Little Rock's Fire Station No. 23 on Rahling Road is the first such facility in Arkansas to be attain LEED certification, a status that signifies its construction and operation are environmentally friendly and energy efficient.
Little Rock Mayor Mark Stodola, City Manager Bruce Moore and Fire Chief Gregory Summers joined other officials from the city and department Tuesday at the station at Rahling and Taylor Loop Roads to formally acknowledge the certification.
LEED, which stands for Leadership in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is a program of the U.S. Green Building Council. That agency says LEED-certified buildings save up to 40 percent on water and energy bills versus traditional construction.
The fire station is "green," officials said, because of a number of factors including its use of recycled materials in construction, its emphasis on natural and low-energy lighting, devices that save water in all faucets and parking spaces for carpool vehicles.
"It definitely shows that we're committed not only to firefighter safety and the living conditions, but we're concerned about the environment as well," Summers said. "We're trying to reduce our carbon footprint."
Stodola said the environmentally friendly aspects also ultimately "make good economic sense" because they translate into lower utility bills.
"Obviously the ability to reduce energy consumption by virtue of the principals of LEED certification that are exhibited in this building provides an opportunity for us to be wise with the way we spend our citizens' money," he said, adding the city is working to raise more buildings to the same standard. "Being sustainable and using fewer resources is a very important part of our city today and it certainly will be into the future."