October 10, 2007 - SFD to Conduct Gate Ordinance Trial as Deadline for Compliance Looms

Gated Community Equipment Trial-Run

The Shreveport Fire Department is setting up to conduct a trial of the new Gated Community ordinance adopted by the City Council last June. The Fire Department is holding a trial-run with emergency vehicles to test newly installed equipment designed to provide automatic access to gated communities. Additionally the Department wants to remind those communities and developers that they have until December 28 to have the new electronic devices installed on the gates to allow emergency vehicles instant and automatic access. The logistics for the trail are as follow:

• What: SFD Gated Community Equipment Trail
• Where: Spring Lake Way (In the Spring Lake neighborhood: L on Albemarle - next to Porters and then L on Ashbourne)
• When: Thursday, October 11, 2007
• Time: 10:00 a.m.

Most of the emergency transponders have been installed in fire and police vehicles but only 35 of 121 of the required gated communities have had their equipment installed to allow access. Gated neighborhoods need to at least be under contract with an approved installation company and issued a permit at the time of the deadline. If no work is being performed or contract exists by the deadline, the gates must be left in the open position or removed.

The average cost has been $800-$1,000. The transponders for the emergency vehicles were $16.50 each with the SFD purchasing 80 of the units with SPD purchasing 400. ###