January 17, 2008 - Fire Department Reports No Fire Deaths in Shreveport again in 2007

Back-to-back years mark first time in recorded history

The Shreveport Fire Department works tirelessly at not only putting out fires and saving lives but in promoting fire prevention as well. This combination of efforts paid off for the department and the citizens of Shreveport in 2006 and now again in 2007. The achievement marks the first time in recorded history no deaths related or attributed to fire were recorded in back-to-back years.

According to Fire Chief David Glass minimizing and even eliminating fire deaths has been one of his primary focuses, before as the Chief of Fire Prevention and now as the Interim Fire Chief. “For a city of our size to record no fire deaths for even one calendar year speaks volumes about the quality of the fire department and commitment of City Administration. To do it in successive years is astonishing” he said. “Whether fighting fire, teaching a fire prevention program, installing smoke detectors, training our personnel to the highest level, dispatching help to a frantic scene, or keeping our equipment running down the road, this accomplishment is a total team effort of all our personnel.” He added that without the help of a City Administration in providing the financial resources necessary to maintain such an elite department, this would not be possible.

Over the last 26 years (since 1982, see table 1) the department has recorded 155 fire related deaths for an annual average of almost six deaths a year. The highest year was 1982, recording 12 losses. Until 2006 the lowest total for a year in the last 25 years was two deaths in 1998. Since 2000 the department has recorded it lowest seven year total, averaging only three deaths annually over that span.

The Shreveport Fire Department is an ISO rated Class 1 department and has 21 fire stations and more than 600 personnel. It provides fire suppression, EMS, and Hazardous Material response to the City of Shreveport. It has a $47 million operating budget.

Shreveport Fire Deaths
Table 1

Year	Fire Deaths	Year	Fire Deaths
1982	12	1996	4
1983	9	1997	10
1984	4	1998	2
1985	7	1999	4
1986	7	2000	3
1987	5	2001	4
1988	8	2002	3
1889	7	2003	5
1990	11	2004	3
1991	9	2005	6
1992	6	2006	0
1993	11	2007	0
1994	11
1995	4	TOTAL	155 (5.9avg.)

Source: Shreveport Fire Department Annual Reports; Shreveport Fire Department Statistical Summaries; and data from FireRMS.