The downtown Opelousas fire station, as well as the volunteer fire organization that owns the property the building sits on, (Hope, Hook and Ladder) are part of the foundation that built the Opelousas Fire Department.

OPELOUSAS, La. (KLFY) -- The downtown Opelousas fire station, as well as the volunteer fire organization that owns the property the building sits on, (Hope, Hook and Ladder) are part of the foundation that built the Opelousas Fire Department.

So, it came as a surprise to many when the price of rent for the building suddenly skyrocketed this month. But upon further investigation, that price increase is for a good cause.

In recent months, Hope, Hook and Ladder approached the city of Opelousas to inform the monthly rent price for the station would increase from $600 to $2000. Opelousas Fire Chief Bryan Chavis said they were recently approached about the new rent increase.

"They pretty much was stating that the $600 a month that they had been receiving for the past 20 or 30 years at this point being that the cost of repairs, the cost of maintenance, the cost of insurance had gone up. They pretty much said that the reason for the increase," said Chavis.

With rising costs, more than half of the money made from the rent would pay for insurance alone, leaving no room for funding renovations and repairs to the station.

"The building is very old, the roof currently is leaking on the museum side of the building, the plumbing is very old, the building itself is in need of repair," said Chavis.

With the station needed to maintain the city's fire rating, it also preserves a piece of the city's history by representing the fire department's growth, and the legacy built by Hope, Hook and Ladder.

"Hope, Hook and Ladder is the volunteer fire department fire company that started basically Opelousas fire department and contributed to St. Landry Parish Fire District 3. The key to all of this the whole area is Hope, Hook and Ladder. So that's kind of why we wanted to make sure that that building, and that station stayed in service for the fire department within the city of Opelousas," said Chavis.

Chavis says another meeting is planned with Hope, Hook and Ladder later this month to discuss the repairs and also the possibility of the price of rent dropping in the future.

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