Fire Station No. 3 opens with room to grow
The new Bella Vista Fire Department Station 3 opened Monday and will give the department room to grow, according to Chief Steve Sims.
The station is located at Glasgow Road and Edinburgh Road, across the street from the old station 3. The old building was less than 2,500 square feet, and the new one is quite the increase at 7,500, Sims said.
One feature of the new building is more living space, he said. The station has individual bedrooms for firefighters instead of a communal one, as in the old station. It was one of the few remaining stations with a communal sleeping quarters, he said. The new station has six bedrooms.
The station has a larger kitchen as well as an office. At the old station, firefighters had to do their office work in the living area, Sims said. It has a workout room, whereas, at the old station, the firefighters worked out in the engine bay. The larger station also has three drive-thru bays instead of two apparatus bays, Sims said.
He added the station will not have an ambulance to begin with, but there are plans to add one in the future. The other trucks at the station include a brush truck and an engine.
Two firefighters are assigned to the station at this time, but when the department increases its staffing levels, more will be added. Sims said he plans to promote a captain to each shift in the future.
The old building will be turned over to the city’s street department and will be used to store sand and salt and equipment to be used during inclement weather, Sims said.
He said of the new station, “I think it’s a great addition to the city of Bella Vista and the residents in the highlands. It gives us room to grow. (The old station) was built in 1986 and we’ve outgrown it. (The new station) gives us the ability to add more staffing more personnel and improve response.”