Partnering with the Salvation Army, Local 35’s Christmas bike program is underway. The Local has collected over $2,600 dollars and has already purchased 42 bikes for children and received additional donations of bicycles for a total of over 46 bikes this year!

Members of Local 35 worked hard to secure donations and purchase the bikes, which were then delivered to the Salvation Army warehouse in Little Rock to be distributed this season through that agency’s Angel Tree Program. By filling out an Angel Tree card detailing what they’d like for Christmas, children in North Little Rock and the Pulaski County area who specifically asked for bikes this year will be matched by age to the bicycles donated by our Union.

According to Secretary Alan Tetkoskie, just over $500 dollars remains uncollected. If money comes in after the Union has purchased this year’s bicycles, the late-arriving money will be held for next years program. Contributors who donated this year included North Little Rock Fire Department members, city employees, and citizens. Local 35 would like to publicly thank the City Council of North Little Rock for allowing us time to announce collections during recent council meetings. We also thank Paul Myrick and Bob's Pawn Shop for serving as collection points and North Little Rock Fire for providing us with a place to store the bikes.

(Note: All money collected by the Union for the purchase of bicycles goes toward the cost of the bikes.)

-- AKM

UPDATE NOV 15, 2011:  Both of the taxes were defeated, by a very close margin.

First and foremost, we want the citizens of NLR to rest assured that the NLR Firefighters totally respect the outcome of the vote and the opinion of the voters.  As always, we will continue to provide the best possible service and support to our community that was can.  We've become very very skilled at "making do with what we've got" and will continue to do so!

We would also like to take the time to thank the citizens who came out to vote; it is privilege as well as a right to do so, and voting is the most effective way for each citizen to have a say in how his community is managed.

We have heard quite a few reasons as to why voters would select NO on these initiatives, and all of them are very strong and valid reasons.  Local #35 is satisfied that no one ever voted NO because they felt like public safety didn't deserve the funds.

Citizens of North Little Rock:

The International Association of Fire Fighters Local #35, North Little Rock, by vote of it's membership, endorses and supports the upcoming tax initiatives.

Resolution 7926 proposes a permanent 1/2 cent sales tax that will be used to fund critically needed public safety shortfalls, including the purchase of a new fire station with equipment and 13 additional firefighters; the hiring of 10 police officers to fill positions that have been left vacant; a replacement program for the aging police car fleet; and funding a necessary upgrade to the current emergency services radio system.

Resolution 7927 proposes a temporary 1/2 cent sales tax that will last five years and will fund bridge and road replacements, Ward improvements, upgrades to our parks, and economic/business improvements that will include a business park area which will potentially be used to host the State Fair.

Local #35 sees the first resolution as an immediate solution to needed public safety issues that have been on a steady decline in the past decade.  We also feel that the second resolution will provide the City with more revenue-producing economic opportunities which, when brought to fruition, can be used to further improve services provided to the City and it's citizens.

We are certain that the City Administration would agree that there have been many issues and differences between the City and Local #35.  However, at this time, Local #35 believes that the passage of these two resolutions will ultimately provide the citizens with a better served and brigher North Little Rock.

Officers of Local #35 will be at the public forum at the Willow St Police/Fire Training Facility on Thursday, November 3rd at 5:30 PM and will be happy to answer any questions anyone might have for us regarding the tax initiative.

 Four Union members from IAFF Local #35 attended this year’s Camp Sunshine, held August 18-21.

Union Vice President Jon Miller and Trustee Chris Patton volunteered year-round as part of the Camp Sunshine committee that helps plan the camp and its activities each year;  Patton also volunteered as a counselor to one of the burn victims attending the camp.  Two other Union members, Alana Merritt and Brian Thomas, volunteered as counselors.  As counselors, each person is paired with a camper of the same gender for four days and three nights. 

