November 21, 2023
Ronnie Williams, Mayor
Betty Sawyer Smith, Councilwoman-at-Large
Eddie Harrington, District 1
Dale Nielson, District 2
Christopher Petite, District 3
Rosemary Elie, District 4
Dear Mayor and Council members:
Before I get into this letter, let me introduce myself to anyone who either does not know me or does not know my professional background. I began my career with Natchitoches Fire Department on February 17, 1974 as an entry level firefighter and from the day I walked in to the fire station for my very first shift, I knew the fire service was my calling and I decided right then and there that I that I was going to do everything that I could to make a difference in the lives of the citizens that I was going to serve. I began by educating myself and pursuing training AT MY OWN EXPENSE, even as some of my fellow firefighters told me that I was crazy for spending my own money. My parents raised me to always work hard and do the right thing in everything I pursued. I sacrificed by not purchasing expensive recreational toys, but instead, I purchased expensive fire service books and fire service videos and paid for other training opportunities to learn as much as I could about my profession and to be the best at my job. I worked in every position and rank in the fire department beginning as a Firefighter and ultimately, Fire Chief. I retired as Fire Chief on May 1, 2013 after serving the City of Natchitoches for just short of 40 years. Additionally, I spent 32 years as a member of the Armed Forces with 27 years in Air Force Reserve Fire Protection attaining the position of Deputy Fire Chief in the largest Air Force Reserve Fire Protection unit, retiring on November 1, 2003 at the military rank of Senior Master Sergeant (SMSgt) E8. Proud of both careers. The icing on my cake was my induction to the Louisiana Fire Chief’s Hall of Fame in November 2020 made possible by the great firefighters that I worked with throughout my career and the citizens of Natchitoches for whom I had the opportunity to serve.
I read with interest an article in the Natchitoches Times Weekend Edition, September 2-3, 2023 regarding a new fire station for the City of Natchitoches. The article stated that a new fire station will be constructed on University Parkway and La Hwy 6 near the entryway to Interstate 49. It further stated that the city will receive $1.8 million in state capital outlay funds for planning and construction with an additional $4 million coming from the state next year.
Following conversation with Chief John Wynn, he advised that the new fire station is to be built on the piece of property the City of Natchitoches has owned for more than 23 years located in the 1000-1100 block of University Parkway in front of Raggio’s Tire Shop and not at La Hwy 6 and Interstate 49 location. The plan is to close Fire Station 3 on Martin Luther King Jr Drive and relocate its resources to the new fire station along with personnel from Central Fire Station. As a retired fire chief with Natchitoches Fire Department, I am very familiar with this piece of property and I have never thought a fire station should be located there for strategic considerations.
First of all, Central Fire Station at 578 Second Street is less than a mile from the front gate of Northwestern State University well within reasonable response time and distance to the university. Another fire station in front of Northwestern would constitute overkill!! Secondly, a major growth direction of the city is west to Interstate 49 which is approximately 5 miles from the nearest fire station. Emergency responses are made all the way to Water Well Road on Interstate 49 and a mile south to Mile Marker 132. In case you are unaware, it is 7 miles from La Hwy 6 and Interstate 49 to the southern-most city limits and add another 5-6 miles from the nearest fire station and you have 12-13 miles and a long response time in good traffic even with lights and siren. Do you realize how long it takes to get there even in an emergency vehicle with lights and siren? If you’re in a motor vehicle accident on Interstate 49 around the Water Well Road exit and trapped suffering serious injuries you are at the mercy of a quick response, and that, is not going to happen!! A response to that area may very well take ten (10) or more minutes and you may not survive.
I believe building a fire station where it is currently planned is NOT in the best interest of fire protection for the City of Natchitoches and certainly not for $5.8 million.
It would make more sense, and more fiscally responsible to take the $5.8 million and build two fire stations, one on University Parkway maybe midway between the La Hwy 1 By Pass and Interstate 49 and relocate Fire Station 3 to Texas Street on the “new” Public Works property that the city currently, to my knowledge owns to serve your constituents in Breda Town, Bailey Heights, Jackson Square, the La Hwy 1 By Pass and the west end of the La Hwy 3175 By Pass, Nolley Point, Monroe Road (those properties in the city limits) and the Fox Run area? By the way, Fox Run is 7 miles from the nearest fire station (Fire Station 3). A fire station located on University Parkway west would have a quicker response to the Fox Run area. Also, if you haven’t, think about the life safety of the people occupying rooms in all the hotels in the Interstate 49 area as well as those shopping in the businesses in that area!!
Surely, you can build two functional fire stations with the funding you are going to receive. They don’t have to be a Taj Mahal, they just need to be functional. Use this money wisely and take care of two areas instead of one. I would bet that someone might donate enough property out on University Parkway if approached. I am wondering how much thought has gone into this endeavor and why hasn’t fire protection for the entire city been taken into consideration and especially those areas of low income?
My responsibility as the fire chief, was the fire and life safety protection of the entire city and was at the forefront of my thoughts, and NO area of the city was of more importance than another. For that reason is why I would not agree to allow Union Pacific Railroad to close the majority of the railroad crossings in the city including the major crossings of Trudeau, Amulet and Bossier Streets which would have severely impacted fire protection on the west side of the city. Instead of closing approximately the majority of the crossings, they closed 3 or 4.
By closing Fire Station 3, and not relocating it to Texas Street you will adversely affect and impact the very citizens of west Natchitoches because the fire station in front of Raggio’s will be further away from the west Natchitoches response areas. The city should provide the best possible Fire-Rescue-EMS-Haz Mat protection to the citizens and I do not think your plan is in the best interest of the citizens. If someone is just wanting construct a magnificent facility, it is the wrong reason.
The fire service still runs my blood or I would not be writing this letter. I hope you take this letter seriously and rethink what I have stated. I am willing to meet with any of one, or two of you at a time to discuss this very important matter as soon as possible. If I do not hear from you, then I will assume that your interest in life safety is not as serious as mine.
For those of you who really know me, knows that the fire department was not a job to me, it my profession, my passion. I always wanted to help others just as I am trying to do in this letter.
You may contact me at Chiefdboyt1@gmail.com or Cell (318) 471-1604.
Sincerely,
/s/
Dennie C. Boyt, Fire Chief ret.
Note: I did meet with Councilperson Eddie Harrington prior to sending the letter above to each member.
P.S.: Although I requested in this letter sent to the Mayor and each council member, a request to meet with them, one or two at a time, to avoid a quorum, to discuss my concerns, I have not gotten a response from a single one. So, if you live in Breda Town, Bailey Heights, Monroe Road or Fox Run and are concerned about yours and your family’s life safety, it is in your best interests to contact the mayor, council person at large and your district council person to determine THEIR interest in yours and your family’s life safety. On second thought, you should contact every one of them because ALL of them play a part!!
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