Some fire department vehicles and apparatus must be staffed by specified ranks, and certain departments may keep or continue older staffing practices.
§1967. Captain of force A. A member of the department holding the rank of captain shall be in charge of each force in each fire company during each shift and at all times. "Force" as used herein means any single piece of fire fighting or rescue apparatus. In any paid fire department operated by a municipality having a population of thirteen thousand or more or by any parish or fire protection district which employs eight or more full-time paid fire suppression employees, excluding the fire chief and any training officer, every fire fighting or rescue apparatus shall be operated by a member of the department holding the rank of engineer or fire driver, by whichever designation he may be known, provided the term "fire fighting apparatus" shall not be construed to include standard passenger vehicles, nor any other type of automotive equipment assigned to fire department use other than vehicles specially designed for fire fighting or rescue purposes. Provided further, that all fire departments, regardless of the number of employees in their employ, now having engineers, captains, or fire drivers operating each force, fire car, or other fire vehicle shall continue this practice. B. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section or any law to the contrary, the governing authority of a municipal fire department governed by the provisions of this Subpart, a parish fire department, and a fire protection district may assign a member of such department holding the rank of captain to operate fire cars and other fire vehicles. C. Notwithstanding the provisions of Subsection A of this Section or any law to the contrary, the fire department in the city of Baton Rouge and any fire protection district comprised of unincorporated areas of the parish of Jefferson may continue the staffing procedures in effect on July 2, 1999. Amended by Acts 1950, No. 193, §2; Acts 1956, No. 359, §1; Acts 1962, No. 134, §1; Acts 1993, No. 521, §1; Acts 1999, No. 849, §1, eff. July 2, 1999; Acts 2011, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 20, §1, eff. June 12, 2011.