VERMILION PARISH — MAURICE, LA - As the town of Maurice experiences a surge in population, Fire Chief David Landry is sounding the alarm over the growing strain on emergency services.
Landry, who has led the Maurice Volunteer Fire Department for the past four years and has served with the department for nearly 25 years, said the volume of emergency calls has risen significantly over time.
“Right now we are at 280-something calls,” Landry said. “When I first started at the department, we were running 86 calls. That was almost 25 years ago, but at the same time, the number of call volumes has picked up.”
Maurice’s population has more than doubled in the past decade. According to the U.S. Census, the town had 964 residents in 2010. By 2020, that number ha grown to over 2,000 and the upward trend continues.
“We’ve had approximately 800 to 1,200 people, and we are expected to get another 800 to 1,000 by this time next year,” Landry said.
While the growth is seen as positive, it presents new challenges for the volunteer fire department, which operates with limited staffing and resources.
“I am concerned due to the fact that the houses where we are having all the subdivision are so close together that we may have to give up one to save another,” he said.
At a recent town council meeting, Landry addressed the strain that increasing call volume and staffing shortages are placing on the department. Like many small departments in the region, Maurice relies on volunteers, most of whom have full-time jobs.
“We have to rely on volunteers being able to leave work to attend calls,” Landry said. “But that’s something that is going down because bosses are not letting their employees leave for calls.”
One of the department’s most pressing needs is a ladder truck, a critical piece of equipment for fighting fires in commercial buildings and larger structures.
A new ladder truck could cost at least $700,000, a price tag that is out of reach for the department's current budget. As a result, Maurice must rely on neighboring departments in Lafayette, Broussard, Youngsville or Abbeville when a ladder truck is needed.
“That’s the big thing,” Landry said. “We are looking at secondhand trucks that can offset some of that cost because you can get cheaper trucks. They are a little older, but they are still functional trucks. They’ve been tested and approved.”
To help address the funding shortfall, Landry said the department is exploring several options, including applying for grants and potentially proposing a millage tax to local voters.
“Right now, if we get a fire at one of these large locations, we have to call in a neighboring department’s ladder truck,” Landry said. “We don’t have one, so it will delay us being able to stop the progress of the fire.”
Despite the obstacles, Landry said the department is committed to protecting the community. Some progress has been made, including the addition of part-time firefighters at the station during weekdays.
“My department and the neighboring department want to reassure all the residents that we serve the communities, that we are going to be here,” he said. “We are going to answer the call if they ever need it.”
