DANIEL TYLER GOODEN

PHOTO: EVERY INCH COUNTS when fire fighters are in need of water. Volunteer firemen Ryan Louque, left, and Shane Rojas stand by a 2,000-foot, five inch water hose. (Staff Photo by Daniel Tyler Gooden) GRAND POINT – In November The St James Parish Volunteer Firemen Association purchased two hose tender trucks. Though three months they have yet to be used, the volunteer firemen are glad to have them around. The trucks carry a large reel with 2,000 feet of hose rolled up on its back. By combining the two trucks with the other firetrucks, the volunteer firemen are able to stretch a whole mile from their water source to the fire. At the Belmont/Paulina/Convent fire station where one tender is located, most of the area is still close to the water lines, said volunteer fireman Ryan Louque. The tender will probably be used most often along the highways where vehicle fires and other incidents can occur away from adequate water sources. The other tender is located at the North Vacherie fire station. Though tenders are located at Belmont and North Vacherie, they are for the entire parish to use, said Louque. The fire association purchased the tenders with part of the $100,000 that is collected through taxes for fire protection. The association also refurbished the parish foam trucks, said Louque. New radios and other equipment have been bought for the parish with fire prevention funds. The tenders are a “temporary water line solution,” said Shane Rojas, volunteer fireman. Until the parish is fully covered with water lines, the tenders will be used to keep firemen supplied with water at difficult locations. The firemen have been trained on the hose tenders and are ready to use the new equipment at a moments notice. One of the best features on the truck is the hydraulic reel, which rolls up the 2,000 feet of hose. That’s something we like because we don’t have to worry about rolling it up by hand, said Louque.