Pine Mountain Fire Department

Latest News

In Memory

We bid farewell to Wayne Janos who passed away in April, 2019. He was a member of our community and a volunteer in our fire department for many years. Wayne helped build our first fire station and helped lay the concrete for our helicopter pad. He was President of the Board of Directors from 1992 to 1994. He was appointed Fire Chief in 1994 and remained in that position until 1996 when he became ill and had to resign.

As the surviving caretakers of the PMVFD, we are grateful for his service. He will always be in our collective memory.

PMVFD Answers Long Distance Call

From Maryland...For Second Time

The Pine Mountain Volunteer Fire Department
(PMVFD) was happy to respond to another call
from a fellow volunteer fire department in Maryland. It seems every time they do, they win BIG. For the second time in 19 years they have received a valuable fire engine from the Vigilant Hose Company (VHC) in Emmitsburg, Maryland.

In June 2000, VHC donated Engine 64 to the PMVFD. The 1971 Ford fire engine, built by American Fire Apparatus is still in regular use in the rural hills of north central Arkansas... putting out fires in the Pine Mountain fire district approximately 20 miles north of Yellville and providing mutual aid to neighboring fire districts.

In March 2019, VHC has done it again. This time they donated a 1989 Pierce custom-built,, Class A pumper, Engine 63. The Emmitsburg, MD, fire company was about to receive a new fire engine and to make room for it Engine 63 was retired from their firehouse. However, instead of being put out to pasture, it has joined Engine 64 and is expected to provide many more years of productive service here in the Ozarks.

The PMVFD was thrilled to respond to this latest call and sent their fire chief and three additional representatives to Emmitsburg, Maryland, to accept the donation and transport Engine 63 back to its new home. The local contingent arrived in Emmitsburg on Tuesday morning March 26 to meet many members of the VHC, including their Assistant Chief (Josh Brotherton) who was coordinating the turnover process.

The group from Arkansas received a review of their new engine and spent several hours driving it and training on its various capabilities. They also received a tour of the National Fallen Firefighters/First Responders Memorial and the National Fire Academy located in Emmitsburg. A tour of the area and VHC facilities was then followed by a firehouse style dinner attended by about 45 members of the VHC and the PMVFD representatives. Many stories were shared and VHC formally turned over the title for Engine 63.

All the VHC personnel who interacted with PMVFD representatives were gracious hosts and provided marvelous examples of the volunteer fire fighter community spirit... even when that community extends a thousand miles away. Their Arkansas visitors were humbled and inspired by them all.

In addition to Engine 63, VHC donated several hundred feet of hose, ladders, hand tools and other various pieces of fire equipment. They also coordinated donations from the nearby Graceham Volunteer Fire Department (FC18) and the Braddock Heights Volunteer Fire Department (FC12) who donated additional equipment. All of this equipment represents quite a bounty for a small rural fire department and PMVFD plans to share some of this bounty in the coming weeks and months with neighboring fire departments in Marion County.

Mini-grant

The PMVFD recently received a $1,000 mini-grant from Blue & You to help purchase another AED. Two units will be strategically stored so that EMR's can reach members in need more quickly. Also, there will now be a backup unit. Thanks Blue & You!

Land Purchase

On August 20, 2018, the PMVFD completed a transaction to purchase a 1.83 acre tract of land from Loretta Chasteen. This land is across the road(MC 8001) from Station 1. The helicopter pad, large water storage tank and a small storage shed are located there. For several years, Loretta has allowed the PMVFD to use this area for firefighter training and other purposes. We greatly appreciate her generosity.

The land is very important to current PMVFD operations and may become even more important in the future if existing facilities are outgrown. At the request of Fire Chief Doug Hagee, the Board of Directors approved the land purchase at the July 18, 2018 quarterly Board meeting.

While managing day-to-day operations, Doug and Ron Dana, Assistant Fire Chief, are also attentive to the future needs of the PMVFD. We appreciate their leadership.

Message from the Fire Chief about ISO rating

Pine Mountain VFD recently received an ISO rating of 6/10. This is an evaluation based on the fire department's ability to fight structure fires. This rating took effect on July 1, 2018.

The 6/10 rating means that any structures within 5 road miles from Station 1 or Station 2 receive a 6 rating. All other structures outside of the 5 road mile limit receive a 10 rating. Station 3 is not considered a recognized fire station, however, residents living near Station 3 are within 5 road miles of Station 1.

If your home is within the new 6 rating area, you should check with your insurance company to see if they will reduce the premiums you are paying. Some residents have reported premium reductions of more than $500.

Activities

We have several group activities going on in our community. Quilting, card games, artist interest, yoga classes, book club. If any of these spark your interest, let us know via email at admin@pinemountainvfd.com and we will give you contact information.

No Burn Ban

To New Residents

Welcome to the beautiful Ozarks! Should you have any emergency, phone 911. Let the dispatcher know the nature of your emergency and that you live in Marion County, Arkansas. They will contact our VFD. A 911 call from your cell phone might reach Marion County, Missouri.

If you haven't been in touch with anyone from the Pine Mountain VFD, this website can be a source of helpful information about our VFD and the Pine Mountain community. Just scan each page to see what's there.

Note that the annual PMVFD newsletter is posted on this website. It contains all kinds of information about our VFD. Look also at the Latest News page and the Notices page. Both are reliable sources of information. And you can read the Minutes of the Board of Directors for the last four quarters. The minutes will give you an idea of the issues confronting our VFD, its financial standing, the number and type of fire and EMR calls since the previous Board meeting and other information.

But be aware of one very important fact: The operation of this organization depends entirely on volunteers. There is no paid staff to do anything. Whether the task is big or small, someone has volunteered their time and effort to do it. In fact, this notice has been prepared and posted by a volunteer. So if you think of something more that our VFD should do, please volunteer to take on the task. Together, we can make certain that the PMVFD provides the best possible service to our community.

Fighter/Emergency Medical Responder Trainings

All firefighters and EMR volunteers go through monthly trainings to keep them up to date on firefighting and EMR safety skills. Check the Calendar of Events for times and locations.

The PMVFD district is approximately 85% forest with no industrial activity. It is bordered on three sides by Bull Shoals Lake which is controlled by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The lake provides water for fighting fires.

The annual membership fee is currently $50 per household and is not sufficient to cover all operating expenses. Consequently, the PMVFD is always in need of other financial assistance. The Forestry Department has been an important source of fire trucks and other equipment at minimal cost.

10 MC 8004

Yellville, AR 72687

Phone 870.656.8870

for Ron Dana, Asst. Fire Chief

Call 911 for Emergencies

The Pine Mountain Volunteer Fire Department (PMVFD) and Community is a rural, heavily forested area in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas and serves an area of about 36 square miles. There are approximately 240 homes with a population of 500 to 600 full and part-time residents.

Latest News

To New Residents

Fighter/Emergency Medical Responder Trainings

Copyright 2023, Pine Mountain Volunteer Fire Department