FORT SMITH, Ark. -
Fort Smith's fire chief says the city needs another station near Chaffee Crossing, to keep up with the city's expansion.
Chief Mike Richards says the annexation of Chaffee Crossing left them with a large area that didn't have a nearby fire station, and it can take up to twice as long for his firefighters to respond to a call there as it does in other parts of town.
"If someone needs to have CPR performed on them it's critical we start that CPR in the four- to five-minute timeframe," said Richards.
The chief has plans for an eleventh fire station south of Ben Geren Park that would cover the handful of housing developments in that area, as well as the industrial park at Chaffee Crossing. Richards says he's also been applying for Homeland Security grants and stimulus money to build an energy-efficient firehouse that meets federal standards.
However, because Fort Smith's economy is in better shape than other cities, it could actually make it more difficult for the fire department to win grant or stimulus money for their station.
"It will hurt our chances," Richards said. "We were able to use the economic growth in that area to our advantage, but I don't know if that's going to offset the hardships other cities are facing."
If grant money can't be secured, the station may have to be built using city-raised funds. Janet Cumming, who just moved to one of the subdivisions in June, said she'd certainly be willing to pay for the added security a firehouse would bring.
"I think a lot of them would, and I think there's going to be a lot of people moving out into this area because the location is fantastic," she said.
While there's no firm timeline for the Chaffee Crossing station yet, Chief Richards says they do have a deadline. The Insurance Reviews Office will do a survey of the city sometime in the next few years, and if the station isn't built that could mean increased rates for people across the city, not just in Chaffee Crossing.
"We're going to pay for it through higher insurance rates, or we're going to pay for it through some other means, but either way we're going to pay for it," he said.
Chief Richards is scheduled to make a presentation over the issue at a Board of Directors study session December 8.
Chief Mike Richards says the annexation of Chaffee Crossing left them with a large area that didn't have a nearby fire station, and it can take up to twice as long for his firefighters to respond to a call there as it does in other parts of town.
"If someone needs to have CPR performed on them it's critical we start that CPR in the four- to five-minute timeframe," said Richards.
The chief has plans for an eleventh fire station south of Ben Geren Park that would cover the handful of housing developments in that area, as well as the industrial park at Chaffee Crossing. Richards says he's also been applying for Homeland Security grants and stimulus money to build an energy-efficient firehouse that meets federal standards.
However, because Fort Smith's economy is in better shape than other cities, it could actually make it more difficult for the fire department to win grant or stimulus money for their station.
"It will hurt our chances," Richards said. "We were able to use the economic growth in that area to our advantage, but I don't know if that's going to offset the hardships other cities are facing."
If grant money can't be secured, the station may have to be built using city-raised funds. Janet Cumming, who just moved to one of the subdivisions in June, said she'd certainly be willing to pay for the added security a firehouse would bring.
"I think a lot of them would, and I think there's going to be a lot of people moving out into this area because the location is fantastic," she said.
While there's no firm timeline for the Chaffee Crossing station yet, Chief Richards says they do have a deadline. The Insurance Reviews Office will do a survey of the city sometime in the next few years, and if the station isn't built that could mean increased rates for people across the city, not just in Chaffee Crossing.
"We're going to pay for it through higher insurance rates, or we're going to pay for it through some other means, but either way we're going to pay for it," he said.
Chief Richards is scheduled to make a presentation over the issue at a Board of Directors study session December 8.
