In the Beginning…

 The El Dorado Fire Department was established March 9, 1899, by Ordinance of the Board of Alderman and Mayor W.R. Appleton. The first fire station was located at Locust and Cedar and was a combination of Police, Fire, and City Hall. The fire Department was staffed by no more than 20 able bodied men and no less than 10. Firefighters could be between the ages of 18 and 45 except for the Fire Chief who could be over 45. The first Recorded Chief was Chief Clem Roric. In the case of a fire, citizens were to ring any church bell or fire any firearm to alert the town. That citizen would be paid $2 for calling the alarm. In 1907 the Fire Department purchased its first horse drawn fire wagon. In 1916 the fire department purchased its first motorized vehicle.

A Growing Town Needs a Growing Fire Department

The fire department began to grow, and Central Fire Station was built in 1923 at its current location of 204 North West Ave. The city grew and with it so did the fire department. Station 2 was built in 1953 at Junction City Road and Quaker (now Martin Luther King). Station 3 was built in 1954 at the corner of North West Avenue and 19th. Station 3 was demolished in 2022. 2 fire firefighters staffed substations.

The Patch that sets us apart

Assistant Chief James Rapp designed the El Dorado Fire Department Patch designed in the 1960s. He used a combination of the Jolly Roger (skull and crossbones) to designate the hazardous environments that firefighters encounter daily. He also added a fire department scramble to signify the fire side of our job. Lastly, he incorporated the Red Cross to signify the medical side of the department’s responsibilities. Chief Rapp was ahead of the game as the department had not begun its journey into EMS and Haz-Mat.

New Era-New Responsibilities

In 1982 the El Dorado Fire Department began its journey into EMS. The El Dorado Fire Department took the ambulance service over from the El Dorado Police Department in January of 1982. Prior to the EPD running the service, it was managed by multiple funeral homes in the area. Each station was equipped with an ambulance. The El Dorado Fire Department provided EMS for all of union county. As EMS Call volume began to increase, the demand for a higher level of training was called for. In 1992 the El Dorado Fire Department began providing the City of El Dorado and the surrounding communities with Advanced Life Support. Five firefighters from the department were trained as paramedics (Rick Rainwater, Trent Sinclair, Tom Wilson, Gary George, and James Davis). The department started out with only 1 ALS unit. The ALS unit was based out of Central Fire Station and that unit would take all first out EMS calls. If additional EMS calls happened while the ALS truck was on a call, a BLS unit would take the call. Eventually the department had trained enough paramedics to transition all ambulances to Advanced Life Support.

            As times changed, the fire service also had to change. The El Dorado Fire Department began responding to Hazardous Material Incidents in the 1990s. The El Dorado Haz-Mat team has now grown to be a regional Haz-Mat Team with the latest in technological tools to detect and contain almost any incident. The department also started a specialized rescue team in the mid-1990s. The specialized rescue team responds to high angle, confined space, and swift water rescue situations.

History of Great Leadership

The department has had a long history of great leaders beginning with Chief Clem Roric in 1908. Chief W. Thomas led the department from 1921-until 1927. Chief George Tillery took over in 1927. The next Chief was Frank K Smith who took the helm in 1930. He served the citizens of El Dorado for 28 years as fire Chief and oversaw the construction of the first 2 substations in 1953 and 1954. Chief E.W. Sewell replaced Chief Smith in 1958 and served until 1970. Chief Sewell served the department for 42 years. Upon his death in 1971, the El Dorado City Council passed resolution #541 to honor his life, achievements, and service to the Citizens of El Dorado. Chief Sewell was a founding member of the Arkansas Association of Fire Chiefs, and the organization continues to honor his legacy by presenting its Fire Chief of the Year award in his name—the E. W. Sewell Award.

Chief Jess Cheek took over in 1970 and was Fire Chief until his retirement in 1983. Chief Cheek oversaw the addition of the ambulance service to the department’s responsibilities. Chief Randy Amason took over in 1983. Under Chief Amason’s leadership the department began to staff each substation and with 3 employees. Chief Kenny Allen took over after Chief Amason’s retirement and served until his retirement in 1993. Chief Ben Blankenship took over and changed many of the department’s policies. Under Chief Blankenship’s Direction the department issued personal radios to each employee, assigned badge numbers, and staffed a command vehicle. Previously the Assistant Chiefs rode in the lead Fire Engine. Chief Blankenship also saw the construction of Station 4 in 1997. The addition of Station 4 changed Medic 1 to Medic 4 and Engine 4 was moved from Central to staff the new station. Chief Floyd McAdoo took over from Chief Blankenship in 1998. Chief McAdoo led the department through tough economic times where the department saw it only layoffs. The current Fire Chief, Chad Mosby, took over in 2012. Chief Mosby has escorted the department into the 21st Century by adding electronic ambulance billing and modern technology. Chief Mosby also spearheaded the fight against cancer in the fire service by maintaining 2 sets of bunker gear, replacing Nomex hoods after each fire, and adding exhaust removal systems to all the stations. Chief Mosby also began to lead the department in mental health awareness by adding an Employee Assistance Program and starting a peer support team. Chief Mosby also oversaw the construction of our Training Facility built in 2018.

Time to Rebuild

As the turn of the 21 Century began, the Fire Department’s Station began to age. The department began to rebuild its substations, starting with Station 3. The station was relocated to Griffith Street in 1997. Station 2 was demolished and rebuilt in the same location in 1997. Central fire station was reaching 100 years old and in need of repair. Structural Engineers deemed that the old building was not structurally safe and must be demolished and rebuilt. While the new station was being rebuilt, the apparatus and crews were moved to Station 2. The building was completed in 2001. The administration of the fire department had previously been stationed at Central and was moved to city hall after the demolition of the Old Central Fire Station Building.

The El Dorado Fire Department has had a long rich history. The department continues to grow and change as needed by our city. Embracing an all-hazards response, the department stands ready to accept the challenge of protecting a growing city from whatever may come our way.