Baton Rouge Paramedic Association President Janice Willard (right) and Vice President Allison Sharp (left).
Today’s Sound Off Louisiana feature represents our seventh (7th) feature entailing East Baton Rouge Parish (EBRP) Mayor-President Sid Edwards’ controversial proposal to combine EBRP EMS with the Baton Rouge Fire Department or spinoffs thereof.
We’re using the word “combine” rather than “merge” because EMS folk and their attorney, Robert Aguiluz, himself a former paramedic, strongly object to calling the combination a “merger” and instead adamantly argue that what Edwards is proposing is an outright “takeover” of EMS, which Aguiluz has argued via litigation against the city is illegal.
Specifically, we are presenting segment two of a couple of young ladies who have agreed to appear on Sound Off Louisiana and counter arguments which have been advanced by others in other Sound Off Louisiana features. Our guests for today’s segment of this series are once again Baton Rouge EMS Paramedic Association President Janice Willard and Vice President Allison Sharp:
Willard & Sharp provide their takes on Mayor-President Sid Edwards’ proposal for the Baton Rouge Fire Department to “take over” EBRP EMS and rebuff points made by others entailing same.
Here’s a table of all prior EMS features, and we plan to simply continue adding to the table as more individual features are published on this hot topic!
As clearly referenced near the end of the feature, we’re looking forward to publishing segment three (3) with these two young ladies from EMS, and we thank both of them for their insightful and informative presentation as exhibited in the above video.
Here’s Guillotte’s comment on LSP’s trustworthiness and transparency as it pertains to its leadership (LSP Col. Robert Hodges):
I completely agree. LSP is anything but transparent under this administration. When I retired I was denied the ability to purchase my weapons, although troopers who retired after being arrested were allowed to do so, and was refused a retirement ID. No reason given other than, “the colonel denied it.” If you stood up against this administration for what was right or for your personnel, you became a target. I learned this first hand. I look forward to sharing my experience.
Six (6) days after we published the article, on Tuesday, October 28, 2025, Guillotte visited with us to share what his life became like after LSP Col. Robert Hodges was sworn in as Colonel of LSP:
10/28/25: Guillotte describes what his life became like after the swearing in of LSP Col. Robert Hodges into office.
Here are links for support documents referenced by Guillotte in the above video:
==> Guillotte’s promotional summary which he provided to us with an indication that a table we were producing focusing on then-Col. Lamar Davis’ promotions would be more revealing to incorporate such promotional summaries into the table (which we did based on his guidance).
As mentioned on the video with Guillotte above, we have consolidated two Internal Affairs interviews conducted with Guillotte about email correspondence with Burns (one on May 16, 2025 and the other on June 26, 2025). Here is the video of those combined interviews:
5/16/25 & 6/26/25 IA questioning of Guillotte regarding email correspondence with Sound Off Louisiana‘s Robert Burns.
As noted on the first video above, Sound Off Louisiana founder Robert Burns was honored to be invited to Guillotte’s retirement party in Morgan City on August 16, 2025.
That party was very well attended, and it was very obvious that a very large number of colleagues, former colleagues, other law enforcement officials, and friends have strong admiration and respect for Guillotte.
We have intentionally refrained from making commentary on either of the videos above and, as Burns stated on the feature video above, he tried to interject himself as little as possible in order that the floor belong, to the maximum extent possible, to retired LSP Captain Heath Guillotte. Obviously, as always, we welcome comments on this feature for anyone who may wish to express them.
Guillotte visited with Sound Off Louisiana’s Burns for hours both before and after the October 22, 2025 feature video shown above. Guillotte appears to be very relaxed and content in life, and he showed us a camp and furnishings he’s built himself from sinker cypress.
Seeing his obvious pride in that accomplishment makes evident to us the fact that his talents extend far beyond having served for 27-1/2 years at LSP and rising to a Command Officer and, in our humble opinion, being a first-rate LSP Captain!
We have been honored to have known him, and we look forward to continuing our communication lines with him and wish him nothing but the very best in his retirement years.
I completely agree. LSP is anything but transparent under this administration. When I retired I was denied the ability to purchase my weapons, although troopers who retired after being arrested were allowed to do so, and was refused a retirement ID. No reason given other than, “the colonel denied it.” If you stood up against this administration for what was right or for your personnel, you became a target. I learned this first hand. I look forward to sharing my experience.