Washington County Enterprise-Leader
Prairie Grove Resident Becomes Fire Marshal
Harley Hunt Selected From 15 Applicants
FAYETTEVILLE — There’s a new marshal in town.
His name is Harley Hunt and he was promoted to the position of fire marshal Nov. 28.
The 34- year- old was among 15 firefighters who applied for the job.
Fire Chief David Dayringer said Hunt was an easy choice because of his performance as a firefighter.
“He’s got the people skills necessary in the fire marshal’s environment in dealing with developers, architects, engineers and city planners,” Dayringer said. “He has skill and experience with different types of construction and with different types of fires from being a fire captain. He also has the ability to find the ignition source of fires, the ability to identify traps for firefighters in finished buildings and a leadership ability that’s well known within the department.”
Accepting the job wasn’t an overnight decision for Hunt, who’s been putting out fires in Fayetteville for nearly 14 years.
“I knew it would be a challenge,” he said. “Fire suppression and what I do here are like comparing apples to oranges.”
The Prairie Grove resident said it took him about a week and a half to decide he wanted to be the city’s new fire marshal.
The position opened in November when Terry Lawson retired. Lawson worked for the department for 28 years.
Hunt gave up his side business of building homes with his dad so he could focus on the new job.
As the fire marshal, he’s responsible for identifying the cause and origin of fires, inspecting buildings, reviewing construction plans and enforcing fire codes.
He must also undergo extensive training each year.
“I think he’ll do a fine job,” said Kyle Linn, assistant fire marshal. “I’ve known Harley for a long time and he’s pretty level- headed. He doesn’t get upset easily and he thinks things through. He’s also cordial and good with citizens and the public.”
Linn, a captain with the fire department, is one of two assistant fire marshals. A third assistant position is frozen because of city budget constraints.
Hunt began working for the department in 1998 as a firefighter. He became driver/operator in 2002 and rose to the rank of captain in 2005.
When he’s not working for the city, Hunt volunteers for the Prairie Grove Fire Department.
It’s the same agency that provided him his first glimpse into the world of firefighting.
“I immediately fell in love with it,” he said. “I enjoyed the excitement and adrenaline of it. I also like helping other people. It may sound cheesy, but that was the initial reason I was interested. What made me stay, were the tight- knit relationships I developed with the other guys. We’re like family.”
Hunt spends most of his off-duty time working on his farm and spending time with his family.
He’s been married for 15 years and has three daughters, ages 2, 6 and 8.
“The good thing about being promoted is that I get to spend most evenings at home with my family,” he said. “As a firefighter, I used to work overnight shifts and odd hours. Now, my kids see me so much they don’t know what to do with me.”
Hunt is on call 24 hours a day. His work load depends on the number of fires.
This has been one of the busier weeks for the new fire marshal, who investigated two fires, two days in a row.
“The other night I was on a call from 4:30 a.m. to 11 a. m.,” he said. “Needless to say, I didn’t get a lot of sleep.”
Though he admits he has barely gotten his feet wet as fire marshal, Hunt said he has already identified one of the biggest challenges he’ll face.
“I think the hardest thing will be prioritizing what needs to be addressed first,” he said. “But that’s OK. I like to stay busy and I like a challenge.”