All posts by webmaster

PROPOSED DUES INCREASE; SECOND PUBLIC MEETING 4/16/2023 @6:30 PM

May 15, 2023 webmaster

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

Outstanding in our field, cutting cars

May 13, 2023 webmaster

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!

Proposed Dues Increase; First Public Meeting 4/27/2023 @6:30 PM

April 24, 2023 webmaster

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.

Public Meetings Regarding Proposed Fire Dues Increase

April 13, 2023 webmaster

Public Meetings for Information and Comment:

We are hosting 3 public meetings to answer your questions and to allow comments. Please feel free to join us at any of these meetings later in April and May:

Meeting 1: Thursday, April 27th at 6:30 PM

Ferndale Extension Center Building

27021 Kanis Road Little Rock, AR 72223

Meeting 2: Tuesday, May 16th at 6:30 PM

West Pulaski Fire Station 4

35911 Hwy 300 Bigelow, AR 72016

Meeting 3: Thursday, May 25th at 6:30 PM

Crossroads New Baptist Church 18900 Congo Ferndale Rd, Little Rock, A 72210

Election Day and Location:

The election will be held on Tuesday, May 30th, 2023 at the Ferndale Extension Center Building from 7:30 AM to 7:30 PM

The address is 27021 Kanis Road, Little Rock, Arkansas 72223

Message from Fire Chief Scott Joblin

April 6, 2023 webmaster

Dear Neighbors,

I would like to share some news with you and request your support. If you attended our West Pulaski Fire Department Annual Meeting a few months ago in October, you probably heard me announce that West Pulaski Fire had responded to a record number of emergency and assistance calls. We experienced a 20% increase in responses over the previous year. This indicates a growing trend we have seen over the past few years showing we are busier than ever serving the communities where we live.

You also may have heard me mention that with many factors included, it has been a significant challenge for our department to operate effectively within our current budget. Our fire department has resisted an increase in fire dues for as long as possible but the current economics of inflation, high fuel prices, growth in our service area and many unique elements of fire and rescue service providers make it necessary to address the financial needs of our fire district.

West Pulaski Fire Department has operated without dues increase for over 30 years but we feel it is necessary to increase the fire dues for residential and commercial properties at this time. WPFD is planning to hold a special election to raise our annual fire service fee (dues) and I hope to have your support. I am going to share the reasons why this is necessary.

Our yearly fire dues are paid per parcel with a structure on it, or what is called “improved land”. The cost is currently $50 per year for residential properties and $100 for commercial properties. It has been at this rate since 1992. And much has changed in 31 years.

• Inflation has deteriorated the value of that $50 we collect while prices for everything have steadily gone up.

• The number of calls for service has steadily risen each year. Our total for 2022 (1206) was an amazing increase of 20% over 2021.

• We are currently operating from current revenue AND reserve funds, having to pull from savings to balance our budget. That is obviously not a sustainable option in the long term.

• We continue to require substantial funds to properly maintain our vehicle fleet, acquire or replace PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) and complete fire station maintenance that sometimes has to be deferred. Our current budget makes it very difficult to use our reserve funds to consider purchasing replacement vehicles as frequently as needed.

I hope these facts help paint a better picture of why a dues increase is necessary.

About the increase we are requesting:

We are seeking an increase from $50 to $95 for residential properties and an increase from $100 to $180 per year for commercial properties.