The men you are looking at are putting out a fire. They're trained and equipped like other firefighters, but they have a different story---and the interview process to get the job has a different twist---- These are inmates, and the newest members of the Decatur County Fire Department.

As the third largest county in the state the distance between communities is vast and when there is a fire, the county lacked the man power to respond quickly to outer lying areas.

Earl Perry Decatur County Commission Chair says, "We have tried to get daytime firefighters placed out in the rural parts our county. We don't have the funds to do this."

So they turned to inmates and designed a curriculum just for them. The benefits of the program are twofold. First it helps improve response time when there is a fire and it helps save taxpayers money.

Officials say it costs about $40,000 a year to pay salary and benefits to a full-time firefighter. With nine inmates putting out blazes, the county saves about $360,000 a year.

Decatur County Administrator Tom Patton says, "It's not going to take the place of a paid firefighter. It just augments the force we have and in these economic times you have to try different things when you can to save money".

To be part of the team, the inmates can't have arson charges or be a sexual offender. Each inmate is handpicked by the warden and goes through a rigorous interview process. Like paid firefighters, they are certified and have passed all state exams.

Decatur County Prison Warden Elijah McCoy says, "I'm very, very delighted with the program. It gives these guys another opportunity in life. So many times, guys come to prison and they just come and do their time and don't have a trade to go back to. And then, they go back to the same old world that they came from."

By reducing response time to fires, residents' property insurance premiums are reduced. The ISO or Insurance Service Organization rating is a formula used to determine a community's ability to manage fire. When the rate is low, property insurance rates go down for the entire area.

The program has its nay-sayers, but most people we spoke with say they support the inmates and welcome them in their new role.

"We look at these guys as firefighters. I want the citizens of Decatur County to understand they are trained professional firefighters." Says, McCoy.