The Trendsetter City program, designed to honor cities that are leaders in innovative programs and initiatives, has selected the Bryant Fire Department as the 2020 winner in the Public Safety division for their forward-thinking addition of the Bryant Fire Training Facility.
The facility, having opened officially in January of 2020, was constructed with monies left over from the bond refinancing approved by Bryant voters in 2016 after building two new fire stations. This approximately 4,000 square foot building is constructed using Conex Boxes (shipping containers) by Lonestar Tactical and is both functional and inexpensive in its design. The purpose of the facility is to provide ongoing training opportunities for firefighters; with the COVID-19 pandemic, the building became even more instrumental.
“With the temporary closure of the Arkansas Fire Training Academy earlier this year, we found ourselves needing to fill four positions within our department,” states Bryant Fire Chief JP Jordan, “we were able to gain permission from the state to use our location to train our new firefighters and fill these public safety positions much quicker than we would otherwise if we did not have this training facility.”
“I am honored that Bryant was selected as the 2020 Trendsetter City award, and is a testament of the great leadership that is shown continuously by our Bryant Fire Department and its administrative staff”, adds Mayor Allen Scott.
To review the official announcement, you can go to https://www.arkansasbusiness.