05/31/2026
This weekend, members of the Faulkner County Emergency Squad Riverboat and Rescue 1 small boat crews participated in the 17th Annual Arkansas Fire Boat School. This specialized training brings together fire, rescue, and emergency response agencies from across the state to enhance their capabilities for water-based emergencies and large-scale incidents.
Training opportunities like this allow our personnel to sharpen critical skills including boat operations, water rescue techniques, search and recovery operations, emergency scene management, interagency communications, and coordinated responses involving multiple agencies. Just as important, these events help build relationships with fellow responders from across Arkansas—connections that become invaluable when agencies must work together during major incidents.
As a volunteer organization, we are committed to providing our members with high-quality training that prepares them to respond safely and effectively when our community needs us. The knowledge and experience gained at Arkansas Fire Boat School directly improves our ability to serve the citizens of Faulkner County and assist neighboring jurisdictions when called upon.
A big thank you to Arkansas Fire Boats, the instructors, organizers, and participating agencies for another outstanding training event. We appreciate the opportunity to learn from some of the best marine and rescue professionals in the region and look forward to putting these skills to work in service of our community.
Check out Channel 7's coverage of this year's training below!
Fire crews from across Arkansas spent the weekend on De Gray Lake and the Caddo River training for water rescues as part of the 17th annual Arkansas Fire Boat S