saracennia Road, replaces the volunteer station down the street and will make a huge difference in response times.

“That was unmanned; this station is manned, so it’s going to cut our response time in half. So this gives us much more flexibility and a much better response time,” Emergency Services Director Earl Etheridge said.

Etheridge said the addition is a big step toward enhancing public safety for residents living there.

“The way new home construction is, it used to take 20-30 minutes for a fire to progress. Here, you’re dealing with 4-5 minutes because of the pr

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