For at least four years, Harding students become residents of Searcy. This involves benefitting from services from local gyms, hospitals, fire stations and police stations. The personnel of the Searcy Fire Department are on duty 24/7 and serve more than 22,000 people in the area of Searcy. Most of the time, the firefighters come to our campus for simple fire alarms caused by students who are cooking in the dorms. But the Fire Department personnel also respond to calls involving vehicle accidents and leaking of hazardous materials. They also hold fire prevention days at the elementary schools in town. With a starting group of 20 firefighters in 1926, the Fire Department has grown to 3 stations and in 2009 has added 16 new positions for a total of 52 firefighters and 2 volunteers based in three stations. Central Station or Engine 1 is located at 501 W. Beebe-Capps Expressway, Station 2 is on 1901 E. Market Ave. and Station 3 is at 2612 W. Beebe-Capps.
Captain Donald Garringer, from Lonoke, Ark., is the Fire Captain of Engine 1. In January he will mark his 15th year working for the Searcy Fire Dept.
Q: What is the captain’s role in the department?
A: The captain stands between the chief, the battalion chief and the lieutenants and the firefighters. The lieutenants are the drivers and are in charge of the truck and make sure everything is ready to go. I oversee the procedure. I am the guy in the middle, because I have two officers above me and two below me. The captain has to think in two different elements. He has to see what’s good for the department, so for the ones I am in charge of, and then what’s good for the citizens. I make sure the personnel are ready to perform the task, because these people are the ones that make up the department. When Searcy residents call for an emergency, they call the department. The firefighters are extremely important and dictate the type of services that the department can offer. If the firefighters are caring and compassionate, that will reflect on the department and the same if they don’t care or are callous. I have to make sure the way the personnel acts is the direct reflection of the department.
Q: What is the relationship with the other firefighters?
A: As firefighters we are on duty 24 hours a day. We learn about each other and get to know everyone’s family. We care about each other and we grieve and celebrate together. Just like the guys I work with become my brothers, we all become part of an extended family. We share a full range of emotions. We work for 28 years and then retire so we’ll spend one third of our life with the same people and will get the chance to see some of the other firefighters kids go from kindergarten to college and be there for all that time because of the amount of type we spend together.
Q: What’s next for the Searcy Fire Department?
A: On Nov. 2 and 3 the department will host the “Change your Clock, Change your Battery” program at Ace Hardware. The reminder is that when you change your clock back to Daylight saving time, you can bring us your smoke detector so we can check it. If it’s needed, we will change your batteries free of charge. It is always better to check the smoke detectors when you don’t need them. Operative smoke detectors are important and are the first way you can prevent a dangerous situation.
Anyway, we are always there for the citizens. If you need anything or if people have any questions and need advice concerning smoke detectors, they can call the Central Station at (501) 279-1066. Because most of the people don’t need us, they don’t know we are here. But ultimately we are here for everybody. If it’s Harding students for four years or Searcy citizens for many years, we are always here for the community.
