TONTITOWN — The future of firefighting in Tontitown remains in doubt after a contract to bring the Tontitown Area Fire Department under the city umbrella was rejected.

The Fire Department board voted Monday to reject a contract approved by the City Council. Alderman Clint Penzo, in a committee meeting Tuesday, said the council had no other contracts on the table.

"We've got a verbal agreement than runs through March," Penzo said. "Our next meeting is April 1. We'll have to have a special meeting if anybody brings anything forward."

The Fire Department was formed as a volunteer department but added full-time paid firefighters in recent years. The department also provides fire and emergency response to rural areas.

The city previously paid the department for fire and emergency medical response in the city. Mayor Jack Beckford and a majority of the council have been pushing to make the department part of the city.

The council formed a Public Safety Department which would be responsible for both police and fire duties. The proposed contract with the Fire Department would have made it a part the city in two years.

The contract was worked out between Paul Colvin of the Fire Department's board and Joey Pianalto, a council member. That contract was approved by the department's board but the council only approved it after removing a clause allowing either to back out. The board rejected the contract with that revision.

Art Penzo of the department's board, said they had no other contract to offer the city. Art Penzo is a relative of Clint Penzo.

"We've given them two and they didn't like either one," Art Penzo said.

The city moved ahead with its plans for its Public Safety Department. The committee approved sending mutual aid agreements to all the fire departments within five miles of Tontitown for a vote of the council, Beckford said.

The agreements proposed at the meeting included fire departments in Springdale, Johnson, Fayetteville, Wheeler, Cave Springs and Gallatin. All the departments have a mutual aid agreement in place with the Tontitown Area Fire Department.

Several fire chiefs or their representatives in those towns didn't respond to phone calls. Larry Williams, president of the Cave Springs Fire Department board, said he wouldn't have any comment on an agreement until it was presented to the department.

When Springdale officials sign a mutual aid agreement, said Fire Chief Mike Irwin, the other department is expected to be able to respond with a fire engine manned by three firefighters that have firefighter I, II and hazardous material certification.

"That's what we would send to them," Irwin said. "We would expect them to be able to send the same to us."

It's best to make sure the help can go both ways, said Todd Andrews, assistant chief in Johnson.

"You want your citizens to get the best if you ask for help," Andrews said.

Beckford said Tontitown had manpower and expertise to offer other cities. He said he didn't know if Tontitown's public safety officers had certifications. Kris Arthur, public safety chief, was out of town participating in a training session, Beckford said.

A mutual aid agreement between Tontitown and the Tontitown Area Fire Department was also included.

"We did that because they were within five miles of the city," Beckford said.

NW News on 03/19/2014