<body><div><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=03Bo2N_0vlB0clf00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=03Bo2N_0vlB0clf00" width="1320" height="743" >NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KATV) — North Little Rock firefighters have officially moved into Fire Station 11, located on Blaze Drive and serving the east part of the city.It's been a 10-month building project, but the planning started nine years ago when firefighters occupied a temporary station with a promise of a new station. Fire Station 11 provides quick access to Highways 165 and 391 and Interstate 440.The new facility will be occupied by one engine and three firefighters, featuring five bedrooms, a watch office, a ready room, a kitchen, a dining area, two pull-through apparatus bays, a decontamination corridor, a safe room, and a gym. North Little Rock Fire Chief Gerald Tucker says this is the nearly 9-thousand-square-foot "real" station they've been waiting on.“I made it a two base station because I’m hoping to put an aerial truck out here and make this a five-man station," Tucker says.Stephen Hart, Homeowner Association President for Cypress Crossing Neighborhood, says the proximity of the station just a couple blocks west will help the cost of his fire insurance policy go down.“They can get there quicker, get the fire out, or get there for emergency purposes quicker. Usually, the further out mileage it is, the higher your premiums are," Hart says.View the full interview with Hart from Little Rock ARC below:One of the biggest benefits of the location in Hart's eyes is a quicker response time than when his family faced a house fire in 2007.“It took about 20-25 minutes for the fire department to get there," Hart says.Hart says it's been a long process, but following his experience, Hart started conversations with city officials about the need he saw. They found a gap in fire protection in the east part of the city, which is a growing area.“This area east is basically the only place North Little Rock can grow. They’re landlocked everywhere else, and the river to the south, Sherwood to the north and Maumelle to the west," Hart says.The growth motivated North Little Rock Mayor Terry Hartwick to move on to this project when he took office.“I promise you that this will keep going this way. I take it very seriously right now how this is the best part of our city that’s growing and producing. When I say that, new lands are being bought, new industries are coming in, and all of y’all are doing so well to make this happen," Hartwick says.The new station was funded by a half-cent sales tax increase voters passed in 2017 and then renewed in 2023. Many city officials agree that this will save lives and time in a rapidly expanding part of the city.Another new fire station in North Little Rock is already under construction. It's located on 13th and Main, and it's set to be completed by January of 2026.</div></body>

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New Fire Station 11 in North Little Rock promises quicker response times

NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KATV) — North Little Rock firefighters have officially moved into Fire Station 11, located on Blaze Drive and serving the east part of the city. It's been a 10-month building project, but the planning started nine years ago when firefighters occupied a temporary station with a promise of a new station. Fire Station 11 provides quick access to Highways 165 and 391 and Interstate 440.