Ark. Dept. Takes Delivery of $4M of Fire Apparatus

Feb. 17--More than $4 million worth of new firefighting vehicles have rolled into Fort Smith thanks to voters.

The six new additions to the Fort Smith Fire Department's fleet include a pair of ladder trucks, a trio of pumper trucks and a combination truck. Pierce Manufacturing in Wisconsin built the custom vehicles, which were ordered last summer.

"We're replacing trucks as old as 28 years," Fire Chief Mike Richards said. "We had gotten behind over the last few years due to the economy. The funding wasn't available to keep replacing fire trucks."

Funding for the new trucks, as well as a new fire station, is part of a $168 million sales-tax package voters approved in March 2012. In that special election, voters split an existing 1 percent sales tax to refinance bonds and fund various city projects.

The Fort Smith Fire Department is receiving a total of $9 million.

"We could not have done this without the support of the citizens of Fort Smith," Richards said. "Without the support of the public, we're talking about increased risk for their safety and firefighter safety both."

The Fire Department recently broke ground on a new station at Chaffee Crossing.

Upgrades at the city's existing stations are also planned. Richards said of the 10 stations, the newest is 17 years old. The oldest was built in 1958.

Richards anticipates the new vehicles will be in service by mid-March following equipment installation and personnel training.

The Fire Department will introduce its new fleet to the public from 5-6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Fort Smith Public Schools Service Center on Jenny Lind, then from noon-3 p.m. Saturday in the north parking lot at Garrison Avenue and North Second Street.

Copyright 2013 - Times Record, Fort Smith, Ark.