Cities plan for future fire stations

Multiple Northwest Arkansas fire departments are looking toward a future with more fire stations.

Many variables go into planning a new station, said Tom Jenkins, chief of the Rogers Fire Department. Those variables include trying to better serve areas where it takes firefighters the longest to respond, learning where the most people are, connecting to roads and figuring out the cost of building a new station. Decisions have to be based on data, he said.

Springdale needs more and better distribution of resources for the Fire Department because of the growing population and expansion of the city, Springdale Fire Chief Mike Irwin said. He made a presentation about the department's needs at a Springdale City Council committee meeting Sept. 14.

A report by Irwin asks that Station No. 7 be built "as quickly as possible." He wrote that he'd like for Station Nos. 8, 9 and 10 to be planned, as well. He mentioned wanting to work with the mayor and City Council on a five-year plan.

Irwin referred in the report to the decision to increase the number of police officers in the Springdale Police Department. He referred to it as "an acceptable decision" that was needed.

"While I fully supported that decision then and even now, I do want to point out that I want to be proactive with the Springdale Fire Department and address our problems before our disaster occurs," he wrote in the report. "I want to be able to look you and our citizens in the eye and explain that we have addressed our known issues, and we did the very best we could at preplanning."

The Springdale Fire Department's response times have ticked up slightly compared with last year, Irwin said. The department's current goal is 6 minutes and 50 seconds for the first responding unit 90 percent of the time. From January through August, the department's response time has been 7 minutes and 13 seconds for the first responding unit 90 percent of the time.

The department is also seeing an increased call volume because of population growth, Irwin said. The city's estimated population was 75,295 people in 2013 and 76,565 in 2014, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Irwin said he thinks more stations would help lower response times. Department employees and vehicles wouldn't have to travel as far to get to a fire.

Irwin said he doesn't foresee Station No. 7 being built until the city gets more bond money. The city already owns land for the station on Har-Ber Avenue near Hellstern Middle School.

Irwin said he hopes Station No. 8 will be built with money from the next bond issue. There is a tentative location for that station on the northeast corner of Huntsville Avenue and Kawneer Drive, on land the Springdale Public Facilities Board owns. Irwin said he and Springdale Mayor Doug Sprouse already have discussed the possible location with the board.

A location hasn't been selected yet for Station No. 9, Irwin said. The station is needed in the northern part of the city, and the area around the intersection of Wagon Wheel Road and Silent Grove Road would be ideal, he said.

The city already owns 3 acres of land in the northwest part of the city for Station No. 10, Irwin said. It's possible Station No. 10 may be built before Station No. 9, he said.

Irwin said he hopes to see Station Nos. 9 and 10 built by 2020.

The Fayetteville Fire Department will need a fire station on Township Street between Gregg Avenue and College Avenue, Fayetteville Fire Chief David Dayringer said. The population has been growing in that area, and response times aren't as good. He said he doesn't yet know when it will be built.

Another future station is in discussion that might be located on or near the University of Arkansas campus.

It would be a relocation of Station No. 2, at 708 N. Garland Ave., Dayringer said. The current station was built in 1964, and there is no room to expand it.

The Rogers Fire Department opened a new Station No. 2 at the end of June, Jenkins said. The new station is about a block from the old station.

A future Rogers fire Station No. 8 is planned on Pleasant Grove Road west of Rainbow Road, Jenkins said. The city already owns the property, but the station can't be built until the widening and extension of Pleasant Grove Road is finished.

Station No. 8 will probably be built with the next bond issue, Jenkins said.

Station No. 9 might be needed in the future on the west side of the city, Jenkins said. That station is six to 10 years away from being built, if it's needed.

The Bentonville Fire Department opened Station No. 6 near the intersection of Southwest I Street and Southwest Regional Airport Boulevard on March 6, Bentonville Fire Chief Brent Boydston said. The city owns two pieces of property for future Station Nos. 7 and 8.

Those pieces of land are in the southwest part of the city, and stations will be needed there because that area is growing, Boydston said. He said he doesn't know the exact time frame for when those stations will be needed.

Metro on 09/21/2015