Camp Sunshine brings together young burn victims throughout Arkansas to Camp Aldersgate for a half week each August, providing several days of activities, bonding, and learning.  The children’s burns range in severity and are in varying stages of healing.  Marking the 20^th anniversary of the camp, several counselors were recognized as former campers who’d returned as counselors.  Other counselors included burn victims who had not attended Camp Sunshine as campers but who had heard of the camp through other means, nurses, and firefighters.  In addition to NLRFD Local #35 Union members, firefighters from Jonesboro, Mountain Home, Springdale, El Dorado, Little Rock, Hot Springs and Benton assisted as staff, volunteers and counselors.

To celebrate the 20^th anniversary, Camp Sunshine chose the celebratory theme of “Hollywood” for this year’s camp, and female campers were treated to make-overs, professional hairstyling, and free formal dresses tailored on-site.  Male campers had the choice of wearing suits brought from home or wearing one of the complimentary “tuxedo” shirts provided by the Camp.  A visit by the Humane Society’s horse “Lucky Sunshine” allowed the campers to see up-close the local celebrity, whose near-fatal wounds have healed but have left dark scar tissue across his body.  The horse, who was dragged down a highway for nearly two miles after falling out of a trailer driven by a drunk driver, was rescued by the Humane Society and saved by surgeries and skin grafts—something many of the campers are very familiar with. 

The kids also enjoyed a trip to the Hot Springs Crawler Park, where volunteers with off-road vehicles took campers and counselors on an hour-long trek through the scenic park, followed by lunch of grilled hot dogs and hamburgers. 

To volunteer a few hours, or to become a counselor next year, contact Lt. Jon Miller or FF Chris Patton for details.                            

Article by AKM

[Editor's Note:  Arkansas Camp Sunshine is wholly organized and funded primarily by firefighters across the state, Nurses and Doctors from Arkansas Children's Hospital, their family members and even former burn victims.  Costs to run the annual camp are obtained by fundraising projects.  NLR Local #35 contributed $4,000 this year, proceeds raised at their annual BuzzBQ event.]

Two of the North Little Rock Fire Department's uniformed firefighters will participate in the 2011 World Police and Fire Games.  

This years Games are being held in New York City on the 10th anniversary of the tragic terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center.

Battalion Chief Roger Robinson and Lieutenant Todd Hink will go to New York City on August 26th to compete in the games.  Robinson will be competing in a swimming event, and Hink will compete in the Triathlon, the 10K Track and the 10K Cross Country events.

Both the City of NLR and IAFF Local #35 are providing financial assistance to get Robinson and Hink to the games.

More information will be provided here as it develops.  Additional information about the Police and Fire games can be found by clicking here.

PHOTO: Lt Gary Williams (NLRFD-FMO) advises four participants of the program in what to do in the event of a home fire.  In groups of four, the students were taken through a Smoke Trailer, a small custom trailer finished out like a miniaturized home, complete with user-operated artificial smoke generators to simulate what it's like to be in a house that is on fire.

The North Little Rock Fire Department took posession of a new training equipment system in July of 2011.

Wholly funded by federal grant money, the Live Fire Multi-Trainer System will provide firefighters in the NLRFD as well as surrounding Departments the facilities and equipment needed to learn and sharpen the skills of their craft.

Built around two full size metal trailers with attached catwalks and platforms, the System features many specialized training elements.

At the core are the trailers themselves.  They are enclosed spaces with custom configurable walls which permit the trainer to set up a wide variety of different mazes.  When filled with burning material and smoke, these very closely simulate the smokey, hot and completely dark conditions of the interior of a burning house.  This is the closest thing to reality for training firefighters to operate in "live fire" conditions.

In the 1990's, the NLRFD trained in live-fire exercises by burning down derelict homes, training inside of them while they were burning until the structures had sustained enough damage that they were no longer safe... even for training.  They were then  allowd to burn down or were bulldozed.

The practice of intentionally burning abandoned homes for training was discontinued in light of new environmental regulations.  Meeting these regulations prior to burning was extremely cost-ineffective.  The practice was discontinued.

Along with live-fire exercises, the Multi-Training System allows firefighters to practice additional non-fire related skills like high angle rescue, confined space rescue, forcible entry, ventilation practices, and other necessary skills of the trade.