Incredible Stats from Central Fire Department

Info from Central Fire Department

• From Friday the 12th of August through Monday the 15th of August, CFD coordinated over 1100 rescues.
• CFD had 3 boats in operation and placed CFD firefighters with Wild Life and Fisheries, Louisiana National Guard and some civilian boats.
• We had assistance with rescues from Wildlife and Fisheries, Louisiana National Guard 928th out of Napoleanville and the 1-141st out of New Orleans, East Side Fire Dept, Zachary Fire Dept, Jefferson Parish Fire Department and Rapides Parish Fire District 2.
• CFD also placed firefighters with some civilian rescue boats to coordinate those rescues activities.
• Hundreds of civilians in boats and high water vehicles made countless rescues that were undocumented.  It is imperative that credit be given the the countless civilians that  performed undocumented rescues as this event completely overwhelmed the capabilities of all emergency response agencies.
• CFD sent boat crews to assist East Side Fire Department as rescue calls tapered off in Central.  CFD had to send food and other supplies to the District Six Fire Department via boat as District Six was completely cut off by flood waters. This operation lasted 6 hours.
• CFD personnel were involved in rescues of people trapped from a second floor apartment balcony.  On several occasions, CFD personnel had to cut holes in roofs of homes to free trapped residents as water was filling the attics. We were also involved in rescues of numerous people who were disabled or, on home oxygen and running low on oxygen.  Many small pets were evacuated with their owners.
• Seventeen of the 30 full time CFD personnel suffered flood damage in their homes, but continued working throughout the event.
• *As the flood event begin to taper down, CFD personnel with damaged homes, were give time off. To bolster ranks of CFD personnel, members of the Bossier City Fire Department have been filling positions and working side by side with on duty CFD personnel.
• On many occasions, as the flood event developed on Friday the 12th through Monday the 15th, dozens of wet, stranded citizens were dropped off at CFD Station 31. They remained there until friends/family or buses were eventually dispatched, to pick them up.
• CFD Station 31 also housed the members of Louisiana National Guard Units and their equipment.
• The City of Central's Emergency Operations Center was activated on Friday morning (8/12/16) and continued in operation until Monday (8/22/16). On several occasions during this time, civilian volunteers assisted with EOC staffing.
• CFD generally responds to 2500+ calls for service per year. That averages out to approximately 7 responses per day.  From the 15th of August till the 22nd of August, CFD has averaged approximately 35 calls for service per day. Since the 22nd of August, CFD has averaged approximately 15 to 20 calls per day.  
• CFD station 32 on Monticello Blvd and Station 35 on Lovett Rd suffered flood damage.  CFD has moved travel trailers into these stations and crews are now back responding out of these locations.
• A CFD fire engine was flooded, suffered extensive damage and is now out of service.
• Numerous portable radios and pagers were damaged or lost during the flood.
• During the actual flood, CFD conducted a primary grid search using boats and high water vehicles of all flooded areas in the Central Fire District.  As the flood waters subsided, CFD used ATVs and fire department vehicles to conduct a secondary, door to door search.
• There was one fatality that occurred in the Central Fire District. An adult male drowned in the area of the Greenwell Springs Library.