WBRZ - Baton Rouge

SAINT FRANCISVILLE - West Feliciana is growing, and so is their fire department. Now department leaders say they need more people to keep up with maintenance for their growing fleet.

The department currently has two dozen vehicles in its fleet, and organizers want a full-time maintenance technician to keep them in working order.

The parish pays a contractor $40,000 per year for maintenance. Fire department estimates say it would cost about $55,000 per year to hire a technician, including salary and benefits, but would save money by keeping costly repairs from happening through daily maintenance.

The plan is on the agenda for a special fire district meeting next Thursday.