BENTONVILLE — Chief Dan White will wrap up 40 years of public service when he hands the reins of the Bentonville Fire Department to Brent Boydston, assistant chief, next month.
White started his career in emergency services in Fayetteville in 1972, and is one of the longest serving licensed emergency medical technicians in the state. He joined the Army as a firefighter and was hooked after he worked his first fire, he said.
“I’m going to miss that,” White said. “I still enjoy going out on calls, even though I don’t get to do that much anymore. This is a job I love.”
At A Glance
Bentonville Fire Department
Bentonville’s Fire Department was established in 1887, with the town square home to a fire bell to warn residents. Fire stations have been on South Main Street in the 1930s Southeast Third and D streets in the 1950s and its current site at Southwest A and Eighth streets. From a single station and 10 firefighters in 1981, the department has grown to five stations with more than 60 firefighters.
Source: City of Bentonville
He was hired by the Springdale Fire Department after his army service, taking college courses and fine tuning his skills. He said Springdale took a big chance on him by promoting him to chief at the young age of 33, a chance for which he is still grateful.
“I appreciate Springdale,” he said. “I feel a lot of loyalty to them. That’s where I got my start.”
He served a four-year stint as the fire chief in Cape Girardeau, Mo., before accepting the Bentonville chief’s job in 2001.
When White took the helm in Bentonville, the department was hurting, he said. The previous chief had been arrested for filling out false expense reports to obtain cash reimbursements from the city, and public trust in the department was low.
“We had to build that trust back again,” he said. “The firefighters were in pain, and we had to pull together as a cohesive unit.”
Over the next decade, White would do that and more.
In the economic boom years of the early 2000s, Bentonville exploded with growth. The Fire Department adapted by buying land for fire stations, building Station No. 5 in west Bentonville and updating equipment.
Under White’s supervision, the city’s Insurance Service Office rating dropped from 3 to 2. The rating affects the amount residents pay for home insurance, with lower numbers meaning lower costs.
“This is a very coveted rating for fire departments,” Mayor Bob McCaslin said. “I believe there are only eight in Arkansas.”
White said his 11 years as fire chief were the best years of his life. Those years capped nearly a half-century of saving lives and homes and making irreplaceable memories.
“It’s been a good career,” White said. “I can’t imagine doing anything else where I could have this much fun and get paid for it.”
When he hangs up his gear April 13, White’s hands will be far from idle. He and his wife, Carola, are building a farm north of Berryville, where they plan to raise and show alpacas. White also plans to deliver mail as a rural carrier part-time and teach courses at NorthWest Arkansas Community College.
White said the department will be in good hands when Boydston takes over as interim chief. Boydston moved to Bentonville when he was young and graduated from Bentonville High School.
He knew his calling right away, signing onto the local fire department as volunteer at 20. He attended paramedic school and was hired full-time by the Bentonville department in 1989.
“When I started, Bentonville had one fire station and four or five guys on a shift,” Boydston said.
He said he has been blessed to see the city, and the department, prosper through the years. He credits the departmental teamwork with its success, especially the battalion chiefs.
“You’re only as good as the people you surround yourself with,” Boydston said. “We’ve been very fortunate in Bentonville to have phenomenal people.”
Boydston also said his wife, Kim, has been instrumental in helping him pursue the career he loves. He said she never complains when she is awoken in the middle of the night by a beeping pager or when he has to work long hours.
“She’s been a great supporter,” Boydston said. “She makes me able to do the things I do.”
He said he was thankful for the opportunity he has had to learn from White over the years.
“Chief White has done a fantastic job,” Boydston said.