Little Rock officials outline extensive deferred maintenance at fire stations; mayor to propose emergency fund

Fire Chief Delphon Hubbard told the Little Rock Board of Directors on March 18 that the city’s fire stations have long-standing structural and health-and-safety problems, and that the department used $1.5 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds for immediate repairs while more funding is needed for larger capital work.

Hubbard, Fire Chief, Little Rock Fire Department, said when he was hired in January 2018 he promised to assess station buildings and apparatus and found “the fire department had over $10,000,000 in deferred maintenance.” He described foundation failures, damaged engine-bay doors, peeling vinyl asbestos tile, patched HVAC units, ceiling-tile and vent corrosion, ongoing pest problems and isolated reports of mold and flooding.

The matter matters to public safety and city finances. Mayor Frank Scott Jr., Mayor, Little Rock City, said the board has already allocated $1.5 million in ARPA funds to address immediate repairs and described a broader, citywide deferred-maintenance problem. “This city has about $50,000,000 in deferred maintenance,” Scott said, adding that $24,000,000 of that is HVAC-related. He told directors he will bring an ordinance asking the board to approve an…