DECATUR — A vital service to any small town is its fire department and the personnel who serve and protect that community. In Decatur there is a small band of firefighters dedicated to the protection of life and property.
The Decatur Fire Department has undergone several changes over recent years in an effort to improve its services to Decatur and the surrounding area. One change to the department is in the leadership.
In December, 2013, David Flynt decided to step down as fire chief to pursue other ventures. He recommended Jeremy Luker, assistant fire chief at the time, as his successor. Luker and Flynt had worked for several years to modernize the department to better serve the community. He was the logical choice for the position. The Decatur City Council agreed and approved the change. Luker took over the top spot in the Decatur Fire Department on Jan. 1, 2014.
"We are working to improve the insurance rating for Decatur," said Luker, "A big part of that is going to be lots of training. There will be a big difference in service than what the city had before."
The Decatur Fire Department is located in three different stations near Decatur City Hall. The main station houses five trucks, main living quarters, training area and offices. The two tanker trucks are located on the south end of city hall. The third station is located behind city hall and houses the department's two brush units and storage.
The department is staffed by 17 volunteer fire fighters who are reimbursed per call. But the department has some hours during the week which create a coverage problem for the 100 percent volunteer department.
"We were able to work into our budget a few part-time hours to help cover times during the daytime on Monday through Friday," said Luker. "These are the hours the department has the hardest time finding volunteers."
Luker was able to fill three opening positions to his department during the Oct. 10 city council meeting at Decatur City Hall when he introduced three new firefighter candidates for council approval. A motion was made and passed to add Derrick Knight, Michael Harris and Eric Anderson to the Decatur Fire Department.
The Decatur Fire Department is about change. From Chief Luker to the three new hires, the department is in a constant state of training in the latest techniques in saving lives and property.
"There is volunteer training and then there is the next level, and that is where we want to get to," Luker said. "The town is starting to grow, although the population hasn't changed much, but we are having new business moving into Decatur and lot of industries we need to be prepared for. We are trying to get our fire department geared more toward a full-time department, training wise."
In May, the Decatur Fire Department received the first of two new trucks, replacing units that have become too expensive to maintain. A 2016 Dodge 750 rescue truck replaces the department's late 1980s' model unit. The new vehicle is equipped with nine bays for storing necessary rescue gear and firefighter support equipment. After two weeks of fitting, Rescue 2451 went into service. The first order of business was to get the department's drivers certified to operate the unit. For this training, the Decatur Fire Department turned to Crystal Lake Airport, just north of Decatur.
The 3,863 foot runway was a perfect platform to perform these certifications. On June 15, Luker set up several obstacle courses that each driver had to complete. If any cones were knocked down, points were deducted from the driver's score. Fortunately, all drivers qualified to operate Rescue 2451.
In mid September, Decatur received its second new unit from Benton County. The 2017 Kenworth engine/tender unit replaces a much older tanker truck. E-2413 has the capacity to carry 3,000 gallons of water and enough storage space to hold some of the department's breathing apparatus units and other gear. A new feature on this unit is a video camera mounted on rear of the vehicle and a 13-inch monitor attached to the center console in the cab. This gives the driver a full view of objects behind the vehicle. E-2413 has a full pump station mounted between the cab and tank compartment, enabling the unit to deliver its load when needed.
The new tanker's first action was on Oct. 9 when the Decatur Fire Department was given an abandoned home on Little John Road east of Decatur to burn. In addition to E-2413 and Rescue 2451, the department responded with its pumper and brush fire units. This training exercise tested man and machine against the fire.
The training exercise enabled the 17-man department to put its knowledge to the test. The firefighters used their egress skills to enter a smoke-filled building to locate and extinguish small fires within the house and pull a victim from the structure. When this part of the training was complete, it was time to fight a fully-engulfed structure fire.
It took only a few minutes before the house was fully engulfed. The years of training were put to the test as the firefighters grabbed hoses and other gear to fight the blaze. The main 6-inch line fed water from the pump unit on E-2413 to two small hoses which the firemen used to attack the fire. The Decatur Fire Department fought the blaze for over an hour before it was able to get the fire under control.
With the two new units now battle ready, the Decatur Fire Department is more prepared. Each truck in the department's fleet is fully stocked with the latest in firefighting equipment in an effort to be ready, whatever the challenge.
The department is currently working on a new billing method to cover the department if is at the scene of a fire for an extended period of time.
"If we are on a scene for three or four or more hours at a time, we can charge the insurance companies. Right now, most other departments do this," said Luker. "But we haven't done this in the past ... this will enable us to take that money and put it in a fund to help us with maintenance on our equipment. If something happens to break due to wear and tear, we will have that money available to purchase new equipment and we will not have to work it into the budget."
More than buildings, trucks and firemen, the Decatur Fire Department is part of the community. Every year, the department hosts the Wyatt Hopkins Memorial Poker Run to raise money for the Arkansas Children's Hospital. The firemen also open the main fire station to the public on Halloween. They host the smoke trailer at Northside Elementary to show kids how to escape a fire. The department shows its community pride by its presence in each of the four parades through downtown Decatur, as well as every home football game and the Decatur Barbecue. More than just a group of dedicated fire fighters, the Decatur Fire Department is part of the Decatur family.
General News on 12/07/2016