In all counties of this state maintaining a paid or volunteer fire department, the personnel of which department is actively and exclusively engaged in fire duty or emergency medical services, the board of supervisors of such county may pay out of the general fund of such county reasonable hospital and medical expenses for any member of said fire department on account of any occupational disease contracted or for any accident or injury sustained by said member by reason of his service or discharge of his duty in said department. Where hospital and medical expenses are to be paid directly from the county's general fund, the board of supervisors of such county shall be the sole judge as to whether such illness or such injury was contracted or sustained in the line of duty of any such employee, and the reasonableness of said expenses.
Further, the board of supervisors of such county may pay out of the general fund insurance premiums for the purchase of insurance covering hospital and medical expenses for any member of said fire department on account of any occupational disease contracted or for any accident or injury sustained by said member by reason of his service or discharge of his duty in said department.
In addition, the board of supervisors of such county may pay out of the general fund insurance premiums for the purchase of accident, death or disability insurance covering any member of said fire department for expenses associated with any occupational disease contracted or for any accident or injury sustained by said member by reason of his service or discharge of his duty in said department.
Miss. Code § 19-5-96