By MELISSA PEACOCK

EDGARD – Local firefighters exhausted from juggling unpredictable hours, careers and family could soon get some relief from the St. John the Baptist Parish Council and voters.

The council recently took a second look at a proposal to add some paid firefighters to local fire departments. A coalition of fire departments first publicly announced a plan to change the structure of local departments to a partially paid, partially volunteer structure in October – National Fire Safety Month.

Adding a limited number of paid firefighters, they said, would ease the strain on volunteers and help attract and retain members.

“The fire chiefs from the four departments asked the council to evaluate a proposal to have paid firemen,” Councilman Duaine Duffy said. “They said they had been getting an exorbitant amount of calls. Even more responsibility has been put on them with 9/11 and homeland security issues.”

Under the current system, volunteer firefighters respond to calls whenever they come in. The departments are looking to open 25 paid positions, Councilman Allen St. Pierre said. The number of paid firefighters in each department would depend on the size of the area they cover, as well as the needs of the department. Initially, LaPlace would get 12 paid firefighters and Reserve five. Both Garyville and the West Bank would receive four.

“What they want to do is to start from there,” St. Pierre said. “If they have excess from the quarter-cent sales tax, along with what is budgeted now, they can build up a reserve. From then on, accordingly, they can bring in one at a time and build from there what is needed.”

But while the policy could help staff local departments, it could also potentially create more problems.

“Full-time firefighters would fall under the requirements of the state,” Duffy said.

Other officials wonder if the change would actually increase the ranks.

“Basically, it (the paid position) is for the daytime hours,” Parish President Nickie Monica said. “We are still dependent on volunteers for nights and weekends. We are just hoping the volunteers won’t decrease in numbers as a result of the change.”

Despite the concerns, the council approved a motion to authorize Bond Attorney Hugh Martin to draft a resolution calling for a special election. The election would give residents the opportunity to approve or reject a quarter-cent sales tax needed to fund the change.

“We might not see results right away, but in six months to a year, we would probably see our (fire) rating improved,” St. Pierre said. “That will reduce fire insurance on people’s houses.”