The Shreveport Fire Department serves a 122 square-mile metropolitan area of northwest Louisiana with a culturally rich population of 200,000. The Fire Department is an innovative and diverse organization with 625 dedicated, loyal, and brave members. It retains a Class 1 fire rating from Property Insurance Association of Louisiana (PIAL). They operate 22 fire stations from a $52 million operating budget while providing various disciplines of labor including: fire suppression; EMS-ALS transport; hazardous material response; enhanced 911 communications; fire prevention and education bureau; arson investigation and bomb task force; heavy rescue; and aviation task force operations. Annually, the department responds to more than 36,000 calls for service, of which 72 percent are medical in nature.