Call Baton Rouge EMS at (225) 389-5155.

To schedule use of our facilities, you must stop by our fire station.  On-line and telephone requests are not accepted.  To view the current schedule and availability, visit our website at www.esfd.org and follow the links to Facility Scheduling or stop by our fire station.

First call DEQ (Department of Environmental Quality) at 342-1234, once connected chose option 2. You may also check the Yellow Pages for businesses such as Jiffy Lube or AutoZone. Most will accept used motor oil free of charge.

Call East Side Fire Department at (225) 272-7779.

Call East Side Fire Department at (225) 272-7779 to see if you qualify.

No. Try opening a can of tuna and waiting for the cat to get down on its own. You may also call Baton Rouge Animal Control at (225) 774-7700

At East Side Fire Department between the hours of 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.

Call East Side Fire Department's Public Education Officer Bob Gateley at least one week in advance at (225) 272-7779.

Check the Yellow Pages under Fire Extinguishers.

East Side Fire Department does supply sand, sand bags, and shovels only when there is an imminent threat of a hurricane or flood. When such a situation develops, call (225) 272-7779 to find out  when we will have a temporarily supply of sand and sand bags

Fire Department units are dispatched according to information received by the 9-1-1 operator. East Side Fire Department thinks pessimistically when they respond to citizens in need of help. In other words, the firefighters are prepared to deal with the worst that could happen.   An EMS dispatcher decides the closest unit to respond to an incident.
Our fire department's philosophy is to get our firefighters there as soon as possible. This will usually be at least one engine and one rescue unit. In preparation for the worse case scenario, an ambulance will often be dispatched as well.  There may be three or more fire department vehicles on the scene for what appears to be a "simple" incident. However, in emergency services we have learned that if we assume something is "simple," we can be horribly mistaken. Plus, we respond as fast as we can prepared to encounter the worst. The winner in these situations will always be the citizen who needs help.

As explained in the previous answer, sometimes several units are dispatched to the same incident. The first unit may have arrived on the scene, surveyed the situation and informed the dispatcher that the situation was under control. All other responding units were cancelled and put back into service, ready to take another call. Most likely, when you see an emergency vehicle go "Code 3" (lights and siren) through an intersection and then slow down and turn the emergency lights off, they have been cancelled from the call they were going on.

This is called "venting the roof".  There are two basic reasons for this practice.  Dangerous gases and dark smoke accumulate in a burning building. These gases and smoke can reach 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit during a fire.  Unlike the movie versions of fires, it is impossible for firefighters to operate in such an environment. When a hole is made in the roof of the burning building, the building is "vented".  The smoke and gases escape because heat and smoke rise. It makes it much easier for the firefighters in the building to see. It also reduces the possibilities of backdraft and flashover. Another reason for venting the roof is to see how far the fire has progressed. One of the fastest avenues through which fires spread is the attic. Heat and smoke rise into the attic where the fire can move quickly. Firefighters may go ahead of the fire on a roof, cut holes to access the attic and stop the fire from spreading through the attic.

This is called "positive pressure ventilation".   As in the previous answer, dangerous gases and smoke accumulate in a burning building.  Using the fans to increase the air pressure inside of a building will force the gases and smoke out of the building through ventilation holes or open windows or doors and replace these dangerous gases with clean, fresh air.  This reduces the heat and smoke inside of the building assisting firefighters in search & rescue as well as extinguishment efforts.  Proper positive pressure ventilation can also reduce fire & smoke damage by pushing the fire back into the already burnt areas of the building.

See firefighter volunteering information on our website at: www.esfd.org or call (225) 272-7779. You will also need to pick up an application at East Side Fire Department located at 15094 Old Hammond Highway, Baton Rouge, LA 70816.