(Thursday, February 8, 2007) – Engine Company 17’s pumper truck was pushed by Fire Department personnel into the bay of its new home today, as the Little Rock Fire Department dedicated the new Fire Station 17. The truck was not experiencing mechanical problems—it was the enactment of a tradition for the opening of a fire station, dating back to the days of horse-drawn apparatus that had to be pushed in to station houses after the horses were unhooked.

The ceremony also included the unhooking two hoses in lieu of the traditional ribbon cutting. Fire Chief Rhoda Mae Kerr was joined by other Fire Department personnel and City leaders at the event.

“This new facility will allow the Little Rock Fire Department to better serve the residents and businesses in this portion of the City,” said Fire Chief Rhoda Mae Kerr. “We have been proud to have been a part of this neighborhood for 40 years. In that time, the needs of the neighborhood have changed and firefighting techniques and technology have also changed. The men and women of the Little Rock Fire Department are excited about this new station and the opportunities it offers.”

Fire Station 17 is part of a new complex that will include the Fire Training Academy, which will be dedicated later in the spring. It replaces a facility located on Doyle Springs Road which had opened on September 12, 1967.

The new Station covers around 10,000 square feet and is located in a facility that once was a Timex plant. The redesign of the space was led by Tim Heiple of Market Row Architects. The construction cost was approximately $784,000.

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