Rainey among names added to fire memorial

A Bridgetown Volunteer firefighter who died last year is having his name added to the Mississippi Fallen Firefighter Memorial Tuesday morning, Oct. 5.

Kenneth Rainey’s name is one of 10 firefighters to be included on the memorial during a ceremony at the Mississippi State Fire Academy (MSFA) campus in Jackson, beginning at 10 a.m. 

Rainey, age 51, died of COVID-19 in December 2020. At the time, Rainey, also known as “Wormy,” was the second fire responder in DeSoto County to succumb to the virus in just that week in December when he died.  Walls volunteer firefighter Dustin Raines, age 39, was the other to pass away at the time from complications with COVID-19.

The Bridgetown volunteer firefighter served the department for 25 years.  

“This is only a small gesture we can do to honor our fallen brothers and sisters for paying the ultimate price,” said Terry Wages, MSFA Executive Director. 

The Memorial stands as a reminder of how serious fire safety is.  Firefighters, friends, and family from across the state attend this annual event to honor and reflect on the commitment to service that these firefighters gave to their communities and to the people they served.  

National Fire Prevention Week continues through Oct. 9.