You are invited to join us for our third public meeting at Crossroads New Baptist Church to discuss the proposed annual fire dues increase. This meeting is open to the public and we will be happy to answer your questions and encourage public comment. A Special Election will be held on May 30th, 2023

Make plans now to vote in our special election planned for May 30th. We are asking for an increase in our fire dues for residents and businesses to support our fire department for now and into the future.

The challenge we face as an emergency response organization serving a larger rural area is continually going to be funding. We are limited by the annual fee charged to residents and businesses to fund our organization. We do not get taxes from a county, state, or municipality. We are funded by a flat dues amount by our residents and businesses in our fire district area.

We pride ourselves on good fiscal management, occasionally raise funds with donations/fundraisers, sometimes get grants for equipment, and a roster of dedicated still unpaid firefighters (yes, the folks that respond to your emergencies are trained and unpaid). But we still have to purchase and maintain trucks, fuel, equipment, and more to meet the requirements of our role to protect and serve.

Even with the best intentions and good financial sense, we are limited by a funding method that has not changed in over 30 years. The cost of everything has increased substantially over the years. You see the same increase in your personal and professional life, we are sure of it. Fuels, oils, heating, cooling, tools, and more all have doubled or more in price over the years.

We hop you will come out to support us in this special election to enable our request to do the most good with a funding method that allows us to keep up with federal, state, and community needs so we can do the most good for you when you need help!

You are invited to join us for our second public meeting at our WPFD Station #4 to discuss the proposed annual fire dues increase. This meeting is open to the public and we will be happy to answer your questions and encourage public comment. A Special Election will be held on May 30th, 2023

Auto-Extrication Training is a combination of classroom lectures and hands-on practical training involving various vehicle and patient access scenarios. Our crews study the commonalities and differences of vehicle construction and then work to address scene safety, orientation/position, and coordinated management for safely removing a vehicle from around a trapped patient. We use everything in our toolbox necessary to ensure the patient gets advanced care in the golden hour. Sometimes that is a hand tool or lever and other times it is a hydraulic like a ram, spreader or cutter (jaws-of-life). An experience like this is valuable, especially to our newer folks to help with various methods of stabilization when oriented vehicles on all four wheels, on their side, upside down, and on other vehicles that might also be entangled. This is a very hands-on skill to study and involves laying down, crouching, or crawling in vehicles for simulation of patient access so patients can reach pre-hospital care on-scene and eventually hospital or trauma care as quickly as possible.

As you can see all the work is hot and the sunny 90-degree day only made it hotter in our protective gear. Great job everyone!

Do you have questions? We have answers. We’d like you to join us for our first public meeting being held in the Ferndale Area to discuss our proposed fire dues increase. Please help us help you. This is the first of 3 public meetings to tell you more, and we invite your questions and comments.

Join us at the Ferndale Extension Homemakers Building at 27021 Kanis Road, Little Rock, Arkansas 72223. Anyone in our fire district can join us. If you cannot make the meeting this week, other meetings are planned in the coming weeks.