Jackson Jambalaya

White flight, right?

Was that a racoon? wow

Lumumba

The President of the firefighters group specifically stated that these conditions started to degrade 7 years ago. Let's see...what happened 7 years ago???

Another example of why Jackson's form of government needs to change. (Can't see the mold and rodents from Chowke's crib, right?)

Good grief, sounds like Chokwe and Co. not doing anything yet again.

It's just a perception of mold

Shame on the JFD management for allowing this to continue.

It's just a perception of a racoon/rodent running through the station's equipment bay. Station mascot? Right?

Lamumbles is the worst do nothing but damage and grift is the worst maybe in the nation. His only salvation is that Jackson is on the smaller size scale.

What is the status of our fire hydrants? Do they have water in them? I know at one point before JXN Water took over, there were many that weren't operational. Seems to be a correlation between us and another city in the news recently.

[AND] he told those assembled that because he sat at the right hand of his father he was ready to do the job from Day One.

What are the firefighters doing all day when they arent fighting fires? Definately not cleaning! Definately not changing the filters in their HVAC! Man I remember when you used to see the idle firemen cleaning the equipment and cutting their own grass and cleaning the property. Now I bet the sit around doomscrolling social media and havig daily cookouts. Last time I passsed by a station and they were washing sonething it was their own cars.

Lets be honest. This isnt a Lumumba issue. Every democrat run urban shithole in this country is in the same shape.

So it is official. Lumumba has completely destroyed ALL city basic functions through neglect. The only thing he could have run on is the fire department working.

@10:02 it may not be just a Lumumba issue based on your observation but in Jackson, Mississippi it is indeed a Lumumba issue.

I am appalled at the deplorable conditions Jackson firefighters are required to live, eat, shower, & sleep in during their 24 hour shifts. There is absolutely NO EXCUSE for the men and women, who put their lives on the line every single day for the citizens of Jackson, to be living in what looks like a 3rd world country. Why would the city even allow these employees to work in such contaminated stations? Because they don't give a damn about the firefighters. They are to busy living in their fancy houses secured by iron gates The spokesman for the city who they interviewed on tv states that there are just not enough resources to fix the problems that exist. Well, FIND THE RESOURCES. This is inexcusable and a slap in the face to those brave men and women. The assistant fire chief went on to say that the city doesn't have the funds to remodel the stations. No one is asking for the stations to be "remodeled". The firefighters are simply asking that the deterioration and destruction of the stations be fixed. From the pictures shown on tv, these poor men and women are living in unbelievable hazardous and unsafe conditions. I am going to start somewhere - maybe by calling the State Fire Marshal - to see what can be done to make repairs to these stations since the city is obviously not doing a damn thing. If the State Fire Marshal can't help, maybe OSHA can. I won't stop until these deserving men and women are living in decent conditions. I will continue to fight for these first responders.

No 10:31 - there evidently were some resources for the fire department looking at the three completely new, nice clean fire stations that have been built in the last couple of years. This looks to be the station that sits in the middle of a nice white neighborhood - unlike the new station just opened that's on the one street in Jackson that the Mayor and (most) Council members care about --- Medger Evers Drive. Check that one out; its nice.

Maybe doing some basic maintenance, maybe remodeling rather than building brand new a half mile up the road, maybe just managing the resources better would address shameful situations as exhibited here.

So much easier to maintain something than it is to plan and build it, but Jackson these days can't even do that.

What does Jackson do with all that car tag money? I’m guessing that doesn’t all go to the county.

Serious question

In the small town where I grew up when firemen weren't training or fighting fires they were constantly doing maintenance on their stat ions THEMSELVES.

Same thing I remember. This sounds like poor leadership within the department to me.

Maybe the feds need to investigate what's happening to the money that's budgeted for the Jackson Fire Department? It would be nice if it's the same investigators who investigated the Mayor, Councilman and District Attorney.

Sorry Folks, I just don't see this as a racial matter! Who are you people who want to turn everything into race? Poor management comes in all races and this is evidence of poor management. What I see in these photos is water intrusion and its eventual deterioration. Some from HVAC Units and some from poor roofs and window and door maintenance. Jackson can surely do better. Poor street maintenance; poor facility management; poor zoo management; poor auditorium management; poor library management; poor public works management -- you name it! It all goes back to loss of tax base which was a result of poor schools and no new housing being offered. Poor decisions by both white and "minority" mayors. What will the voters decide this Summer? Actually this Spring in the primary vote? Its up to the Citizens as to how far down this elevator goes. Even going up one floor out of the basement would be an improvement. And, it would requires a great deal of work.

Richard's and Socrates will be receiving contracts to build new station$. Right?

Former firefighter here. I strong agree. We maintained our own stations and did basic maintenance on our vehicles. If the city is not providing them with the necessary supplies and expendables (air filters, etc.) then that is one thing; but if they are just sitting around like typical Jackson employees bitching, that is another thing.

There was a new fire station built or being remodeled(I can't remember the details) where the general contractor went bankrupt during the process and skipped town. Contractor is now doing business under another name. I believe they were out of Memphis if I remember correctly.

These city employees live in a dream world outside the realities of the cash strapped debt ridden city of Jackson. If you work here you should understand that the government is not financially able to provide all the maintenance other more financially stable places routinely provide. It's deplorable, but it's still fact. Therefore, if you choose to work here, and actually live in these facilities, you may need to make sacrifices and do maintenance yourself that may not be required in other cities. If you can't do that, maybe you should go elsewhere if you can. I recall hearing about teachers who go into their own pockets to provide certain basic supplies for their poor students because their school district did not or could not provide. We applaud them and try to help but they also make the sacrifice because they have to.

