ShawnCowden
Member
Lake Norrell tower to improve county's emergency response
By Lynda Hollenbeck
Thursday, March 24, 2005 4:32 PM CST
Courier Staff
Communication is a crucial part of fire protection and emergency medical services, but one volunteer fire department in Saline County has been severely hampered because of a lack of equipment.
The problem appears to be solved for the Lake Norrell Fire Department with the installation Monday of a new emergency communications system to serve the north Saline County area.
The system includes a 100-foot tower on which a repeater is mounted to transmit radio signals.
Fire Chief Doug Brown noted that his firefighters previously lacked the ability to communicate with other volunteers on emergency calls.
"Because of terrain features and distance, we could not communicate with Salem or West Pulaski fire departments when all three department were responding together on an emergency," he said.
The repeater tower is expected to correct the situation, Brown said.
"While the repeater will be used on a day-to-day basis by Lake Norrell Fire Department, all three departments will be able to switch over to it while responding to calls and will be able to communicate with each other at that time," Brown said.
"This helps to reduce confusion as to what equipment to take to the call."
With the new equipment, the incident commander can "talk to us directly over the repeater without tying up the county fire band and let us know what he or she would like for us to bring to the fire," he said.
"This is really a life-safety issue for us," Brown said.
Before the installation of the new equipment, firefighters in two trucks were unable to communicate directly with each other, Brown said. It was necessary to relay information to the Saline County dispatcher, who would then relay it to the other unit.
"This will be greatly helpful when we're responding to a mutual aid situation for another department," he said.
Funding for the new system was provided through state general improvement funds secured by Sen. Shane Broadway, D-Bryant.
The system cost about $7,000 that was included in 2001 funds that had not been distributed, Broadway said.
Brown said the new system also includes an amateur (ham) radio system that can be used in emergency communications when other forms of communication, such as cell phones, are down.
"The ham system will be operated by volunteers from various ham units in Little Rock and Saline County, such as during a disaster," he said.
The Lake Norrell Fire Department serves all of Avilla, as well as Lake Norrell and the area toward Paron, Brown said. The department is responsible for 20 square miles, he said.
"It's a big area and we needed help to get the equipment to better serve the people," Brown said.
He expressed appreciation to Broadway for securing the funding to acquire the new system.
He also thanked Kevin Purifoy of Little Rock, who installed the tower.
"There aren't many people who do this and we appreciate what he's done for us," Brown said.
In addition to responding to fires and medical emergencies, the department does water rescue, search and rescue and rope rescue, Brown said.
By Lynda Hollenbeck
Thursday, March 24, 2005 4:32 PM CST
Courier Staff
Communication is a crucial part of fire protection and emergency medical services, but one volunteer fire department in Saline County has been severely hampered because of a lack of equipment.
The problem appears to be solved for the Lake Norrell Fire Department with the installation Monday of a new emergency communications system to serve the north Saline County area.
The system includes a 100-foot tower on which a repeater is mounted to transmit radio signals.
Fire Chief Doug Brown noted that his firefighters previously lacked the ability to communicate with other volunteers on emergency calls.
"Because of terrain features and distance, we could not communicate with Salem or West Pulaski fire departments when all three department were responding together on an emergency," he said.
The repeater tower is expected to correct the situation, Brown said.
"While the repeater will be used on a day-to-day basis by Lake Norrell Fire Department, all three departments will be able to switch over to it while responding to calls and will be able to communicate with each other at that time," Brown said.
"This helps to reduce confusion as to what equipment to take to the call."
With the new equipment, the incident commander can "talk to us directly over the repeater without tying up the county fire band and let us know what he or she would like for us to bring to the fire," he said.
"This is really a life-safety issue for us," Brown said.
Before the installation of the new equipment, firefighters in two trucks were unable to communicate directly with each other, Brown said. It was necessary to relay information to the Saline County dispatcher, who would then relay it to the other unit.
"This will be greatly helpful when we're responding to a mutual aid situation for another department," he said.
Funding for the new system was provided through state general improvement funds secured by Sen. Shane Broadway, D-Bryant.
The system cost about $7,000 that was included in 2001 funds that had not been distributed, Broadway said.
Brown said the new system also includes an amateur (ham) radio system that can be used in emergency communications when other forms of communication, such as cell phones, are down.
"The ham system will be operated by volunteers from various ham units in Little Rock and Saline County, such as during a disaster," he said.
The Lake Norrell Fire Department serves all of Avilla, as well as Lake Norrell and the area toward Paron, Brown said. The department is responsible for 20 square miles, he said.
"It's a big area and we needed help to get the equipment to better serve the people," Brown said.
He expressed appreciation to Broadway for securing the funding to acquire the new system.
He also thanked Kevin Purifoy of Little Rock, who installed the tower.
"There aren't many people who do this and we appreciate what he's done for us," Brown said.
In addition to responding to fires and medical emergencies, the department does water rescue, search and rescue and rope rescue, Brown said.
