Cave Springs Promotes Public Safety

(Editor’s Note: Each year, Arkansas Business partners with the Arkansas Municipal League to present the Trendsetter City awards, which recognize exceptional initiatives underway in municipalities across the state. Large, medium and small-sized cities were honored in six categories: Diversity and Inclusion; Education/Workforce Development; Infrastructure and Water; Public Works/Environmental and Green Management; Technology and Security; and Tourism Development/Creative Culture. Below is one winner’s story. For more, click here.) 

Public Works/Environmental and Green Management
Winner • 5,000-20,000

The Challenge

With the increasing demands of a growing city, the Cave Springs fire chief had concerns about the volunteer fire department’s ability to meet those demands. Designated the fastest-growing Arkansas city per capita in the 2020 Census, the city — served by a volunteer fire department with a couple of part-time Cave Springs establishes full-time emergency services firefighters — was seeing delays in response time. So Cave Springs set out to equip itself with better public safety services with a three-pronged approach.

The Solution

Cave Springs began its initiative by advocating for a new fire station. Despite needing a temporary increase in sales tax, residents agreed, with 60% of the vote, to a new fire station. The city then had space to hire a full-time fire chief and six full-time firefighters, resulting in 24/7 coverage.

For the final task, the city contracted an ambulance service to be housed at the station rather than depending on one from a neighboring city.

Sittin’ in First Class

The city paid the staffing and operation costs of the fire station through additional revenues that were realized after the Census officially raised its population by 3,677 (218%), which made Cave Springs a city of the first class.

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