Department hires 3 firefighters

The Bella Vista Fire Department has added three new firefighters to its staff. They are:

Lemanuel Allen

Age: 33

Hometown: Titusville, Fla.

Bio: Allen has lived in northwest Arkansas since 1997. He said he's always wanted to be a firefighter and joined the Bella Vista Fire Department to further advance his career. He's been a certified nursing assistant since 2004 and became a paramedic last summer. He'll be doing his fire training later this spring.

"I love Bella Vista," Allen said. "It's been a nice transition and the rest of the department is making it very easy."

Lucky Koucky

Age: 20

Hometown: Joplin, Mo.

Bio: One of the department's younger members, Koucky got involved with firefighting through NorthWest Arkansas Community College in its fire sciences program. He started Jan. 8 and said he really enjoys Bella Vista.

Ian Rude

Age: 25

Hometown: Bentonville

Bio: Starting off as a volunteer, Rude has extensive medical training. He spent several years in Missouri at the Cox South Emergency and Trauma Center in Springfield and said he's happy to be back in the Ozarks.

"It's nice to be back," he said. "I've been hoping to get on in Bella Vista for some time."

General News on 02/25/2015