‘Light show’ to encourage health care community

Local first responders, towing companies and others will be showing their support for health care workers Thursday night by “lighting up” the parking lot at CHI St. Vincent Hot Springs.

“We in law enforcement are very blessed to get the recognition for what we do more often than those that help outside of being first on scene,” Garland County sheriff’s Deputy Courtney Kizer, the department’s public information officer, said.

“The support we get from our fellow firefighters, EMTs and nursing staff here in Hot

Springs is incredible and now it is our turn to pay it forward,” she said. The tribute is planned from 6:30-8 p.m. Thursday at CHI St. Vincent Hot Springs, 300 Werner St.

GCSD deputies, Arkansas State Police, Hot Springs police, LifeNet, Hot Springs Fire Department, Hot Springs Village Fire Department, Arkansas Game and Fish, 70 West Volunteer Fire Department, and numerous towing companies will be among those staging in the parking lot adjacent to the main entrance, using their lights “in encouragement and recognition to the staff there.”

Kizer said Tuesday the idea was brought to her by Daryl Conrad, owner of Legacy Towing and Recovery, who shared his vision of “wanting to give back and show appreciation to hospital staff and I had said I wanted to do the same thing.”

She said they decided to “team-up” and she began contacting first responders and law enforcement agencies in the area.

“We will have a large showing,” she said, noting the Hot Springs Fire Department plans to have ladder trucks on-site and display a large flag.

Conrad said Tuesday he got the idea from Tim Moody, general manager of J Hook Towing and Recovery in North Little Rock, who had organized similar events at all the major hospitals in Little Rock.

“It was such a good positive thing and it just seemed like something we should do here,” he said. “There’s so much negative stuff on social media and Facebook that I just thought we should do something positive.”

He attended one of the “light up” events Moody organized recently at Arkansas Children’s Hospital and was amazed and touched by all the people standing in the windows of the hospital looking out during it.

Conrad said he talked with other local towing companies and they all plan to bring trucks to the event and he contacted Kizer to get law enforcement and first responders involved.

“It’s just a way to let (hospital workers) know how much we appreciate what they do,” he said.

Kizer stressed the event is open to the public and encouraged people to come, but noted, “I ask when they come in to please avoid parking in the coned off area. This is for fire trucks so they have room to navigate.”