DeRidder Fire Chief Ken Harlow confirmed at the DeRidder City Council meeting on Monday that three new fire trucks should be in service by mid-September.

The trucks will replace most of the main fleet, he said. The DFD’s 1989, 2001 and 2004 models will be retired, and the 2009 model will become a reserve apparatus.

The new trucks were necessary because of the rising costs of upkeep.

“It’s been a challenge, I will say, over the last couple years,” he said. “When you get a vehicle with a certain amount of age on it, the maintenance and upkeep is tremendous.”

The trucks will be red with a blue top to emulate the student-designed DFD emblem with American flags on the front.

Each apparatus will have integrated safety systems, Harlow said. They will be equipped with a 360-degree mirror for visibility around the truck, and HAAS Alert Saftet Cloud systems. The HAAS systems alert drivers with newer vehicles of incoming emergency vehicles over the radio.

Members of the fire department will travel for final inspections of the apparatuses at the beginning of August. The trucks are expected to be delivered to Rayne at the end of August or the beginning of September before reaching their final destination in DeRidder in September.

Upcoming Town Hall

State Rep. Charles “Chuck” Owens, District 30, was at the meeting to inform the council that he will be hosting a town hall meeting at 5 p.m. on Monday, July 1 at Grace Church, 1021 West First St.

At the town hall, he will speak to constituents about the legislation that was considered and passed during the 2024 regular legislative session, which ended on June 3.

He said it was a busy session; Lawmakers considered about 1,400 bills and passed about 800.

“A lot of things were done in the budget,” he said “A lot of things were passed into law that some people scratched their head over, some people were happy over. I use these to just get the word out and try to get feedback from the public and this important community.”