Little did he know 25 years ago when he yielded to the request to join of then-Fire Chief Jerry Collins, that he would stay on the department 25 years and become assistant chief. But stay, he did.
Andy Fletcher, 55, hung up his hat and his gear this month and retired from the Pea Ridge Volunteer Fire Department. He was honored with a plaque and a gift of a framed that included his name from his jacket.
In April 1992, Fletcher joined the department when Collins asked him to. He said Allen Merritt had asked before that and he declined saying he didn't have the time.
The population of Pea Ridge in 1990 was 1,637. The estimated population as of 215 was 5,242.
"I work for Glad," Fletcher said, adding that he was a "team lead."
"When I first joined, we were just basic firefighters," he recalled. "Later, I got Firefighter 1 and Firefighter 2 and EMT (emergency medical technician)."
"There were about 25 of us," he said. Now, there are 47 members of the Fire Department with 24 firefighters, all of whom are first responders, and EMTs and paramedics.
"When I joined, I didn't know I would stay 25 years," Fletcher said.
"Knowing the satisfaction that you made a difference in somebody's life -- that you helped somebody out," he said, was what kept him going and gave him satisfaction in the job.
Over the years, Fletcher has served in a variety of capacities including instructor teaching other firefighters.
"When I first joined, the ambulance and fire department were not together. Eventually, we went from basic ambulance service to an ALS (advanced life support) service," he said.
"I've never had a moment of regret being on the Fire Department."
When Fletcher first joined the department, the fire fighters carried pagers.
"Seems like we only had three to four calls a week in the early '90s," he said. "Now, we may have two or more a day.
"Probably call volume is one of the biggest changes."
Fletcher, who "real life" career is working at Glad Manufacturing, said he worked the night shift at one point and there were plenty of times when he worked all night and fought fires during the day.
"It was a little easier when I was younger. I don't think I could do that now," he smiled. He said there is no an app for smart phones for active 911 workers that actually provides the address of the scene. "A lot of the guys use that now."
"I think one of my biggest takeaways is that now, we run the EMT and paramedic 24/7. Having volunteers is still an important part of it. The need for manpower is still important. We're not a full-time 100 percent department. We still rely on volunteers a lot," Fletcher said.
"It does take a lot of your time, but it's worth it.
"It's not about the money; it's about helping people," Fletcher concluded.
Community on 12/27/2017