No doubt these communities are proud of their new fire equipment, but the article states that it was purchased with funds earmarked for homeland security.

Are people up this way threatened as terrorist targets? The equipment might be useful as backup up and down river. Or it could be pork.

UPDATE: Natchez did have a good number of evacuees from New Orleans and the coast during Ivan. Fire equipment could be useful if incidents happened at the ports of New Orleans or Baton Rouge requiring evacuation. Or it could be pork.