The City of Little Rock is asking for help to fund updates and repairs to Little Rock Fire Department buildings.
City leaders announced the “Love Your Firefighters” initiative at a press conference at the Central Fire Station in Little Rock Monday.
“There’s mold, a lot of mold remediation. Seven stations have vinyl asbestos tile floors that need to come up,” Ward 4 City Director Capi Peck said. “Right here [at the Central Fire Station] on the second floor, it’s peeling. That’s not good.”
Peck, along with at-large city director Joan Adcock recently toured a number of the city’s 22 fire stations. Peck says she was appalled at how some of the stations have deteriorated.
“It’s almost insurmountable.”
Peck said one of the worst sights was in a hose tower where firefighters store their equipment. The tower has an ongoing bat infestation.
“And there was actually a sign to the firefighters that said ‘if you must get equipment out of the hose tower put on your respirator first’ because you know, histoplasmosis. When I saw that I just about came unglued.” Peck said.
Histoplasmosis is a lung infection caused by breathing in spores from the fungus histoplasma, which can be found in bat droppings. It can cause fevers, fatigue, and chronic lung infections and meningitis if misdiagnosed or left untreated. The CDC says in rare cases the infection can spread to other parts of the body, including the brain and spinal cord.
“So they are addressing that, we’re not waiting for somebody to come with the funds to do it, so that has been remediated,” Peck said, and quickly added there’s a plethora of examples on how much work needs to be done to repair the fire stations.
“Broken windows, no blinds — seriously, a lot of these stations wouldn’t pass a city code inspection.”
Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr. said the initiative came after residents asked him and other city officials how they could help the fire department.
“This is an opportunity to do that as well as do it tax free,” Scott said. “We want to continue to demonstrate how we honor our firefighters and what they do day in and day out to put their lives on the line.”
Peck said the city has already earmarked $2.5 million to address the most pressing needs, such as pest infestations, mold, and damaged HVAC systems. The money raised through the “Love Your Firefighters” initiative will go towards updating beds, laundry equipment, ceiling fans, benches, rest areas, and more.
Michael Doan is the Chief of Operations for the fire department and current acting Fire Chief. He stepped into the leadership role last month when then-Chief Delphone Hubbard became acting City Manager, a role left vacant by the transfer of previous manager Susan Altrui, who returned to her previous job as director of the Little Rock Zoo.
Doan said this is a chance for residents to go “one step further” to help local firefighters.
“The needs that have been expressed are times 22 fire stations across the city of Little Rock that operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” Doan said. “For our firefighters they’re not just workstations but they’re second homes to our crews. ”
On-duty firefighters live at their stations for several days a week in order to respond to emergencies as soon as the alarm sounds. Peck said the constant activity means everyday items like chairs, tables, and laundry equipment are used at above-average rates.
“They do multiple loads of laundry a day, almost all [stations] need new washers and dryers. ”
Peck said the city doesn’t know how much the total repairs will cost. Reports from stations across the city are still being compiled and passed out to city officials.
Though she doesn’t believe the $2.5 million alone will be enough to fix all the issues, Peck said she’s optimistic this will be a turning point for firefighters in Little Rock.
“I hope that everybody’s eyes are opened and that we can address the most egregious problems and then find a way to make sure that we don’t fall into this trap that we’re in now.”
Peck has a personal fundraising goal of $100,000 dollars for the fire department. She said she used some of her own leftover campaign money to purchase a basketball goal for station 16 near the Walton Heights neighborhood.
“I don’t know anyone that doesn’t love a firefighter. They're the first ones on the scene whether it's a fire or car wreck or anything,” Peck said.
“It’s not just an act of kindness, this is a commitment to our community, to safety and strength. Firefighters do so much more than just fight fires, they’re pillars of our community.”
This is the second time this spring Little Rock officials have turned to the community to help fill in funding gaps. In April members of the Little Rock Food Commission and Little Rock School District asked residents for donations to help pay off the district’s residual school lunch debt.
Donations to both funds can be made online at littlerock.gov.
