Welcome to the website of St. Tammany Fire Protection District No. 1.  We serve approximately 100,000 citizens within the Slidell City Limits and the unincorporated areas of Wards 8 and 9 of St. Tammany Parish.  We are located on the Northshore of Lake Pontchartrain and situated about 25 minutes from the Central Business District of New Orleans. 

Our fire department consists of 144 career members serving out of seven engine houses.  This number includes three members assigned to our Academy, nine Communications Officers working out of our Fire Alarm Office, and seven Fire Prevention/Arson Investigators working in our Fire Prevention Office.

We respond to approximately 7,000 requests for services per year.  Nearly 68% of those responses have a medical component to them.  In 2007 we began placing Advanced Life Support Personnel (Paramedics) on our engine companies.  As an element of our master planning process, we are targeting to have a Paramedic as the fourth person on each engine to provide ALS services to our community.

Our fire district has two PIAL (ISO) Public Protection Ratings.  In territory “A” we have a 3 Rating, while in territory “B” we have a 4 rating.  Another element of our master planning process is to improve those ratings to a 2 and 3 respectively. 

The Fire District is governed by a five-person Board of Commissioners.  Two members are appointed by the Slidell City Council, one member is appointed by the St. Tammany Parish President, and one member is appointed by the St. Tammany Parish Council.  The Chairman of the Board of Commissioners is selected and voted on by the four appointed commissioners.

We are a very cost conscious organization and proud of the fact that since 2004 our operating expenses have only increased an average of 1.04% per year.  More importantly we have done that while at the same time being recognized as one the top 70 safest “companies” out of 14,000 insured by our worker’s comp carrier.  Over the past three years we have cut taxes that have saved our taxpayers over $3.5 million.

As we continue to confect our 2011 Operating Budget, we anticipate that we will, once again, have a budget that is, at the same time, effective for maintaining the public safety profile and responsive to being cost effective.  

Our physical fitness/medical surveillance program has been instrumental in reducing and avoiding on and off the job injuries to our personnel.  This has resulted in over $139,000 in savings in insurance premiums and time away from work.  Moreover, it has proven to be one of the cornerstones of our Health and Safety Program.

Our membership is committed to providing our noble calling and those we serve to the highest standards of professionalism.  We are proud of our contributions to the community.

Please review the rest of our website for additional details.

Larry Hess

Fire Chief

St. Tammany Fire District No. 1