Fire department changes shifts, looks to hire

Bella Vista Fire Chief Steve Sims explained the fire department’s new shift change and also discussed plans to hire more firefighters.

The shift change started Monday, he said. Firefighters

were on a modified Kelly rotation which had them working 24 hours on, 24 off, 24 on, 24 off, 24 on and 96 off. The new rotation consists of 48 hours on and 96 hours off.

“Part of it was a lot of departments in Northwest Arkansas are going to that,” he said. “A lot of guys don’t live in the city, a lot of them live out of state, and studies have shown it will reduce travel time for those guys. You get one shift working two days in a row, and you have the same people there two days, so other shifts aren’t having to look for coverage. The main thing is the shift personnel want to try it and see how it is.”

He added the Bella Vista Fire Department was one of the few fire departments in Northwest Arkansas still on a modified Kelly rotation.

Also, the department is looking for additional firefighters to get staffing levels back up to normal, he said. He hopes to fill five positions, and there will be a test on Feb. 8.

The department prefers someone with EMT licensure, however, if the person qualifies and can pass the test, the department can send them to school for that, he said. Firefighters must have a GED or high school education and pass a test.

The test is a timed physical abilities test simulating different firefighting tasks, Sims said, such as climbing a ladder, dragging a hose, hooking up a hydrant, etc.

“We’re always looking for applicants, and they can apply on the bellavistaar. gov website,” he said.