The Aviation Task Force is under the direction of Chief Gary D. Caskey. This position falls directly under the supervision of the office of the Deputy Chief of the Shreveport Fire Department and the Deputy Director of Airports of the Shreveport Airport Authority. This position is responsible for the day to day operations and training of the Aviation Task Force. It also requires constant liaison work between the Fire Department, Shreveport Airport Authority, and the FAA. The office is also responsible for the Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) budget within the Shreveport Airport Authority budget.

Chief Caskey is a native of Shreveport, and a graduate of Southwood High School, where he was Senior Class President. He attended Louisiana Tech for two years before joining the Shreveport Fire Department in March of 1982. During his career in the Operations Division, he has held the rank of Firefighter, Fire Engineer, and Fire Captain, before being promoted to his present position. Chief Caskey possesses the only Louisiana Civil Service Classification of Aviation Task Force Chief. He also formerly held the certification of Fire Communications Officer I. He is a Louisiana Certified Airport Fire Fighter who also holds FEMA certificates in ICS (Incident Command System) – 100, 200, 300 and 700. He is also a Nationally Certified Emergency Medical Technician.

His most outstanding accomplishment to date is designing the 2008 Oshkosh Striker 3000 crash vehicle that Shreveport Regional Airport purchased in early 2008. The vehicle is the most technologically superior unit in our region, having numerous high-tech features not commonly found in airports the size of Shreveport Regional, or at larger airports. Other accomplishments include being deployed with “Task Force Bravo” to New Orleans, in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina. He has also overseen ARFF’s successful completion of Shreveport Regional Airport’s FAA Part 139 annual inspection, for the last 8 years.

Chief Caskey is married to his wife of 15 years, Shannon (Lebaron). He is the proud father of three children, Dalton, Drayton and Haley.