Commissioner Sam Ward reported at the April 17 Western Carroll County Ambulance District meeting that the foundation for a new tower is being prepared on the grounds of the Carroll County Detention Facility. Once poured, the concrete will take three weeks to cure. The recently purchased tower is being painted and hopes are for it to be up in June, mounted with antennas for communicating with other antennas in the county.
Ward is also trying to resolve complicated radio licensing, and added that some antennas in the county are leaning. He figures it will take another year to get everything in the dispatch system in good order.
Activity among the first responders from the five fire departments during February and March varied from hardly any calls to multiple calls every day. HI Fire Chief Bob Clave said his department got 61medical calls in February and 57 in March. “Nothing crazy, just lots of calls,” he commented.
Eureka Springs Fire Chief Nick Samac logged 126 calls with many of them to Holiday Island. He said his crews encountered poor directions and unmarked addresses as they responded, and for one call the crew had to go into Missouri, then back down.
In contrast, Karen Finkeldei reported Grassy Knob first responders had three calls in February – one in which the resident did not want the responders in the house – and zero in March. Chief Ed Thompson said Inspiration Point had 10 calls in the two months and there was “nothing remarkable” except for one person who had a stroke. He pointed out this call was a reminder that even though not all calls turn out to be emergencies, responders must be prompt every time.
Eureka Springs Rural had 19 calls in the two months ranging from a domestic disturbance and vehicle accidents to medical calls.
Thompson announced Inspiration Point would have a barbecue from 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. on May 19 and Station 1.
Next meeting will be 4 p.m., Tuesday, June 19, at the Grassy Knob Fire Station.