Editor's Note: The Newton County Appeal salutes our First Responders with a special section in our June 25, 2025 edition.
The first responders of Newton County are extraordinary people deserving of all our thanks and gratitude. They are always ready to help, to be there, to save as many lives as they can. They live in uncertainty every day, the pure uncertainty of fire, crime, accidents, or whatever trouble that rears its ugly head. Our first responders must face the very worst and keep going.
I talked to Tammy Bryant, a Union dispatcher, and Breanna McBeath, someone with experience as a first responder, including being an EMT, about the experience of being a first responder. They described it as very stressful but very rewarding. They mentioned how the experiences of first responders stick with them even when off work; they can’t simply forget them when they get home. Bryant and McBeath both affirmed how much their job meant to them while being adamant about the hardships that come with it. The conversation hammered home to me how heroic and self-sacrificing our first responders are.
I also reached out to Chris Pearson, the assistant fire chief of Union, who sent me a very nice summary of what it means to be a first responder. According to Pearson,
“The core values and principles of a first responder are ones that lay the foundation for communities around the world. These personnel take time out of their own lives, away from their families, and in most places that time is completely volunteer. Human life is invaluable, and responders make sacrifices to protect both life and property. ‘Service before Self’ is a common mindset amongst first responders in multiple capacities such as EMS, Fire, and Law Enforcement. It is the motivation of a person to act when others are unable to protect themselves, but in the safest, most efficient manner possible. Protecting oneself will always be paramount for first responders in any situation, but that does not exclude the process of planning, performing, and training to produce the best outcome possible at the end of the situation.
First responders should consistently exhibit accountability, integrity, and respect for the department or entity they represent. The community in which they serve is dependent on them and trusts that those core values will be in place every time the emergency tone sounds. In Union and Newton County as a whole, personnel take an immense amount of pride in serving our community and maintaining that level of trust with our citizens daily. Many individuals who grew up in the area work to maintain safety, even during emergency situations. Whether it is day or night, the public safety departments in our area work together to achieve the goal of producing the best outcomes possible for our communities.”
Pearson grew up in Union and graduated from Union High School. He joined the Union Fire Department in 2008 when he was a senior in high school, working alongside his father, who was the assistant fire chief at the time. Besides being the current assistant fire chief at Union, Pearson is also a Critical Care Paramedic for the AirCare having been there since 2016. He was also a Firefighter/Paramedic for the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, has had serval years of experience as a flight paramedic, has taught EMS courses, and has served as a paramedic and EMT in various other times and places. Pearson has over twenty advanced certifications relating to public service and knows very well what it means to be a first responder.
He and all our first responders deserve all our thanks and more.
