With Pine Bluff’s first major high-rise set to open later this year, members of Pine Bluff Fire and Emergency Services (PBFES) recently traveled to West Memphis for specialized training on fighting fires in tall buildings.
The city’s newest landmark, the Saracen Casino Hotel, stands 14 stories high on Saracen Resort Drive near the old Pines Mall. The hotel features modern fire safety systems and technology, but its height presents unique challenges for firefighters — challenges the department is preparing to meet head-on.
To gain real-world insight, PBFES Captain Juan Ventress, Lieutenant Kevin Chapmon, and Lieutenant Larry Murray attended a high-rise firefighting conference in West Memphis. The city is home to the 24-story Southland Casino Hotel, where local firefighters have developed protocols for responding to emergencies in large vertical structures.
“The first day covered strategies and tactics ranging from residential homes to high-rise fires, showing how to utilize high-energy styles of leadership and command on and off the fireground,” Murray said.
The second day focused on standpipe operations at a nearby hotel. Crews practiced advancing high-rise hose packs to the fire floor, culminating in a simulation at Southland’s parking garage where firefighters trained for scenarios involving multiple vehicles catching fire.
Murray called the event “very informative, giving us knowledge to bring back to Pine Bluff to be better prepared.”
