Fire Substation Being Built In Summers

LINCOLN — The Lincoln Volunteer Fire Department was formed in April 1932 and added the Lincoln Rural Fire Association in 1967 to protect not only Lincoln but surrounding communities.

Cincinnati has a substation for the rural association. It was badly damaged by the tornado in December 2010 but has been rebuilt and is fully operational today.

A new substation is being built at Summers thanks to a $73,000 grant from the Department of Rural Services in partnership with the Arkansas Rural Development Commission, which selected the Rural Services block grant recipients but money for the substation is funded through HUD’s Small Cities Community Development Block Grant Program.

Fire Chief Willie Leming said at the time the grant was awarded that the fire association bought property a “year or two ago” to build the station near the corner of U. S. 62 and Summers Mountain Road.

Jay Norton, fire department administrator, said last month the pad is done for the substation and digging footings and pouring concrete will soon be done. The Summers station is expected to be done by early spring 2014.

Leming said Summers and Cincinnati would be the main beneficiaries of having a station housed year round with an engine, tanker, brush and medic trucks.

Both Leming and Norton said they think a lower ISO rating in Summers due to the new substation would lower homeowners’ insurance premiums.

The Lincoln department and association has 30 firefighters. Not only do fire personnel train and fight fires from structures to grass and brush fires, but rescues are also part of some firefighter training.

A rural community grant through the Arkansas Department of Rural Services helped the city last year purchase a Rescue ONE Connector Boat, which is housed at the Lincoln Fire Department, for rescues on Lincoln Lake.

The versatile 16-foot boat can be used in deep or shallow water, according to Norton. Being able to cross the lake in a boat will help rescuers reach hikers or rock climbers who have had an accident.

“Somebody critically injured needs to get care as soon as possible,” Norton said, adding spring and fall are times when more people visit the lake and participate in hiking or rock climbing.

Norton became fire department administrator in Aug. 2005. Prior to this he was a volunteer firefighter for 26 years with the department.

Homer L. Jordan was in the United State Air Force.

Cisero Jordan was a private in the U.S. Army. He served in Korea and received a Purple Heart.