Bernice Fire Department

This year is already half way over with and with that comes our run reports for the half way point. The following calls were reported for the first half of this year:

4️⃣ House/Building Fires 🏠
3️⃣ Vehicle Fires 🚗
9️⃣ Grass/Woods Fire 🔥
8️⃣7️⃣ EMS Calls 🚑 (Including vehicle accidents)
5️⃣ Gas Leaks ⚠️
3️⃣4️⃣ Public Service Assistance 🚨
1️⃣7️⃣ Dispatched & canceled enroute 🚫
7️⃣ Fire Alarms 🔔

This makes for a total of 1️⃣6️⃣6️⃣ calls for service answered by your department so far this year.
🚨👨‍🚒🚒🚨

In the early morning hours of Tuesday, March 26th at approximately 03:43 am Bernice Fire Department was dispatched to an Apartment Fire in Willow Village. Upon arrival there was heavy smoke visible from the roof area as well as from the front door. An attack line was laid from our Engine so that fire crews could make an interior attack. Once inside, crews found the bulk of the fire in the kitchen area. The fire was quickly knocked down which kept it from spreading to the rest of the apartment. At the time of the fire the house was occupied by 8 individuals, with 6 of them being children. Everyone inside was able to escape through a bedroom window prior to Fire Departments arrival with no injuries reported.
This puts us at call #62 for the year.

For Immediate Release
04/02/2024

As of 04/02/2024, the Louisiana Department of Health/Office of Public Health, hereby rescinds the BOIL ADVISORY issued by the Darbonne South WS. The samples collected on 04/01/2024 were cleared.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
03/27/2024 D’Arbonne Water SOUTH has issued a boil advisory due to setting a valve and loss of water. The following roads are included in this advisory. Mt. Tabor Church Rd, 12415-10542 Hwy 2, Morrow Lane, Walnut Tree, Porter Rd, Witts End, Beach Rd, Houston Rd, Roston Drive Pvt., Hurst Rd, White Oak Lane, 1435-3049 Patrick Church Rd, all of McIntosh Rd, Hutto Dr. PVT, Mike Mabry Rd, all of Hog Pen Rd, Bud Davidson Rd, Shannon Rd, Platt Drive PVT, Kays Landing, Ben Lowery Rd, Borders Lane PVT. Good Rum, Red Barn Farm Rd., Bob Reeves Lane,

This BOIL ADVISORY is to remain in effect until rescinded by the D’Arbonne Water System.

It is recommended that all customers disinfect their water before consuming it (including fountain drinks, making ice, brushing teeth, or using it for preparation of foods) by the following means: Boil water for one full minute in a clean container. The one-minute starts after the water has been brought to a rolling boil. (The flat taste can be eliminated by shaking water in a clean bottle or pouring it from one clean container to another.)
Please share with your neighbors on these roads.

Fire standby for the Battle of D’Arbonne Landing at the beautiful Lake D'Arbonne State Park.

Burn Ban has been lifted!!! 🔥✅

On Sunday afternoon Bernice Fire Department was dispatched to a single vehicle accident on Pine Grove Church Rd near Jimmy Bowen Rd. Upon arrival we found a single occupant who was trapped inside the vehicle with unknown injuries. We used our Extrication tools, also known as the "Jaws of Life" to help free the occupant. After the occupant was removed from the vehicle we turned the patient over to Pafford EMS who was on scene awaiting extrication of the patient. The patient was then air lifted to an area hospital. Great work to all involved, including bystanders on scene who helped remove a tree from the roadway that had fallen as a result of the accident.

The Bernice Fire Department recently purchased an Air Compressor that fills up our Cascade system. This system is used to ensure that our Firefighters have clean, safe breathable air to use in our SCBA’s while battling fires that are filled with dangerous toxins and carcinogens which are emitted during a fire. This machine is capable of producing up to 6,000 psi to refill our SCBA bottles after they have been used during a fire. Thank you to our community for y’all’s support. 🚒🧑‍🚒👩🏼‍🚒

Just a reminder that the Burn Ban is still in effect‼️
Not only have we been busy with out of control fires that started out as “control burns” but most other departments in the Parish as well as surrounding Parishes have also. Please allow conditions to improve as well as waiting on the official word of the burn ban being lifted.

TEMPORARY BURN BAN ON OPEN-AIR OUTDOOR BURNING.

❄️We've got another wave of cold air hitting our state this weekend❄️

State Fire Marshal Chief Bryan J Adams wants to remind everyone of our top home heating safety tips:

🛌Place space heaters 3-5 feet from combustible objects like blankets
🔌Plug all heating appliances directly into wall outlets, not power strips or extension cords
♨️Do not use stoves or ovens to heat homes
🔥Don’t overfill fireplaces/wood-burning stoves
🕯Do not leave candles/open flames (or space heaters) left unattended
🚨Have working smoke alarms in your home!

The SFM’s Operation Save-A-Life program partners with local fire departments and districts to provide FREE smoke alarm installations, at any time of the year, for families in need of assistance accessing the critical emergency-alert equipment.

In addition to having working smoke alarms, the SFM also emphasizes the importance of having planned and practiced escape routes for your home, including knowing two ways out of every room.

To register for a free smoke alarm, or learn more about Operation Save-A-Life, visit lasfm.org.

Last year Bernice Fire Department responded to a total of 293 calls. This was the busiest year yet for the Department!!!
Here are the breakdown of the calls for the year of 2023:

Fires: 33 (With 7 of these being structure fire alarms)
EMS: 150
Motor Vehicle Accidents: 18
Natural Gas Leak: 2
Public Service: 69 (Includes tree down in roadways, Landing Zone setups etc.)
Cancelled en route calls: 10
Fire/Smoke Alarms: 11