COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Columbus Fire and Rescue is celebrating a milestone year: 185 years since the department was established.

In April of 1840, Columbus Fire and Rescue started as a group of volunteers with historic equipment, including a steam engine, which is preserved at Fire Station 1.

That’s according to Jaquay Sherrod of Columbus Fire and Rescue. He said the department became a career department in 1901.

The Columbus Fire Department became Columbus Fire and Rescue in 1997 when the department started answering medical calls.

It became internationally accredited in 2014, making it one of only two accredited departments in the state.

One thing that stands out to Sherrod about the department is its longstanding legacy and how the department has evolved over the years.

“The fir

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