Harrison County Fire Rescue

Harrison County Emergency Management Director Matt Stratton held a meeting Tuesday afternoon to address the potential tropical weather headed our way. The meeting with county officials, responders, and cities updated the expected weather and flooding forecast, and any needs agencies have.

A smoke alarm going off is being credited with alerting a home owner who escaped her fully involved house fire Monday morning. The home, located off Robinson Rd. Is a total loss. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Harrison County Fire Rescue along with Mississippi DEQ and Harrison County sheriffs department responded to A train derailment this morning. The freight train was carrying non-hazardous iron ore when it derailed. There’s no danger to the public and no roadways were closed or impacted. The train derailed in a wooded area west of Vidalia Road.

Congratulations to FF Donald D’Antonio for receiving the Rotary Club of Gulfport’s Safety Award for the following reason.

In early 2025, Harrison County Fire Rescue started preparations for the required transition from the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) to the NERIS program. This involved a year-long preparation to adopt a modern system that encompasses all hazard types commonly managed by all local fire agencies. NERIS enhances community risk reduction, incident prevention, and departmental accountability.

Firefighter D’Antonio served as the liaison between Harrison County Fire Rescue, the State Fire Marshal, Imagtrend (RMS), and Caliber (CAD system). Firefighter D’Antonio undertook additional training and participated in numerous meetings, on and off duty, to facilitate this transition. His efforts ensured the accuracy of information and provided valuable feedback from fellow firefighters during the adjustment period. The daily concerns and questions that arise have been directed to him and his level of expertise in this matter has proven invaluable to the Administration, Logistics, Training and Operations personnel.

NERIS is crucial for securing grants and additional resources, thereby increasing funding opportunities for the department. FF. D’Antonio currently maintain the program at the department level, ensuring seamless integration with existing systems.

May 1, 2026 - LODD
Chief Russell Shoultz, 52
Walker Fire Department. Walker, MI
On April 30, 2026, Chief Shoultz participated in fire department aerial operations training which ended at approximately 4:30 p.m. Early the next morning and within 24 hours of the training, Fire Chief Shoultz suffered a cardiovascular event at his home. He was transported to a local hospital where, despite all efforts, he was pronounced deceased.

Russell T. Shoultz Obituary May 1, 2026 - Bradford-O'Keefe Funeral Homes View Russell T. Shoultz's obituary, send flowers, find service dates, and sign the guestbook.

Harrison County Fire Rescue mourns the sudden passing of retired Deputy Chief Rusty Shoultz.

Chief Shoultz served our community with dedication, professionalism, and strong leadership. Chief Shoultz was a military veteran , he was involved in law enforcement, EMS, and he was a nurse practitioner. His commitment to the fire service and his impact on those he worked alongside will not be forgotten. Funeral arrangements are pending at this time.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the Shoultz family.

Harrison County Fire Rescue

Two structure fires this afternoon: Harrison County Fire Rescue, Gulfport Fire Department and CRTC responded to an early evening structure fire off of Orange Grove Road. The building was being renovated at the time of the fire. While battling the first fire there was second structure fire near Hwy 67. There were no injuries at either fire and both are under investigation.

First responders in Harrison County responded to multiple trees and power-lines down. There were also at least one housefire related to lightning from the early morning storms. Harrison County Fire Rescue, Harrison County, Sheriffs Dept and the Harrison County Road Dept. all played a part in responding to these weather related incidents. Biloxi FD had one home with confirmed lighting strike damages.
If you have any damages from the storm you can self report using the link on Harrison County MS Emergency Management Agency page.

HCFR has received several calls throughout the day from all over the county regarding smoke in the area. HCFR is not currently working any active fires. We are aware of a large control burn that US Forestry conducted yesterday just inside Jackson county and a second control burn near exit 20 on the West side of the county. More than likely, these fires are the sources of the lingering smoke this morning. As the day heats up, the smoke should dissipate. (Pic for attention)