Shreveport breaks ground for fire station

August 8, 2007

Members of the Shreveport Fire Department join city officials and others
during a ground breaking ceremony for a new fire station in Shreveport
on Tuesday. (Velda Hunter/The Times)  

About Station 22
LOCATION: 2022 Southern Loop in Shreveport.
COST: $1.9 million, funded by 2001 bond issue.
ENGINE ROOM: three bays measuring a total of 5,168 square feet.
BEDROOMS: 14 measuring a total of 3,680 square feet.
DAYROOM: 1,092 square feet.
KITCHEN: 819 square feet.
CONTRACTOR: M&M Builders of Shreveport.
 

By Velda Hunter
veldahunter@gannett.com

About eight minutes is how long it would take firefighters to get to Southern Trace community,
with the nearest fire station being on Ellerbe Road.

But time spent rushing to save lives and property could be cut in half when Fire Station 22 opens.

Improving response times, provided by Shreveport Fire Chief Kelvin Cochran, is part of the reason a fire station is needed to serve a growing area of Shreveport that includes Ellerbe Road, Long Lake, Southern Trace, eastern Southern Hills and surrounding communities.

Members of the Shreveport Fire Department joined city officials and residents Tuesday to break ground for an 11,000-square-foot fire station at 2022 Southern Loop. The station, at a cost of $1.9 million made possible by a 2001 bond election, is set to open in March.

"Today is another great day in the history of Shreveport," Cochran said. "It's a great day for public safety in the city of Shreveport."

The Fire Department is working to strategically locate fire stations to decrease response times, enabling firefighters to reduce property loss, put out fires, make rescues quicker and save lives, he said.

M&M Builders, of Shreveport, is the contractor on the station, which is slated to have three vehicle bays, 14 bedrooms, a kitchen and a dayroom.

It is the third phase of the department's relocation master plan. Dallas W. Greene Central Fire Station on North Common Street and Station 13 at Pines Road at West 70th Street were relocated in 2004.

The department's average response time is 4½ to five minutes, Cochran said, noting there are exceptions in certain pockets of the city.

Other areas in need include Southern Hills, which is midway between two fire stations.

Plans are to relocate Station 17 and add Station 23 near Bert Kouns Industrial Loop at Dean Road, Cochran said.

When that could happen depends on the City Council and voters, considering another bond issue would be needed. But it's too soon to talk about that, Shreveport Mayor Cedric Glover said.

The fire chief is doing an excellent job at developing a comprehensive master plan to look at the population and determining where stations are needed, the mayor said.

"We've got some stations that aren't well positioned or (are) very old," Glover said, adding that the city certainly has a road map if funds become available.

Other stations could be relocated or built. The plan calls for:

Station 17 (Southland Park Drive) to be relocated to Bert Kouns Industrial Loop at Kingston Road.

Station 23 to be built at Dean Road and Bert Kouns.

Station 2 (North Market Street) to Martin Luther King Jr. Drive at North Market.

Station 14 (Greenwood Road) to be relocated to Greenwood Road at Broadway Avenue.

Station 15 (West 70th Street at Despot Road) to be relocated to Jewella Avenue at West 70th.

Provenance Development Co. donated land for Station 22.

Councilman Bryan Wooley, who represents the area where Station 22 is planned to be built, said the Fire Department serves the city well. "I look for even greater things to come in the future."

Jeff Hogan, a former Shreveport councilman who has lived in Provenance for about a month, said it is exciting to know a fire station will be nearby.

"This is one of the reasons we moved out here. It's really comforting to know that if we need fire protection, it's right here."