Suppression

We are proud that we had the first rehab trailer in the area. The rehab trailer provides firefighters and other emergency personnel with a safe environmentally controlled space to relax. 

Firefighter rehabilitation can include a variety of things from providing water, Gatorade, coffee, or hot chocolate to drink, to providing meals, to checking firefighter’s vital signs, to providing medical treatment. The rehabilitation trailer is usually set up in a safe location near the incident so that it can be accessible to any emergency responders who may need it.

Firefighter rehabilitation is designed to ensure that the physical and mental well-being of members operating at the scene of an emergency, training exercise, or event doesn’t deteriorate to the point where it affects their safety or any other responder's safety. Firefighting is inherently dangerous in the best of circumstances, and any additional physical or mental stress increases the danger. 

The need to activate the rehab trailer is based on several factors including weather, the type of work being performed by firefighters, and the size of the incident. 

We are the only Fire Department in both Garland and Hot Spring Counties to have a fire boat stationed on both Lake Hamilton and on Lake Catherine. These boats not only provide fire suppression for watercraft and buildings close to the shore they also provide medical first aid and transport trauma victims to designated ambulance and air ambulance rendezvous points around both lakes. 

The Firefighters assigned to the marine division are highly trained and are a dedicated group. They participate in many hours of marine fire, rescue, and medical training throughout the year. They are trained in specific techniques to rescue a victim quickly and efficiently from the water or off another vessel.  

Our dive team currently consists of 6 highly trained Emergency Response Divers. All our divers received specialized training and certification in the proper techniques of underwater search and recovery.  Our dive team will assist any agency when requested with water rescues, underwater recovery, and subsurface investigations.  Our Divers and our Tenders are required to take many additional training courses beyond standard firefighter training and participate in regular training exercises. Our Dive Team responds to many different types of incidents, such as boating accidents, submersions, swimmers, boaters, or animals in distress, and vehicles in the water.

The Hazardous Materials Division is responsible for coordinating our response in the event of an incident involving hazardous materials. All our firefighters are trained and certified at the Haz Mat Operations level.  We respond to releases or potential releases of hazardous substances as part of the initial response to the site for the purpose of protecting nearby persons, property, or the environment from the effects of the release. We are trained to respond in a defensive fashion to contain the release at a safe distance, keeping it from spreading and preventing exposure. We work very closely with the Hot Springs Fire Department Regional Haz Mat Team.