From the desk of Frankie Morris, of the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office:

Last year alone in Louisiana there were 81 fire related fatalities, 49 of those were senior citizens, which means that 40% of those fatalities were senior citizens.  It is with great desire that we can decrease that number and possibly eliminate as many fatalities as we can in Caddo Parish.

In recognizing that many senior citizens in our community need support to protect themselves from the dangers of fire, the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office has partnered with the Louisiana State Fire Marshall’s office to present “Operation Golden Shield”.  This program will be operated from the  Community Programs ‘ Elderly Crime Victims Office.   This is a program designed to place 10-year Lithium smoke detectors in any Caddo Parish senior citizen home, especially targeting those residing in rural Caddo Parish.   Along with the smoke detectors, Frankie Morris (from the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office, Elderly Crime Victim Advocate) will be offering 911 emergency cell phones to all seniors in need of one.  She will be presenting these phones especially to the senior citizens in rural Caddo Parish.

The program consists of a 15 – 20 minute power point presentation on Fire Prevention in the home.  After the presentation, Victim Advocate Morris will compile a list of names and addresses of those in need of a smoke detector.  Contact is made with the Representative, Rusty Edwards of the Fire Marshall’s Office.  He in turn, sends the number of smoke detectors to the Community Programs ECVA.

It is a known fact that when given smoke detectors, if seniors have no way of installing them, they usually lay around the house collecting dust and are never get installed. Working with our Auxiliary Deputies we will make contact with the senior to insure the installation of the detectors.

The first program is scheduled for July 15^th, 2010 @ Christus Schumpert’s Auditorium, 9:00am – 9:30am.  Along with  Lt. Rusty Edwards, Arson Investigator (LA State Fire Marshall’s Office) his 2^nd in Command, Chief Dan Wallace will also be in attendance. 

Our next presentation will be set up for Blanchard, then Vivian (rural towns in Caddo Parish). Dates have not been scheduled yet.