NATCHEZ — A group of Adams County’s volunteer firefighters will work this month to develop a training ground they will be able to use for a variety of exercises.

Adams County Fire Coordinator Darryl Smith said he and several other volunteers will be working near the tower site at the former International Paper location — where the Natchez Fire Department and volunteers already do some training — to develop an area for additional training exercises.

“We are going to work on some props in training areas out there, set up an area where we can simulate car fires, and get a pit dug out there where we can do some fire extinguisher and hose training done,” he said.

“We are going to start working on it in February, and we are going to try to do what we can and hope to be finished by the end of the month. It is just something to get us out there just training the guys.”

The county’s 10-year fire protection agreement with the City of Natchez calls for the county to ultimately reduce calls outside the city limits by training up more volunteer firefighters.

Smith said he and the other firefighters are developing the training ground on their own, and will be partnering with the Natchez Fire Department for its future use.

“With the tower that is already there, we can do interior attack (training) for going up stairwells and ladder work,” he said.

In addition to working on the training grounds, Smith said the county volunteer fire stations will be offering classes on firefighting essentials during the evenings of Feb. 2, 3 and 5 at the Liberty Road Volunteer Fire Station.

The meetings are open to the public, and will be led by the Mississippi State Fire Academy.

For more information about the classes or about becoming a volunteer fire fighter, contact Smith at 601-442-7021.