Hattiesburg, Mississippi – Nearly 10 years after an EF-3 tornado destroyed Fire Station 2, the City of Hattiesburg joined members of the Hattiesburg Fire Department and community partners Thursday to officially cut the ribbon on the station’s new home.

Located at the corner of Edwards Street and Tuscan Avenue, the new 5,900-square-foot facility replaces the former station on Arledge Street, which was destroyed when a tornado struck south and east Hattiesburg on Jan. 21, 2017.

“Today is about much more than opening a building,” said Mayor Toby Barker. “It represents nearly 10 years of persistence, advocacy and commitment to the firefighters and neighborhoods served by Station 2. We are grateful to everyone who helped bring this project across the finish line and especially to the Station 2 firefighters who continued serving this community from a temporary home throughout this process.”

The completion of Fire Station 2 follows years of work by the city to secure the federal disaster recovery funding necessary to replace the facility.

Although the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) initially determined that the damaged station qualified for replacement, the agency obligated just $259,312 toward construction, significantly less than the amount needed to build a facility meeting modern fire station codes and operational requirements.

The city pursued multiple appeals before filing for arbitration with the United States Civilian Board of Contract Appeals in December 2020. In July 2021, a three-member panel ruled in the city’s favor, determining that FEMA had improperly excluded eligible construction costs and directing the agency to support the replacement of the station with a 5,900-square-foot facility.

In January 2025, the Hattiesburg City Council unanimously approved a $3.62 million construction bid from MitchCo Construction to move the project forward.

The new Edwards Street location was selected after determining that rebuilding on the original Arledge Street property would require additional land acquisition, utility relocation and the widening of Claiborne Avenue. The new site provides the space needed for modern fire operations while maintaining service to William Carey University and surrounding neighborhoods.

“This facility gives our firefighters the space and resources they need to serve the public safely and effectively,” Fire Chief Chris Carr said. “It also fulfills a promise to the neighborhoods affected by the 2017 tornado that we would not stop working until Fire Station 2 was restored to the standard this community deserves.”

The new station is also home to Engine 2, a $585,000 fire apparatus purchased through municipal fire rebate funds. Featuring William Carey University’s black and red colors, the engine recognizes the department’s longstanding connection to the university and the neighborhoods it serves.

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