Fire Departments In Rogers, Bentonville And Springdale Grow With Communities; Improve Safety

Fire departments in Benton and Washington counties' four major cities expanded firefighting capabilities this year by buying new technology, planning for more growth, and training, fire chiefs said

"It's through preparation and planning and adequate training -- that's what success stories are made of," said Tom Jenkins, Rogers fire chief.

Northwest Arkansas fire departments spent millions this year on new stations, trucks and apparatus, chiefs said. Departments also trained individually and regionally with other fire and police departments.

The more well-trained and equipped a fire department is, the better able firefighters are to keep themselves and others safe, said Jim Tolewitzke, president of the Arkansas State Firefighters Association. Living in an area with a growing economy and a good tax base, like Northwest Arkansas, and having city support, is a blessing for local fire departments, Tolewitzke said.

Rogers and other cities' officials have received money time and again to expand and improve fire departments' services as the area grows, chiefs said. Jenkins said he is grateful for being able to work with a Rogers City Council that cares about fire safety, he said.

"A lot of cities talk about putting an emphasis on public safety, but this is one of the few that does it," Jenkins said.

Safety First

Improving fire departments and keeping up with community growth is key to keeping residents and firefighters safe, Tolewitzke said.

"No. 1 would be safety for themselves and the people they protect," Tolewitzke said of firefighters' concerns.

Fire departments in Bentonville, Springdale and Rogers have focused on somewhat different areas of training and fire safety this year, chiefs said. Fayetteville Fire Chief David Dayringer did not return two messages left at his office Wednesday and Friday.

"I'm proud of everything we do, and we've done," said Brent Boydston, Bentonville fire chief.

In Bentonville, firefighters have been training hard, Boydston said.

The Bentonville department started a swift water rescue group under its special operations team this year, Boydston said. The department also brought in an outside consulting group to better train police and firefighters to work together during any shooting incident.

Equipment also has been a major focus among fire departments.

Rogers Fire Department purchased an ambulance about a month ago; added two new pumper-engines; replaced equipment at Station No. 5 at 2525 S. Pinnacle Hills Parkway; broke ground on a new, multi-million-dollar fire station; and added PulsePoint, an app that allows residents with CPR training to help others during an emergency before firefighters arrive, Jenkins said.

The improvements are enough that Jenkins believes the Insurance Services Office, which evaluated the city earlier this year, will lower its rating for the city. That could mean better insurance rates for some homeowners, Tolewitzke said.

The Rogers ISO rating is 3 -- a Class 1 rate is the best. Class 10 indicates no fire protection. The new Rogers classification is expected soon, Jenkins said.

New technology meant to put out fires more quickly was added to some Springdale trucks, said Jim Vaughan, a division chief.

The Springdale Fire Department added a compressed air foam system that reduces water tension, similar to softening water, and creates a shaving cream-like foam, Vaughan said. The system is more common for fighting brush or vegetation fires, and only a few fire departments have the system to fight structure fires, he said.

Springdale received its first two fire trucks with the system in October. One went into service about a week ago, and the other will be ready for service next week, Vaughan said. Department officials plan to have four units with the system in service by mid-2015, Vaughan said.

Making A Plan

Planning is crucial for fire departments, Jenkins said. The Rogers Fire Department, for example, is surveying residents to determine what areas they think need improving as part of its strategic planning process.

Part of department plans include new fire stations, which are going up in Rogers, Springdale and Bentonville, fire chiefs said. Next year, Rogers officials will begin looking for land and planning for another new station, Jenkins said.

In Springdale, Vaughan said the city plans to replace two older stations by August 2015. The new Rogers Station No. 2 on West New Hope Road is expected to be finished and have firefighters moved in by next May, Jenkins said.

On Friday morning, Boydston said he was looking at appliances for a new Bentonville fire station, which is expected to be finished in about a month, he said.

Those new stations must be equipped and staffed while the maintaining other equipment, chiefs said.

Boydston said he looks for ways to save the city money while meeting fire safety goals. He plans to remount two ambulances instead of buying new ones next year. He said he will save about $80,000 per vehicle.

Jenkins said working with city officials matters. He said he likes to think of the Rogers Fire Department as "government at its finest." The work firefighters do is important, he said.

"All that effort ... that has a tangible result to our community -- that's homes saved, people saved and businesses that remain open after a fire," Jenkins said. "We're proud of what we do."

NW News on 12/07/2014

Upcoming Events