Retired firefighters seek lease of North Little Rock's old central station for Arkansas Firefighters Museum

Retired firefighters and local preservation advocates told THV 11 they want to turn North Little Rock's empty old central fire station into the Arkansas Firefighters Museum.

Reporter Carter Thweet described a collection that includes vintage fire trucks, historic equipment and memorabilia assembled over decades. Organizers said the North Little Rock Fire Department's move into a new station left the old central station vacant, and that they have approached city leadership about locating the museum there.

A city spokesperson told the reporter the current plan is to sell the old fire station pending city council approval. Museum organizers said they would like a short-term lease to give the museum a chance to move in; an organizer quoted in the segment said, "We went out and did a petition drive of businesses from all 4 wards and had a 177 businesses sign our petition that they wanted the museum put in that old fire station." The broadcast did not identify the vice chair by full name because the transcript redacted part of the name.

Organizers said they have amassed donations of artifacts and would like to draw visitors to North Little Rock. The report included no details of a negotiated lease, a proposed lease term or the city's timetable for the council decision.