Even with reductions in parish funding, the Broussard Fire Department has increased staffing and improved response times in recent years to provide better protection for those who live and work in the area.
Those findings come from the department's 2019 report, which Deputy Chief Justin Denais shared Tuesday at the Broussard City Council meeting.
"The fire department has had some good successes in the last few years," Mayor Ray Bourque said after the presentation. "And thank you for your leadership there, Chief, and the whole staff for being able to do a great job." Broussard's current and former elected officials have actively worked toward improving the fire department over the last decade.
In 2019, the fire department's average response time was 5 minutes and 4 seconds for the first arriving unit at incidents in the city limits.