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FEATURED TENANTS

St. George Fire Protection District No. 2

Barringer Foreman Technology Park 14141 Airline Highway, Nottoway, Suite N Front & P Baton Rouge, LA 70817

225.251.4800

stgeorgefire.com

S t. George Fire Protection District is a community lifeline. It makes sense, as their mission statement is to protect lives and property through the prevention and mitigation of fires and other emergencies. Serving the unincorporated part of Baton Rouge and the City of St. George, the fire department provides fire and EMS services. Everyone who steps on the fire truck is certified as a firefighter and an emergency medical technician (EMT). The department has garnered a reputation for “putting out more than a few fires;” they take any emergency call and will come out if there is a need.

In addition to fire and EMT services, St. George Fire Protection District provides the community with paramedics, paramedic engines, a specialized team for water rescue and SWAT-style teams. Every rescuer is qualified in collapse and machinery malfunctions. “Any of the crazy things you see on TV, our people are qualified to handle,” joked Meg Kling, Public Education Officer at St. George Fire Protection District. In addition to putting out fires, other odd jobs have included animal rescue, fixing stoves stuck in cleaning mode, and turning off finicky faucets. Kling, a former firefighter herself, now works in public education and often reaches out to organizations to deliver messages about safety. If there’s a fire, Kling and her team often teach organizations about the various causes

or contributors. It’s all about educating the public on best safety practices. They’ve worked with schools and churches, and they also use their social media platforms (@StGeorgeFire on Facebook) as a learning tool. St. George Fire Protection District leases space at St. John Properties’ Barringer Foreman Technology Park for their fire prevention team and wellness divisions. Their fire prevention team conducts inspections at businesses or apartment complexes to ensure that systems are working and there aren’t any fire hazards. If there is a fire, the team completes thorough investigations to locate the cause. The wellness division has a full-time licensed counselor. With a PhD in kinesiology – specifically how movement ties in with firefighters – the on-site counselor holds meetings with

firefighters and their families. She and her team also aid in professional development for people who want to pursue a career at the fire department. St. George Fire Protection District employs 250 people. “St. John Properties has been super, super easy to work with. Everything that we’ve asked for, they have done … We can’t imagine going with anyone else.” –Meg Kling, Public Education Officer, St. George Fire Protection District

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