Times-Picayune
Copyright 2007 The Times-Picayune Publishing Company

ST. TAMMANY PARISH, La. — St. Tammany Parish's Fire Protection District 11, which serves the Pearl River area, has a new custom-built pumper firetruck.

The district recently borrowed $100,000 to purchase the truck from Ferrara Fire Apparatus in Holden to replace the department's 14-year-old pumper truck. The debt will be repaid with property taxes levied by the department.

The district borrowed $85,000 from Hancock Bank and $15,000 from the Louisiana Public Finance Authority to finance the purchase.

The money from the authority comes interest-free through a program that helps local government agencies finance equipment purchases and construction projects.