Two longtime leaders of the Jackson Fire Department were honored last week as they prepared to retire after decades of service. Fire Chief Willie G. Owens and Division Fire Chief Michael McCellesis were celebrated during a ceremony at the Iron Horse Grill in downtown Jackson. The city shared the news in a Facebook post, congratulating both men on their upcoming retirements, effective June 30. Chief Owens has spent 32 years with the department. A native of Belzoni, Mississippi, he graduated from McNair High School and earned a bachelor’s degree in health and physical education from Jackson State University in 1972. He joined the Jackson Fire Department in 1974 and later returned to Jackson State to earn a degree in fire science technology in 1979.
Owens was part of the city’s first all-Black firefighter class, hired in 1974 as part of a consent decree with the federal government aimed at addressing racial discrimination in hiring. That class would go on to produce two fire chiefs, including Owens. As chief, Owens led numerous changes within the department. He extended the promotional list from one to two years, lowered the minimum age to become a firefighter from 21 to 18, and helped implement a fire science program within Jackson Public Schools. He also oversaw a period of growth that brought the department to its highest staffing levels. McCellesis’ tenure and accomplishments were also recognized.
