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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

PMVFD Community Members Annual Meeting October 18, 2023

Notices

Burn Ban

There are no burns in Marion County. Please check back on this website for updates, and observe any bans with maximum care. Click here for the current Burn Ban status.

CPR Training open to all residents

Any resident within the PMVFD fire district can sign up for CPR training. Please contact Mary Beauchamp to sign up or to get more information: (314-223-0231) or email kllymry@aol.com. You can also contact Carole Peterson (870-436-8010) or any other Board member. There is no cost for taking the course, however, if you complete the course successfully and want to have a certification card from the American Heart Association, the cost is $6.00.

2022 PMVFD Newsletter

The annual PMVFD Newsletter was mailed in December to all known residents of the PMVFD fire district. If you did not receive a copy and would like to have one, phone Carole Peterson (870-436-8010) or email a request to: admin@pinemountainvfd.com.

Open Burning Information

Some homeowners in our fire district have asked what they should do BEFORE they start open burning of brush piles, leaves and yard waste. Here are some suggestions from Doug Hagee, Fire Chief:

Notify MC Sheriff's Dept 870-449-4236 & AR Forestry 800-830-8015.
The property owner must light the fire and BE PRESENT during the burn.
Don't burn if windy or when burn ban signs are up (click top of this page).
Burning of household trash or manmade materials is illegal
Take precautions to ensure containment of fire or you could be liable.
Be carefule when burning around structures.
Be sure fire is completely out before leaving the burn area.
IMMEDIATELY phone MC Dispatcher (911) if fire gets out of control.
If you have questions, phone Doug Hagee or Ron Dana.
Phone Doug, 479-206-0350 or Ron, 870-656-8870 if you need help.

Note to homeowners who have an emergency generator

In the event of a structure fire, the power company will turn off the electrical power to the building. However, many emergency generators start automatically when the power is cut and will continue to provide power to the structure. If you have a self-starting, emergency generator, please alert responding firefighters of its existence. If you can safely shut the generator off, please do so.

Fire Dues

2023 Fire Dues (membership fees) of $50 were payable January 1. Members who have paid the annual fee receive fire protection services at no additional cost. Non-members will likely be charged for fire services at hourly rates established by the state of Arkansas for VFD personnel and equipment.

10 MC 8004
Yellville, AR 72687

Doug Hagee, Fire Chief
479.206.0350

Ron Dana, Asst. Fire Chief
870.656.8870

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