Former firefighter seeks to convert North Little Rock fire station into Arkansas Firefighter Museum

Bob Franklin, a former North Little Rock and Little Rock firefighter, is leading an effort to convert North Little Rock’s old central fire station into the Arkansas Firefighter Museum, a local news report said.

Franklin and partners say the building’s size and history make it a good fit for a museum that would display historic firefighting equipment and tell how firefighting evolved in Arkansas. The Reporter said the collection Franklin has amassed includes materials dating back more than 100 years and that those items are currently stored in a warehouse in Saline County.

Proponents argue the museum would honor firefighters who served across the state and provide an educational resource for residents and visitors. The Reporter noted that the old station "was at one time a state of the art fire station" when it was built in the 1960s, a detail supporters cite to underline the site’s historical value.

Franklin told the Reporter he and his partners would prefer to lease the building from the city to test the museum concept, but the city of North Little Rock told the Reporter that leasing is "not in their plans" and that officials are planning to sell the property. The city spokesperson who spoke to the Reporter was not named in the report.

As of the Reporter’s account, no formal agreement, funding plan, timeline, or city approval has been announced. The proposal’s future depends on whether the city proceeds with a sale, whether a sale would include conditions that allow a leaseback or museum use, and whether proponents secure a location and operating support for the collection now held in Saline County.

The Reporter said it remains to be seen whether the Arkansas Firefighter Museum will come together; the city’s plan to sell the old station makes the project’s next steps uncertain.