September 29, 2004

PRESS RELEASE

To: Newsroom

For Immediate Release

Contact: Brian A. Crawford, Asst. to the Fire Chief

Phone: 673-6652, cell: 455-2609, page: 675-2137

Fire Department to Receive Donation of John Deer Trail Gator for K-9 Team

U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company to donate vehicle for search and rescue efforts at press conference . . .

The Shreveport Fire Department’s K-9 Search and Rescue Task Force is receiving a $10,000 John Deer Trail Gator (industrial 4-wheeler) from the U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company to assist in deep woods and rough terrain searches and recovery efforts. The donation, part of the Smokeless Tobacco’s annual effort to provide public safety organizations with equipment, will be made at a presentation ceremony with the following logistics:

What: Presentation Ceremony (Press Conference) for U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company donation of John Deer Gator to Shreveport Fire Department

When: Thursday, September 30, 2004, 10:00 a.m.

Where: New Central Fire Station, 263 North Common St. Shreveport, LA (in engine room on first level of fire station)

Who: Shreveport Fire Chief Kelvin Cochran will accept the donation from U.S. Smokeless Tobacco representative; Cpt. Kerry Foster, director of K-9 Search and Rescue Task Force and team members (including dogs) will be on hand (or foot)

The Shreveport Fire Department Search and Rescue Task Force was formed and became operational in 2001 with a five-dog team. Members of the team donate their time and expertise to bring to the community and the department a quality group of handlers and dogs that meet a variety of needs, including assisting regional public safety agencies in Louisiana, Texas, and Arkansas with the search for missing persons, detection of human remains, historical detection, assisting agencies with historical grave sites, battle fields, and other areas where aged human remains might be resting. For more information about the K-9 Search and Rescue Task Force, please visit the department’s web site at www.shreveportfire.org. Just click on the Dalmatian icon on the left of the screen. ###