Saint Tammany Parish Fire Protection District 4

The department traces its roots to volunteer bucket-brigade companies in the mid-1800s, with Fire Company No. 1 formally chartered in 1914 and St. Tammany Fire Protection District No. 4 officially organized on January 16, 1958. The agency professionalized over subsequent decades, hiring its first full-time firefighter in 1964 and its first full-time Fire Chief in 1988, growing from a single truck bought secondhand from Covington in 1928 into a modern combination department.

Today Mandeville Fire/EMS operates six stations (41 through 46) covering the Fourth Ward of St. Tammany Parish, an area stretching from the Tchefuncte River to the Greater New Orleans Expressway (Causeway) along the Northshore of Lake Pontchartrain. The department provides fire suppression, ALS ambulance transport, hazardous materials response, and technical rescue disciplines including vehicle extrication, building collapse, confined space, trench, rope, and swift water rescue.

The district holds a Class 1 rating from the Property Insurance Association of Louisiana and CFAI International Accreditation from the Center for Public Safety Excellence -- the only fire department in Louisiana to hold both distinctions. Under Fire Chief Bert Norton and a 2024-2029 strategic plan, the department is focused on expanding capabilities, professional development, and competitive compensation to meet the district's growing needs.

Mandeville Fire/EMS hires Recruit Firefighters through a three-part application: passing the Louisiana Office of State Examiner's (OSE) Entrance Firefighter Exam, passing the department's Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT), and submitting a formal application packet to the Director of Administration. Selected candidates undergo a background check, motor vehicle record review, Louisiana State Police fingerprint check, and physical/psychological evaluation before a conditional offer, then complete a 14-week MFD/EMS Recruit Academy.