Fountain Lake VFD History

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The Fountain Lake Volunteer Fire Department was started by Art and Jane Tuma.  Art had been an ambulance driver and truck driver in Illinois before moving to the Hot Springs area in 1952.  Living in the country with no fire protection concerned Art, so he began organizing a fire department in 1976 with interested neighbors and friends.  In the early years, Jane served as the answering service when emergencies arose.  She and other women in the Fountain Lake area formed a Ladies Auxiliary to raise funds for the new department.  Art and Jane donated an acre of land on Highway 5 for the first fire station, which is known as Station 1 today.

In March 1978, the Fountain Lake volunteer FD was called to the Assembly of God campgrounds due to a fire in one of their buildings.  Several children had to be rushed to the hospital due to smoke inhalation.  After the fire, Art and Jane Tuma worked with the Assembly of God campground to get them to donate land for what is now known as Station 2.

More details about the early years of the FLFD can be found in the article by Jane Tuma entitled "History of Fountain Lake Volunteer Fire Department" in The Record 2010 (Garland County Historical Society).

Department Chiefs:

2023 - Harry Baker

2023 - Jeff Hayes

2023 - Layne Ragsdale
2021 - Steven Burroughs
2020 - Chris Farmer

2020 - Steven Burroughs

2019 - Steve Sawyer

2009 - Jason Curtis

1997 - Alan Ault

1994 - Lawrence Ault

1991 - Gary Phillips

1988 - Jim Harwood

1988 - Murl Curtis

1987 - Arthur "Art" Tuma

1986 - Rubert Dunn

1983 - Jim Dibble

1982 - Conley Culpepper

1977 - Arthur "Art" Tuma