SLEMCO Operation Round-Up First Responder Grants

Serving over 85 square miles of rural Acadiana — including the Town of Basile and the communities of Duralde and Tepetate — the Acadia/Evangeline Fire Protection District is a dedicated volunteer fire department committed to protecting lives and property across a wide, sparsely populated region. Their volunteers routinely respond to emergencies in low-visibility conditions, often along dark rural roads where the risk of injury is high. With this grant, they are seeking to purchase high-visibility safety jackets for their firefighters, equipping their team with the gear needed to stay seen and stay safe when every second counts.

The Arnaudville Volunteer Fire Department proudly serves the close-knit community of Arnaudville, answering the call whenever their neighbors need them most. Beyond the dangers of the fire scene itself, firefighters face an invisible but serious threat: the toxic, cancer-causing residues that cling to their protective gear long after the flames are out. To combat this ongoing health risk, the department is requesting grant funds to purchase a specialized extractor washing machine — equipment designed specifically to thoroughly decontaminate firefighter PPE. This investment is about more than clean gear; it’s about protecting the long-term health and lives of the brave volunteers who protect their community.

The Broussard Fire Department is a combination career and volunteer department serving the City of Broussard and surrounding areas of Lafayette Parish. Known for maintaining a high standard of response and professionalism, the department relies on rigorous, realistic training to keep its crews ready for any scenario. They are requesting grant funds to purchase a Firesled Firefighter Training System — an innovative, full-body training apparatus that bridges the gap between physical conditioning and real-world fireground performance. The system replicates the demanding physical movements firefighters perform on the job: dragging victims, breaching ceilings, advancing charged hose lines, moving heavy obstacles, and more. Investing in this system means investing in a safer, stronger, better-prepared team — and ultimately, better outcomes for the community they serve.

Cajun F.O.O.L.S. (Firefighters Organization of Louisiana Safety) is a non-profit organization with a mission that extends beyond any single station or district: bringing high-quality, hands-on firefighter training to departments across all of Acadiana — especially those with limited access to formal instruction. Their team travels throughout the region, delivering life-saving lectures and practical training exercises to ensure that no volunteer department is left behind. With this grant, they are seeking to purchase realistic training mannequins to be used in search and rescue simulations — tools that will directly improve how firefighters practice locating and extracting victims, making the training experience more effective and the real-world response more capable.

Cajun F.O.O.L.S. (Firefighters Organization of Louisiana Safety) is a non-profit organization with a mission that extends beyond any single station or district: bringing high-quality, hands-on firefighter training to departments across all of Acadiana — especially those with limited access to formal instruction. Their team travels throughout the region, delivering life-saving lectures and practical training exercises to ensure that no volunteer department is left behind. With this grant, they are seeking to purchase realistic training mannequins to be used in search and rescue simulations — tools that will directly improve how firefighters practice locating and extracting victims, making the training experience more effective and the real-world response more capable.

The Duson Volunteer Fire Department serves communities in both Acadia and Lafayette Parish, showing up for their neighbors regardless of which side of the parish line an emergency falls on. To do their jobs more safely and effectively, they are requesting grant funds to equip each of their three fire engines with thermal imaging cameras. These powerful tools allow firefighters to cut through smoke and darkness to identify the origin and spread of a fire, locate victims who may be trapped inside a structure, and detect vehicle ejections at crash scenes — all in conditions where the human eye alone is not enough. Thermal imaging technology saves lives, and this investment would put that capability at the fingertips of every crew on the road.

The Evangeline Parish Sheriff’s Office works tirelessly every day to keep the citizens of Evangeline Parish safe. At the heart of every law enforcement operation is communication — and aging, unreliable radio equipment puts both deputies and the public at risk. The Sheriff’s Office is requesting grant funds to upgrade their radio communications system, ensuring that deputies in the field can reach dispatchers, coordinate responses, and call for backup without interruption. Modern, dependable communications equipment is not just an operational upgrade — it is a fundamental safety tool that can mean the difference between a successful response and a tragedy.

The Iberia Parish Fire District Association serves the rural communities of Iberia Parish through a combination of two career stations and four volunteer stations, providing professional-grade fire protection to residents across a wide area. Committed not only to fighting fires but to preventing them, the Association is requesting grant funds to purchase a Fire Safety House — an innovative, hands-on educational tool used to teach fire prevention directly to the community. The portable structure is designed to visit schools, safety fairs, and community events, where it will teach children and adults alike about kitchen fire safety, smoke alarm awareness, and proper emergency evacuation — equipping the community with the knowledge to protect themselves before an emergency ever begins.

The Judice Volunteer Fire Department is a dedicated volunteer agency serving the residents of Judice, a tight-knit, unincorporated rural community in Lafayette Parish where rice and crawfish farming, dairy operations, and horse training define the landscape — and where flat terrain and drainage coulees make flooding a persistent threat to life and property. As flood events become more frequent and more severe across the region, the need for a fully equipped, ready-to-respond water rescue capability has never been greater. The department is requesting grant funds to fully outfit their high water rescue truck with the essential tools needed to operate safely and effectively in life-threatening flood conditions — including personal flotation devices, water rescue gear, communication equipment, specialized lighting, and the technical tools required to conduct rescues where roads become rivers and seconds determine outcomes. This investment is about more than equipment on a truck; it is about giving their volunteers the resources to do the most dangerous job well — going into the water so that their neighbors don’t have to stay in it.

The Mire Volunteer Fire Department is a dedicated volunteer agency providing fire protection and rescue services to the community of Mire and the surrounding areas — a community that relies entirely on its neighbors to show up when the alarm sounds. Their volunteers put themselves in harm’s way regularly, and their safety depends on having gear that can withstand the punishing heat and moisture of a working fire scene. They are requesting grant funds to purchase new sets of turnout gear — the protective clothing that stands between a firefighter and the extreme conditions of a fire. Updated gear means more volunteers can be safely deployed, strengthening the department’s ability to protect the community they call home.

The Ville Platte Volunteer Fire Department serves a city and surrounding rural community of approximately 15,000 residents, responding to fires, motor vehicle accidents, and a wide range of rescue and emergency situations. As a small, volunteer-based department, funding is a constant challenge — yet the need for reliable, up-to-date equipment never stops. They are requesting grant funds to purchase a complete set of NFPA-compliant personal protective equipment and to help fund a hydraulic cutter tool for vehicle extrication. Together, these investments will enhance firefighter safety, improve their ability to respond to car accidents, and ultimately save more lives in a community that depends on dedicated volunteers to answer every call.

The Youngsville Fire Department is a combination career and volunteer department serving the rapidly growing city of Youngsville and parts of unincorporated Lafayette Parish. With nearly 900 emergency calls annually — ranging from new residential subdivisions and multi-story apartment complexes to commercial developments and rural areas — their crews face an increasingly complex and demanding response environment. They are requesting grant funds to purchase a Bullard DXT professional-grade thermal imaging camera, a rugged, high-resolution tool purpose-built for the fire service. With it, firefighters can locate victims in smoke-filled rooms, identify hidden fires spreading inside walls and ceilings, and navigate zero-visibility conditions with confidence — capabilities that are essential as the community around them continues to grow.