Public Notice – Proposed Dues Increase for West Pulaski Fire District #23

On May 30, 2023, the West Pulaski Fire Protection District #23 (aka West Pulaski Fire Department) will host a special election to increase the fire fees (dues) of the district. The polling site will be open from 7:30 am until 7:30 pm at the Ferndale Extension Club Building located at 27021 Kanis Road, Little Rock, Arkansas 72223.

To vote you must be a parcel owner in the West Pulaski Fire District, with valid identification. Voters will be permitted one vote per parcel that they own that is assessed a fire fee (dues).

We are seeking an increase of $45 per year for residential properties and an $80 per year increase for businesses and commercial.

The current rates are $50 per year for each livable residential structure. $100 per year for Business or Commercial structure.

The proposed increase would be $95 per year for each livable residential structure. $180 per year for Business or Commercial structure.

Questions can be emailed to wpfd@sbcglobal.net

WPFD had a great time training this morning with a Live Burn exercise. Crystal Fire hosted us today for quality time in their burn box that simulates a structure fire location with multiple rooms, entrances, and more. Practical training like this provides controlled conditions for exposure to fire, heat, and smoke in a way that allows us to enter, navigate, search, and extinguish a live fire. It is a great hands-on experience, especially for our newer folks. We appreciate the opportunity to get quality exposure to fire conditions in a safe manner. Thanks, Crystal Fire Department, Chief Forshee, and Bill Ridgeway!

2022 was a busy year for West Pulaski Fire Dept. Our crews responded to 1206 calls for service this year and which is a 20% increase over 2021. Here is a comparison over the past few years:

2022 – 1206 calls (Avg of 3.3 calls per day)

2021 – 981 calls (Avg of 2.6 calls per day)

2020 – 828 calls (Avg of 2.2 calls per day)

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2022 Call Percentages Breakdown:

Fires –139 Responses (11.67%)

Rescue & Emergency Medical Service — 673 Responses (56.51%)

Hazardous Condition (No Fire) — 25 Responses (2.1%)

Service Call – 106 Responses (8.9%)

Good Intent Call – 160 Responses (13.43%)

False Alarm & False Call – 53 Responses (4.45%)

Severe Weather & Natural Disaster – 28 Responses (2.35%)

Special Incident Type – 7 Responses (0.59%)

Other — 15 Responses (1%)

These call statistics indicate not only some general growth in our service area (new homes or population increases) but also the density of non-residents that move through our area as traffic (cars) or visitors and events by non-residents. More traffic and more people usually equal more activity.

We deeply appreciate the support from you, our neighbors, that help us to serve the several neighborhoods in our fire district. With your support, we can always do our best.

Want to Join us? We are always looking for great folks to join our great organization. Are you looking for ways to help or serve? If you want to know more, reach out to WPFD for more info to find out how you can join our team. Call 501-821-9320, visit your local fire station, or find us online at wpfirescue.org or on social media

Neighbors Helping Neighbors

As we finish up the year 2022, we are thankful for all of the support we have received from our neighbors. We are not a group of ragtag volunteers that hope to help. We are a group of dedicated individuals that strive to serve the communities in which we live to the best of our abilities. With training and preparedness, we know we make a difference. We hope you see success in our efforts.
We have much planned for the coming year 2023. End-of-year giving may not be on your plan yet but there is still a brief amount of time left to donate to YOUR volunteer fire department with a TAX-DEDUCTIBLE donation to help us further our mission. If you would like to support our department, our people, our initiatives, and your neighbors with a generous gift of any amount. Now is the time that you can take advantage of tax deductions for the 2022 tax year.