Tribe aids Rolling Fork residents after deadly tornado Friday

Members of the Choctaw Fire Department were deployed to Rolling Fork this past weekend to aid the town after a deadly tornado devastated the Delta Friday night. 

Gabriel Bell, director of the Choctaw Fire Department and Choctaw Emergency Management Agency, said the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) asked the department to deploy with the Mississippi Task Force to Rolling Fork for search and rescue and debris removal. 

“We checked homes to make sure residents were okay and to see if they needed anything,” Bell said.

 “As Task Force 2 members, the team and and I are trained for these situations.’

On Friday night there was such a need they took three new firefighters with them. They were Sgt. Bracey Bell, Sgt. Glen Dixon, and firefighter Peyton Bell.

Bell said they stayed in Rolling Fork until Saturday afternoon and that his new guys learned a lot, helped considerably, and will hopefully become Task Force members as well. 

“The fire department is here when people need help,” Bell said. “The people in Rolling Fork were glad we were there and we’re helping as much as we can.” 

Pearl River Resort also donated pallets of water to the Rolling Fork area, and were delivered by Tribal Chief Cyrus Ben. 

“We extend our prayers to the many that have been affected by the storms across Mississippi,” the Tribe posted on Facebook.