ROGERS -- U.S. Sen. John Boozman visited Friday with area fire chiefs to get their feedback on the impact of covid-19 to their departments.
He wanted to learn how firefighters are serving their communities during the health crisis, what challenges they face and how their departments are adapting to health guidelines. He met with the chiefs at the Northwest Arkansas Metropolitan Fire Chief's Association's meeting at the Rogers Fire Training Center.
Boozman, R-Rogers, said he wanted to meet with the fire chiefs to make sure they have the gear needed to protect themselves and the community.
He also wanted to thank the chiefs for the work they do all the time, but also for their work during the covid-19 pandemic. "These are essential workers," Boozman said. "They show up every day regardless."
Boozman said the need for various personal protection equipment increased because of the virus. "We want to make sure that they have the resources," he said. "We provided some in the past, and as soon as the election is over we will be doing additional funding."
Boozman doesn't expect a second stimulus measure to be passed by Congress before the presidential election but expects it to be passed after the election.
Boozman told the chiefs he knows they have had heavy expense because of covid and he wants to make sure they're getting the resources that they need.
He asked the chiefs about their challenges and whether they have had many covid cases in their departments.
Springdale Fire Chief Mike Irwin, who's the president of the association, said departments in Northwest Arkansas have been fortunate that while they have had some positive cases, it's not been a huge amount. "Most of them, knock on wood, have not been real sick," he said.
Irwin said the ones testing positive have been able to return to work.
Rogers Fire Chief Tom Jenkins said he was pleased Boozman stopped by to visit with the chiefs. "The fire chiefs represented here are the leaders of the career departments in the area," he said. "These are career departments that have not only been on the front-line. You can't work virtually as a firefighter or paramedic, but they are also representative of a work force that's seen a lot of people get sick, so we've had a lot of firefighters in Northwest Arkansas to contract the virus presumably in the line of duty."
Jenkins said it's important the U.S. Senate knows what's happening on the local level.
Jenkins said the amount of PPE departments currently have is adequate, but he stressed it could change with a break-out of covid cases.
Tracy M. Neal can be reached by email at [email protected] or Twitter @NWATracy.