WASHINGTON COUNTY, ARKANSAS, Ark. — Rural fire departments in Washington County are one step closer to potentially getting new equipment to help them fight fires safer.
The Washington County Quorum Court services committee met Monday night, Nov. 29, and voted to accept an ordinance that would use almost $5.4 million dollars from the American Rescue Plan Act. These funds will go to the purchase of self-contained breathing apparatus known as SCBAs for the Washington County rural fire association.
“The SCBA’s are a very vital part of our day-to-day firefighting operations. You wouldn’t be able to fight fire or be in that environment without the SCBA, it provides clean, breathable air to the firefighter,” said Chief J.D. Demotte.
Chief J.D. Demotte with the Elkins Fire Department is one of the 19 rural fire departments in the county that would benefit from getting this new equipment.
Chief Demotte says the department's newest SCBA’s were purchased in 200. He says they get serviced every year and the service provider says being 16 years old they are getting obsolete and harder to find parts for.
With the county continuing to grow multiple departments often respond to the same calls and having the same updated equipment would help with the department's response.
“Everyone’s air packs would interchange at every emergency scene. Sometimes we have large-scale events that all departments are involved in, or multiple agencies are involved in and it’s very important that we are able to help our fellow firefighters in the event of an emergency,” Chief Demotte said.
Washington County was given $23 million dollars from the American Rescue Plan and allocating more than $5 million to the rural fire association is something that still has to be approved by the quorum court finance and budget committee and then the full quorum court.
Sarah Moore with the Arkansas Justice Reform Coalition says they value the first responders and want to make sure they are safe, but she has concerns if this is the proper way funds meant for covid relief should be spent.
“Given that this is equipment that was 20 years old, and it was needing to be replaced as customary as you would do in an everyday need to do business in the county. The concern would be if we were audited,” Moore said.
In Benton County, their quorum court has approved using more than $236,000 of ARPA funds to help several of their volunteer fire departments be able to purchase new equipment. The court also approved spending $90,000 to pay staff at Beaver Lake and NEBCO fire departments.