Arkadelphia is in the process of a growing and changing to help bring new life to the community. Driving down Caddo Street, the casual observer will notice the newly renovated fire station.
Fire Chief Ricky Arnold, who has been working in Arkadelphia at the station since 1989 and was promoted to chief in 2004, said that the station was originally built in the 1950s and was a tight fit for the equipment and firefighters.
Arnold said they began talk of this renovation in 2008 and the first plans were made in 2010.
“The board, along with everyone else, decided it was time [for a new station],” he said.
The city advertised for architectural firms for the designing of the new station and after scouting around, Twin Rivers Architecture was chosen. Twin Rivers is located on South 7th Street in Arkadelphia and has designed three other fire stations including those in Amity and Friendship, Ark.
“The old one was outdated,” said Jerry Simmons, the architect who designed the new station. “[It] had been added on to an older building that was originally a hospital. The new fire station has a modern design so all their equipment will fit inside: the new ladder truck, the emergency rescue equipment and their four fire trucks.”
After going over budget and having to rebid, plans were finally approved in 2011. Construction started in December of 2011 and was completed this fall, a little less than a year later.
Arnold said he is very happy with the end result of the architect’s design.
“It was scary how close he hit what I was looking for,” he said.
The new fire station not only is a safer and an easier place for the firefighters to maneuver. It is also more economically efficient. According to Arnold, the old station’s monthly utility bills were causing major problems. The new station hopes to cut down these bills with the new design, which incorporates updates such as a new heating and cooling system for the building.
Another feature of the new station is the heated floors in the bays where the fire trucks are housed. The bays must stay a certain temperature to make sure the water in the trucks doesn’t freeze. Simmons said the heated floors will help maintain these temperatures at a lower cost.
The building of the new station was not only necessary to cut energy costs but also to create more adequate living conditions and a safer environment for the firefighters.
According to Arnold, the barracks are nicer and more centrally located, a fitness center was added in addition to a training facility for the volunteers. This will help the firefighters have a more professional atmosphere and a nicer facility to use for training purposes.
Arnold said that there are many other simple updates that make this building a significant improvement. The new lobby, secure doors throughout the building and the technological advances all serve to create a more efficient way of getting to fire emergencies quicker, he said.
The fire station, in total a $1.1 million project, is another step in the revitalization of Arkadelphia. Simmons said it creates a positive statement on the city and was designed as something the city and community members could be proud of.
“Every time I pull up to 6th and Caddo street, I just smile,” Arnold said.
For more information about the fire station or other revitalization efforts, visits www.cityofarkadelphia.com
photo by Nicole McPhate
