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 emergency fund of between $1 million and $2.5 million to prioritize fire life-safety repairs.

Why it matters: firefighters live in many of the city stations while on duty, directors said, so failures that might be considered ‘cosmetic’ elsewhere can create daily safety and habitability problems for on-duty crews. Directors who visited stations described cracked walls, exposed wiring, generators out of service, kitchen and drain problems, and bay doors that sometimes fail to open.

Hubbard and chiefs said crews report maintenance problems through established channels and that Public Works staff respond, but several directors said the reporting and tracking process needs overhaul so repairs aren’t submitted year after year without clear updates. “The reporting system does not seem to be working,” Director Peck said; she described stations she personally visited as “deplorable beyond cosmetic” and urged quicker action on life-safety items.

What has been done and what’s planned: Hubbard said the department used the $1.5 million ARPA allocation for items including pressure-washing, ceiling-tile and fan replacement, some flooring and furniture replacement, and improvements to exterior benches. He said asbestos and lead were identified in some flooring and paint during planned work, which required pausing those jobs and pursuing grant assistance for abatement.

Willie Hinton, responding for fleet planning, outlined apparatus purchases funded by the 2022 bond program: five apparatuses due in March, seven scheduled for mid-2026 and two more in 2027, including a hazmat unit and a tiller truck. Hinton said the annual public-safety replacement need for apparatus and fleet is large (he estimated current public-safety replacement costs at about $5.5 million–$6 million per year) and said the total spent on apparatus tied to the bond program is roughly $19 million.

Directors pressed for clarity on priorities, the limits of one-time funding, and whether community groups should be asked to help with cosmetic improvements. Several directors supported community “adopt-a-station” efforts for nonessential amenities but said core repairs should remain the city’s responsibility. Director Webb and others warned against treating firefighter housing as something the public should be asked to fully fund.

Where funding could come from: Mayor Scott reiterated the board’s interest in a long-term capital or revolving fund model to avoid repeating the cycle of one-time fixes. He described options under review—including selling surplus city properties and creating an internal revolving fund and exploring a sustainable energy district to address HVAC needs at scale. In the short term he said he will present an ordinance to create an emergency appropriations vehicle to direct $1 million–$2.5 million to prioritized fire repairs; that ordinance is to come back to the board for formal action.

Discussion vs. decisions: the board’s substantive, recorded decisions at the meeting were limited to prior ARPA spending (the $1.5 million allocation already awarded and spent on identified repairs) and several procedural requests (directors asked for presentations and further documentation). The mayor’s commitment to bring an ordinance is a direction to staff and not a completed vote.

Ending note: Chief Hubbard and administration officials said they will return with more detailed lists of prioritization, costs and timelines once the mayor and Public Works finalize the scope for any emergency appropriations. Directors also requested clearer maintenance-tracking reports so the board can see which items remain open and which have been completed.