J. M. “Ruff” Coleman served as Fire Chief from 1954 to 1961. On November, 4th 1961 Chief Coleman suffered a fatal heart attack at Station 1 after fighting a fire at the Nettleton School Vo-Agri. Building. Chief Coleman had worked as a fireman in Jonesboro from 1937 to 1941 when he left to serve as a civilian Fire Chief at Camp Shelby military base in Mississippi. He came back to the Jonesboro Department in 1954 when he was appointed Chief.