By Rita Shirley LeBleu
Equipment now, fire station later
Prepare for an electrical outage Thursday. That was the word from a Jeff Davis Electric Co-op representative at the Cameron Parish Police Police Jury Agenda Meeting Monday, June 8. Dinah Landry, Fire Protection District #14 secretary, told jurors the Grand Lake Fire Department Board of Directors is working to upgrade some antiquated equipment.
There has been talk of putting a new Grand Lake Fire Station on the Police Jury agenda; equipment is a more pressing need, according to Dinah Landry.
Air tanks have been purchased. Firefighters need updated masks that go with them, and a basic system to fill the tanks. Grand Lake’s cascade system was destroyed in the hurricane and currently, refilling them involves a trip to Maplewood. The last time tanks were refilled, it was a two-day process. Landry said the Board is going to see if the old tank-filling system can be revamped.
“Eventually we will need a new truck,” Landry said. “Ours are 18 to 40 years old.”
Grand Lake has increased its population. It serves Big Lake and it has mutual aid agreements with Calcasieu Parish. However, three weeks ago, the Calcasieu fire station “right down the road” was closed because of lack of manpower. Deatonville is the only Calcasieu Parish station to give mutual aid. That helps Big Lake, but on the Grand Lake side, help would have to come from Lake Charles.
Landry told jurors the price tag for the masks is $133,000. The basic tank filling system is $70,000 to $100,000. She has reached out to Venture Global and told jurors about a company that uses cooperative purchasing power to procure equipment needed by public entities. No formal request for funds has been presented. Landry’s presentation was to inform jurors.
Despite complaints about interference with the Crab Festival, the electricity will be off Thursday, June 11, according to a representative from Jeff Davis.
“It’s the third time that they (the contractor) have rescheduled,” said Beau Tate, engineering consultant for Jeff Davis.
The weather has been the issue, and the Sturlese substation is the last that needs to be connected – for now. There will be a complete outage for all the service areas. It could take up to 10 hours total, beginning at 8 a.m. Connecting substations in Holly Beach and Johnson Bayou did not require the full 10 hours.
Privacy fences, yes; Wakes, no
Privacy fences may be required at newly permitted RV parks, including mobile home parks that convert spaces to RV spaces. “No Wake Zone” violators in Cameron Parish could pay up to $500 in fines, spend 30 days in jail– or both. The Police Jury requested an “official” report from the Department of Conservation and Energy regarding the impact of the August 2025 dredging incident at the Monday, June 8 Cameron Parish Police Jury Voting Meeting.
Kyle F. Balkum, C & E Administrator, Police Jurors Mark Daigle and Sonny McGee surveyed the area by airboat Apr. 8. Daigle shared Balkum’s response with The Pilot on Tuesday, June 9.
“C & E staff continue to meet with Venture Global, Cameron Port and the state and federal agencies with regulatory responsibility. We also visit Beneficial Uses of Dredged Material (BUDM) weekly to monitor activities.
Since our Apr. 8th site visit, we have discussed with the permittees our concerns with blocked conveyance channels. We have requested that hydrologic flow be provided across the slurry pipeline. We expect a response and plan of action shortly. We also continue to discuss the possibility of salinity monitoring and ensuring uninterrupted exchange along the southern boundary of the BUDM areas (from east to west and vice versa).
Further, we will hold the permittees responsible for the permit conditions enumerated in their Coastal Use Permits (CUP). If you are aware of potential permit violations please do not hesitate to contact us.
Wake ordinance gaining speed
The new No Wake Zone ordinance was amended after the public weighed in on where the new ordinance would provide the most benefit.
To read the rest of this story, please see page three of the print edition of The Cameron Parish Pilot.