Edwards: First paid woman firefighter

During last Friday’s meeting og the Ville Platte Fire and Police Civil Service Meeting, Chairman Chris Soileau announced Courtney Edwards, the secretary to Fire Chief Chris Harrison, has recently gone through the academy to become a certified firefighter.
“She is the first paid woman firefighter,” Soileau said. “She’s going to serve in the capacity of assistant to the fire chief on the scenes. She is going to help because it adds to our average daily staffing as another certified firefighter Monday through Friday for eight hours a day.”
The reason having Edwards on staff as a full-time certified firefighter helps, according to Soileau, is because “it helps the city overall in our rating.”
Edwards will now work on becoming a driver operator.
Later in the meeting, board member Wayne Vidrine asked if the policy is being enforced where those hired by the Ville Platte Police Department have to reimburse the city if they quit after going through the police academy.
According to Hilda Edwards, the agreement is being enforced because the money is taken out of their last check and goes back into the police budget.