Slidell's police and fire departments are trading their usual rivalry for a friendly one this fall, squaring off at a free community event to raise money for local school music programs. The Charity Showdown: Police vs Fire is set for Thursday, October 1, 2026, at 6 p.m. at The Brass Monkey Draught Emporium in Olde Towne Slidell, with proceeds benefiting Notes for Education Northshore.
According to the St. Tammany Fire Protection District #1, the event is free to attend, with food and drinks available for purchase and a 50/50 raffle running throughout the night. Tips, drink purchases, and raffle tickets will all go directly toward Notes for Education Northshore, though outside alcohol is not permitted at the venue. Organizers are framing the night around the tagline “Together We Serve. Together We Win,” pitching it as a chance for residents to support both their public safety agencies and local music students in one stop.
A Downtown Slidell Watering Hole Steps Up as Host
The showdown will unfold at 230 Cousin Street, where The Brass Monkey Draught Emporium anchors part of Slidell's downtown entertainment scene. Per Visit The Northshore, the bar pours 36 craft beers on draft alongside more than 70 bottled and canned selections, and it regularly hosts trivia nights, live music, and Sunday brunches. That built-in community following makes it a natural gathering spot for an event designed to pack the house for a good cause.
The event also arrives as both departments are working under relatively new leadership dynamics. Slidell Police Chief Tommy Williams took over the department in May after winning a Republican run-off election against veteran officer Brian Nicaud, according to WWL-TV. Williams stepped into the role after former chief Randy Fandal left the department to become Slidell's mayor.
A Fire District With Serious Reach
On the fire side, St. Tammany Fire Protection District #1 has been under the leadership of Chief Chris Kaufmann since 2014, following a career that included stints as a firefighter, operator, inspector, chief of fire prevention, and chief of administration, per the Hospice House. The district oversees an $18 million operating budget and ranks as the seventh-largest fire department in Louisiana, running nine stations with 220 employees who respond to more than 10,000 emergency calls a year, according to a report cited by Louisiana Loyal Story. Its coverage area spans roughly 30,000 residents in Slidell proper and another 78,000 across the surrounding parish.
The district also carries outsized responsibility beyond firefighting. Since January 2021, it has served as the central 911 dispatch agency for all 12 fire districts across St. Tammany Parish, operating out of a consolidated communications center in Lacombe that also handles calls for Covington Fire and the parish coroner. The district holds a Class 2 property insurance rating from the Property Insurance Association of Louisiana and carries international accreditation through the Commission on Fire Accreditation International, making it one of only a handful of accredited fire agencies statewide.
Slidell PD's Own Recent Upgrades
The Slidell Police Department brings its own institutional milestones into the showdown. The agency has held national accreditation since 1995 and recently moved into an upgraded headquarters and jail facility valued at more than $18 million, with the infrastructure and fleet modernization spearheaded during Fandal's earlier tenure as police chief.
Where the Money Goes
Notes for Education Northshore, the nonprofit set to benefit from the night's tips and raffle sales, traces its roots back to 2015, when it began as a Leadership Northshore graduating class project co-founded by community leaders including retired Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel Don Thanars and project coordinator Robin Marquez. The organization collects and refurbishes donated instruments for St. Tammany Parish school band programs and also awards annual scholarships to graduating seniors pursuing degrees in music performance or music education, with recent recipients attending LSU and Auburn University.
The Brass Monkey showdown fits into a broader annual fundraising calendar for the nonprofit, which also relies on the Slidell Jazz and Blues Festival and the outdoor Twilight Symphony concert at Pinewood Country Club to fund its instrument grants. The fourth annual Twilight Symphony is already on the books for November 13, 2026. For now, though, the spotlight is on Slidell's police officers and firefighters, who will spend an October evening pouring their competitive energy into something that benefits kids with instruments in their hands rather than sirens on their trucks.
