Erath, LA, Fire Department, City Council at Odds Over Next Fire Chief

The City Council is looking to place a new leader in charge of the Erath Volunteer Fire Department weeks after the department voted a new fire chief into position.

The fire department re-elected Chad Savoy as their fire chief for this year but tensions are rising after the council chose to appoint Tristin Boullion, a former chief, as the new fire chief, according to KLFY.com.

Members of the fire department have taken to social media to say the council's actions override the department's bylaws, which allow the firefighters to select their chief. Some say honorary members of the department may have influenced the decision, instead of the active firefighters.

They issues the following statement on Facebook:

"City council voted to go against the Bylaws and Constitution of the department overthrowing a vote that was made by the department in 2025 to reelect our current chief Chad Savoy. They took away our right to vote for whose hands our lives are in. They voted for our former Chief Tristin Bouillion to reassume duties as Chief. They took away our right to vote because some honorary members (retired firefighters) felt they did not have a vote and they went to city council. These members are the same members that during the last nominations for chief said no name and instead waited until the position for chief was fairly given to Chief Savoy again to go to a certain council member that took what the said and ran with it. This council member NEVER wanted to hear the active members side of things just the honorary. Now don’t get us wrong we respect these members for all they have gone through and given the department. However, the fire service has evolved so much since they were active firefighters. They do not know the first thing about being a firefighter in today’s fire service. The council member then pushed and pushed until the honorary choice for chief was picked in the city council meeting. Now we are not going to bash Chad or Tristin this is not what this post is for. But I will say this there has been a lot of changes since Tristin gave up the role as chief. This department should be run by the choice of the active members (you know the ones that actually wake up at 2am and put out burning buildings) not politicians that don’t know the first thing about being a firefighter. Not one council member has made an appearance at our monthly meetings, not one has wanted to hear the active members out, not one runs calls, not one knows and understands today’s fire service. Our Mayor however, has attended multiple meetings, heard from both sides, and learned about the fire service. This message is to inform the citizens of Erath to take a closer look at their local government and see who you are voting into offices. If you think for one second this does not affect you as a member of this community you are wrong. See we have a rating by PIAL which rates a fire department on many different things, which in turn affects the cost of homeowners insurance. One of those things is active firefighters. With no firefighters you have no fire protection. That insurance rate that is already sky high can increase some more. I really hope and pray that the current members stay, but if they don’t it won’t end well for insurance as we are currently in our rating for PIAL. I challenge you as a community to talk with your firefighters and hear their side, and to attend Town meetings and educate yourself on what is happening in your community and who is the hand driving it down instead of building it up."

The television station reached out to both the fire department and council for more details but they have not responded.