Paris

Recognized Firewise Community/USA

Paris became a recognized Firewise Community/USA in October 2007. A luncheon and recognition ceremony was held Oct. 23, 2007, in the banquet hall of Mount Magazine State Park Lodge. Accepting a plaque presented by Governor Mike Beebe were Harold Schluterman and Rep. John Paul Wells. Also pictured are Todd Hoopes (far left), U.S. Forest Service Fire Management Officer, and Dennis Ahne, AFC Logan County Ranger, who assisted Paris through the recognition process.

A Firewise meeting was held at the Paris Fire Station on July 18, 2007, to bring the City of Paris into the Firewise Communities/USA program. Attending the meeting were John Wells, fire chief; Harold Schluterman, assistant fire chief; Michael Knoles, captain; Richard Eckelhoff, captain; Bob Hardwicke, safety officer; Robert Valentine, training officer; Jerry Heil, engineer; and firefighters James Huck, Eric Rainwater, Richard Zimmer, Allen Teague, Al Pendleton, Steve Wooten, David Fitzjurls, Racine Nehus, Joe Friddle; Doug Carter, Mount Magazine State Park Ranger; Dennis Ahne, AFC Logan County Ranger; Ray Wakefield, AFC District Forester-District 6, and David Samuel, Arkansas FireWise Coordinator.

After an introduction to Arkansas FireWise and the Firewise Communities/USA recognition process, risk assessment training was conducted. At the completion of the training, a Firewise board was organized with the following members: Harold Schluterman, chair; Rick Eckelhoff, vice chair; John Wells, Michael Knoles, Bill Elsken, Mayor of Paris, and Todd Hoopes, U.S. Forest Service, Magazine Ranger District-Ozark National Forest.