For many years, in accordance with Arkansas Code §24-11-214, the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Lab at the University of Arkansas, Little Rock, maintained maps of the fire districts in the state. These were maintained for the Local Police & Fire Retirement System (LOPFI) and were used to estimate population within fire districts that participated in that retirement system. The LOPFI system no longer uses the population information, and the Act 39 of 2023, amended the law and eliminated that mapping requirement.
However, fire district maps are critical for 9-1-1 emergency services and must be maintained. Arkansas Code §12-10-329, which is a section of the Arkansas public safety communications and Next Generation 911 law, requires each fire district to maintain an accurate map that is certified by the Mayor, County Judge or County Fire Coordinator and transmitted to the Arkansas GIS Office. The statute requires the Arkansas GIS Office to maintain these maps and use them to assist the Arkansas 911 Board in carrying out its duties.
From time-to-time fire districts can be altered, especially when cities annex in new areas. The table of information that accompanies the map about each fire district was redesigned with a focus on developing columns of data that would be beneficial for Fire Chiefs, County Fire Coordinators, County Judges, and other decision makers. The new structure includes many of the same columns as before such as the district name and the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NIFRS) identification number, however, new elements were added that include a link to the “official” record or documentation showing the legal proceedings that created the district and square mileage of each district. Over time, GIS Office officials plan to work with Fire Chiefs and Coordinators to obtain these records and add them to the database to create a comprehensive repository of these originating records. Other enhancements include an estimate of the number of households and number of addresses contained within the district. These are commonly used by grant funding entities to assess the potential need for additional resources. The new layer is also featured in the Arkansas Fire Portal at arfire.arkansas.gov which is managed by the Office of Fire Services in the Arkansas Division of Emergency Management.
The GIS Office hopes to incorporate the annual map certification into the fire portal in the future because most Fire Chiefs, Mayors, County Judges and Fire Coordinators are already using that platform to complete their annual Act 833 certifications.
The Arkansas GIS Office is excited to host the Fire District data for the State of Arkansas and looks forward to working with our County constituents in the future.
