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Fire chief outlines aging fleet, staffing shortfalls ahead of Fire District No. 1 millage
Summary
Chief Guy Bonin told the council and committees March 12 that Fire District No. 1 needs voter support to fund equipment, training, and staffing; he cited decades-old apparatus and rising replacement costs and announced town-hall outreach prior to the March 29 vote.
Fire Chief Guy Bonin told the council that the Fire District No. 1 millage on the March 29 ballot would fund equipment, personnel, training and facilities and described both operational needs and outreach plans.
"When we need them, our Iberia Parish firefighters are there 24/7 without hesitation," Bonin said as he opened his presentation and a video produced for the campaign. He said the district still operates some apparatus that is decades old and that vehicle prices and parts availability have risen sharply.
Bonin described outreach efforts and town-hall meetings across the parish and said the department is committed to transparency. He said the millage would allow the district to hire additional career staff (he estimated needing about 10 hires to staff an additional station) and to man a station in a growing portion of the parish. He explained that volunteers are limited in the number who can perform interior firefighting ("there's probably about 5 that can actually put an air pack on volunteer wise and help us"), and that volunteer declines nationwide make career staffing more important locally.
Council members asked for specifics about equipment, ratings and costs. Bonin estimated new ladder trucks at roughly $1.4 million and described a history of federal grant support that has waned, placing greater burden on local funding. He also said improved equipment and staffing can reduce insurance ratings and long-term costs for property owners.
Finance committee members later approved a $50,000 amendment from prior-year fund balance to cover the district’s election costs ahead of the March 29 ballot.
What's next: Bonin and the fire district continue town-hall outreach and will share budget and equipment details with residents before the March 29 election.