It'll buff out. Right?

Show me any building owned by the city of Jackson that has an ongoing maintenance program. Welty, Thalia Mara, etc. The city needs to either hire a property management firm or become a tenant and allow a landlord to maintain the property. This is why we can't have anything nice. What happened to the pot hole repair trucks? Where are the pumper trucks that clean out the storm drains? What else has the city purchased that they don't maintain? Probably a long list.

Growing up during the 60s & 70s, my Dad was friends with JFD guys all over Jackson. Many Saturdays he would stop by a fire station to drink coffee with his buddies, and let me come along. I was always impressed by how clean and well maintained everything was at each station.

But Jackson was a different city back then ...

I guess they are so busy putting out a fire about once a month that they cannot correct some of these problems.

Firefighters work 24 hours & are off-duty 48 hours. They all have second jobs as house painters, carpenters & many other skills. They can apply those skills to do basic housekeeping at their fire stations. My father was a Jaclson firefighter & he was expected to handle basic cleaning as part of his job.

The firefighters should not have to spend their money on supplies & equipment to fix & maintain the conditions at the stations. Next thing you know, the city will withhold money out of their paychecks to pay the light bill at the station.

11:28, I agree with much of what you wrote. But in Jackson, everything is about race because the mayor is a Black Nationalist, raised on the doctrine of the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement, which his father (and former mayor) co-founded.

You also avoid the fact that Jackson has had the highest per-capita homicide rate in the United States for about the last 5 years in a row.

You mention the schools, but six years ago, the voters approved another bond issue for $65 million for the schools. You mention "no new housing being offered," but fail to state how that has anything to do with Jackson's problems.

You cited "Poor decisions by both white and "minority" mayors," but don't seem to realize that Jackson has had a black mayor the last 25 years.

In short, Jackson suffers from cronyism, corruption, and bad management, and I don't think you really know what you're talking about.

I wonder if the JFD chief's office has mold, rodents, leaking roof? Nah, probably not.

For those yelling about the fire fighters taking care of their stations and keeping it clean, they aren't going to pay out of their budget. Some of those repairs are not just "fix it" types of repairs. Those are maintenance and upkeep items that should be included in their respective budgets. I wonder what the JFD's repair/maintenance budget is allocated by the city? I know I'm not coming out of my personal pocket to fix my office. Elbow grease isn't fixing some of those repairs.

Butt out, Madison County. None of your comments are needed here.

Nicer digs than found in W. Jackson.

Firefighters can't repair HVAC systems as the AC is out at least one station.

How many cars are issued to City of Jackson employees?
How much does the Mayor's security detail cost?
How many DEI jobs are in Jackson, and specifically in Jackson Public Schools?
The money is there to address these problems, but the money is being wasted.

Considering your writing skills, 12:50, I'm glad I'm not your employer. Somebody actually hired you for an office job? And while SOME of those items are not "just 'fix it' repairs", remedying most of the problems I spotted, would have been as simple as wiping-down surfaces with old rags (maybe clothing one was about to discard), scraping peeling paint, and policing the area well-enough to not provide food for rodents and raccoons.

But honestly, dehumidifiers are cheap, rat poison is cheap, and if city employees are too CHEAP and LAZY to organize the money for those cheap-and-easy remedies, then they DESERVE to work in squalor.

There's a lot more wrong with Jackson, than just its "leadership".

Firefighters are NOT to blame for the conditions at these stations. They don't control mold. They are not responsible for renovating showers and repairing holes in ceilings. They can put down (and I'm sure most do ) mouse traps I suppose but they are also not pest control nor were they hired for those job duties. They have basic cleaning duties which are daily performed but none of what's happening here is that. You can clean all day long but you cant get rid of mold or repair holes in walls, ceilings, showers, etc that require PROFESSIONAL service. They are firefighters. Where is the Leadership in this? When BUDGET meetings are/were scheduled why was none of this brought to the attention of the city council then. Firemen deserve to be paid. They also deserve not have to live in squalor conditions when they are on the job to serve and protect those of us who depend on them to do THEIR job.

You are so right.

If the “fire fighters” are content, as they apparently are, to live in this situation, then so be it. It is not like they don’t have time to fix and clean up the stations. While not fighting a grass fire every week or two.

I'm sure it's just a coincidence that these concerns popped up contemporaneously with the LA fire storm of controversy?

Let me add, I'm in favor of any publicity that makes chowke less re-electable. Proceed, I say.

I believe any group that elects to live in these conditions without making any effort to improve them , choses to do so.

I suggest working from home and when the call come in then go to the station or directly to the scene.

Right on!

Exactly. Their job is to put the wet stuff on the red stuff.

THANK YOU !!! Where is their CHIEF when it comes to budget and raises ? He is never anywhere around. Yet, I bet he makes a hefty salary and I bet he damn sure couldn't put out a fire.

Why do you feel a fire station that is in need of repair should fall on the firefighters to "correct the problems" as you put it? Keeping up with the maintenance on the station is not their job. They fight fires and if you watch the news, you'll find that they fight more than one fire a month. Did you know they go on medical calls as well? Unless you've been in their fire boots or lived at their stations, you just won't understand.

They do basic cleaning at the fire stations. This is way beyond basic cleaning.