New fire-rescue truck among major upgrades for local fire district

By: RAYMOND PARTSCH III
Managing Editor

The Evangeline Parish Fire District 2, Ward 1 received some necessary equipment upgrades.
The district took delivery of a new fire-rescue truck in February and since then has purchased two sets of new air packs for firefighters, purchased new rubber hoses, as well as 15 full turnout gear sets.
The upgrades have cost roughly $380,000 with $313,000 used on the truck alone. The total price was more manageable as the district sold an older truck for $80,000.
“We bought this truck its got new extraction equipment on it,” Fire District board member Hunter Soileau said. “We updated the rescue equipment on it to bring it up to the new standards. We still have to use this truck for fire fighting so it has to be a dual-purpose truck.”
The district is not done with upgrades.
The district currently owns seven pumpers, three tankers and four mini-pumpers, and is hoping to start trying replacing the pumpers which are 15 years or older. It also plans on replacing all the air packs (so they can become compliant with the National Fire Protection Association) for the district’s paid and volunteer firefighters, who service the areas of Faubourg, Chataignier, Belair Cove and all of Ward 1, expect the city of Ville Platte.
“We set money aside every year until we have enough money saved to make a big purchase,” Soileau said.
The upgrades are more than just about getting a new shiny red truck with all the bells and whistles. It is about cutting down on the down time.
“It’s not so much about maintenance as it is about getting the truck back in service in a minimal amount of time,” Soileau said. “We can leave one fire and head to the next one without blinking an eye.”
The fire district is funded by two $5 mill 10-year property taxes, with one up for renewal this fall. Those measures help pay a percentage of the firemen’s salaries, as well as maintenance and upkeep at all the district’s stations, equipment and used to purchase new equipment.
Having that tax to help fund new equipment helps keep the district’s fleet up and running and ready to fight fires.
“The biggest thing is to get away from that down time, that out of service time when you have a broken truck,” Soileau said. “We have to respond with a certain amount of trucks. We don’t have a choice. We have to make sure these trucks stay on the road all the time.”