BENTONVILLE — Chief Dan White will wrap up 40 years of public service when he hands the reins of the Bentonville Fire Department to Brent Boydston, assistant chief, next month.
White started his career in emergency services in Fayetteville in 1972, and is one of the longest-serving licensed emergency medical technicians in the state. He joined the Army as a firefighter and was hooked after he worked his first fire, he said.
“I’m going to miss that,” White said. “I still enjoy going out on calls, even though I don’t get to do that much anymore. This is a job I love.”
He was hired by the Springdale Fire Department after his Army service, taking college courses and fine-tuning his skills. He said Springdale took a big chance on him by promoting him to chief at the age of 33, a chance for which he is still grateful.
“I appreciate Springdale,” he said. “I feel a lot of loyalty to them. That’s where I got my start.”
He served a four-year stint as the fire chief in Cape Girardeau, Mo., before accepting the Bentonville chief’s job in 2001.
In the economic boom years of the early 2000s, Bentonville exploded with growth. The Fire Department adapted by buying land for fire stations, building Station No. 5 in west Bentonville and updating equipment.
Under White’s supervision, the city’s Insurance Service Office rating dropped from 3 to 2. The rating affects the amount residents pay for home insurance, with lower numbers meaning lower costs.
“This is a very coveted rating for fire departments,” Mayor Bob McCaslin said.
White said his 11 years as fire chief were the best years of his life. Those years capped nearly a half-century of saving lives and homes and making irreplaceable memories.
“It’s been a good career,” White said. “I can’t imagine doing anything else where I could have this much fun and get paid for it.”
Arkansas, Pages 20 on 03/23/2012