December 12, 2001

PRESS RELEASE

To: Newsroom

For Immediate Release

Contact: Brian A. Crawford, Public Information Officer

Phone: 673-6652, cell: 455-2609, page: 675-2137

Fire Department to Unveil New Public Assistance Program

In what Shreveport Fire Chief Kelvin Cochran terms as his administration’s boldest initiative to date, the department is prepared to unveil its new Public Assistance Link or "PAL" Program at a press conference scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Thursday, December 13 at the Caddo Parish 911 Center, 1144 Texas Avenue.

At the conference, Cochran will lay out the details of the PAL Program that include providing firefighters with the ability to connect those citizens it finds with special needs, to other local, state, and national agencies. "This multifaceted program is about saving lives before the bell sounds by providing services that will ultimately reduce the injury potential in the community and organize a system for firefighters to effectively assist our citizens beyond normal 911 response," said Cochran.

Since 1997, one of the goals of the Shreveport Fire Department has been to expand customer service to include more than just emergency operations. In those goals were objectives to reduce injuries and deaths of children; reduce injuries and death to the elderly; reduce nuisance calls; link citizens with services not provided by SFD; educate citizens to the Chain of Survival; and strengthen the relationship with our citizens. The recent completion of the development phase of the PAL program, which enlists the partnerships of several organizations, including the Caddo Council on Aging and the National SafeKids Coalition, will allow the program to begin with four components which can be expanded upon to meet future needs. Those four components are Community Education, Senior Connection, Kid Connection, and Citizen Outreach.

The press conference will be held in the Caddo 911 Center’s training room. Someone will be at the front door of the building to escort your agency inside. Along with Chief Cochran, EMS Officer Mike Cook will make a short technical presentation of the program and members from several of the partnering agencies will be present to answer questions. Media packets will be handed out at the press conference detailing the different elements of the PAL program. ###