More Water Access for Pride Fire District

If you’ve been wondering what the digging along Joor Road has been about, wonder no more.  Pride Volunteer Fire Department Chief Bob Whitaker explained that the waterline has been updated to tie in to the Jackson Road well.  This will help boost the water pressure in Pride Fire Protection District 8, which has 4 stations and 20 volunteers who must cover over 100 square miles – one of the largest zones in East Baton Rouge Parish.  This is wonderful news for both citizens living in this area and the firefighters themselves as it improves the ability to combat fires. 

“The funding for this project came from a Louisiana State Community Water Enhancement Grant,” Chief Whitaker shared, “It was awarded to the Pride Volunteer Fire Department and the Chaneyville Fire Department just recently in the amount of $42,000.  We used a grant of $32,000 from last year to purchase pipe, and the Parish Water Company will be installing it in the very near future, when Joor Road is completed, on the  Pride/Pt. Hudson Road from Edwards Road to Robinson Road.  This year’s grant will be used to purchase the pipe to continue to Liberty Road.”  Chief Whitaker has high hopes the hydrants will lower their fire rating and that will lower homeowner insurance rates – a big win for citizens in the area.  “This is a great endeavor between the water company providing the labor and equipment to bury the pipe and the fire departments providing the grant money with no cost to citizens,” the Chief enthused.  The two fire departments wrote all the grants to receive the money.  

“This is just a win/win situation that benefits everyone,” continued Chief Whitaker, “We’re very excited about these improvements, along with the new station on Carson Road that is in the planning stages to replace the one that flooded in 2016.  We have also ordered a new Rescue Service Truck to be custom built by Ferrara Fire Apparatus.  It will be delivered in a few months.  These improvements have been made possible by the increased revenue from the 15-mill tax that passed last year.  We will also be able to have manpower on duty  24/7 – something we’ve never had before.”  Thanks PVFD and CVFD for all you do for our community!