28 Feb 2011 Couple reflects on fire chief’s retirement

Conway Fire Chief Bart Castleberry and his wife, Melissa, have a special love – for each other and those people they have helped.

A registered nurse, Melissa is a Conway schoolteacher, preparing young people for a career in healthcare.

Bart – who will retire later this year – has spent more than 30 years in a department that ironically almost didn’t hire him.

HEALTH CONCERN

Before becoming a firefighter, Bart made a good living in the family grocery/produce business located in a “hole in the wall” on Markham Street in Downtown Conway. He also worked for the local ambulance service and with the Faulkner County Emergency Squad. “I just liked emergency services and being involved.”

Despite success in the family business, Bart noticed how some of his friends and softball buddies – Mark Stephens, Mike Tackett and Mark Jones – enjoyed working for the Conway Fire Department, and he considered a job change.

After taking the firefighter exam and placing in the top three, Chief Wilson Drews contacted Bart about joining the department. However, the chief later called back with a problem – Bart’s diabetes.

At age 13, Bart was diagnosed with the disease and spent two weeks in the hospital. “I was a fairly big kid and weighed about 185 pounds in the ninth grade,” he explained. “I went to 129 pounds in three weeks and was passing out…It’s a disease you can live with if treated. There are a lot worse things to have.”

Bart manages the disease through physical fitness and diet. “He watches what he eats and monitors his sugars,” Melissa said. “His diabetes was never a secret, and we never thought of it as a negative.”

Drews, however, was not familiar with the disease. “They never had an applicant that was an insulin-dependent diabetic before,” Bart said.

Bill Wright – also a diabetic – was the Conway mayor at the time, and he went to bat for Bart. “He told the chief, ‘He’ll be fine, you go ahead and hire him.’” Bart also had the support of other firefighters – like Jackie Lawrence, Bill J. Wright and Lewis Winter – who were familiar with him through the ambulance service.

“We have several now in the department who have diabetes.”

IN THE BEGINNING

In 1981 when Bart joined the fire department, there were 24 employees including the fire chief, three assistant chiefs and a fire marshal. Reading trade journals and books like “Report From Engine 82,” Bart became even more enamored with the profession. “I couldn’t wait to go to work.”

In 1990, Bart became fire marshal and on Aug. 18, 1993, he was named chief of the department. He was the youngest chief in the state at the time, and the department had 36 firefighters. While he had hoped to someday become an assistant chief, he and Melissa never imagined he would become the fire chief.

Today, Bart is probably one of the longest standing chiefs in the state. There are 108 “highly skilled and highly motivated” men and women in the department, according to Bart, in a city that boasts a Class II ISO fire rating, a special operations/hazardous material team and a bomb disposal squad.

FAMILY SUPPORT

While the department has changed over the years, one thing has remained constant for Bart – Melissa and her support. Best of friends, the two have been married for 32 years. “We began dating our senior year in high school,” Melissa said.

After both graduated in 1976 from Conway High School, Melissa enrolled at the University of Central Arkansas to pursue a nursing degree. She recalls that her father, the late Dr. Sam Daniel, encouraged all three of his daughters to pursue a career that would provide financial support if needed. They all chose to become registered nurses.

“We grew up in the medical world,” she said. “We had a lot of healthcare providers in our family.”

After working at Baptist Health and Conway Regional Medical Center, Melissa worked at home for 10 years and cared for the couple’s three sons – Sam, Zach and Tyler. She also directed Bible Study Fellowship for eight years. In addition to his work for the city, Bart did plumbing to support the family. “I didn’t mind working so she could stay home with the kids.”

Today, Melissa works for the Conway School District and teaches healthcare science technology. She has 16 years of service. “I enjoy the rapport with my students. More than anything, I like knowing that you are helping shape their future. We can’t go anywhere without seeing someone who has been in the program.”

Bart’s family has shared his interest in emergency services. Melissa recalls loading up her children in the family vehicle every third day for a trip to the fire station during Bart’s shift. They also made an occasional trip to a major fire. “He loved his job,” she said, adding that the family did, too.

Melissa explained that off-duty firefighters used to wear pagers and respond to general alarms. “He had his pager on all the time. You never knew when it was going to go off.”

Melissa recalls that when there was a big fire, like the one that destroyed the sanctuary at First Baptist Church, she would monitor radio traffic over the pager. “I knew it was a big fire. The boys were little. I loaded them up, and we sat in a nearby parking lot and watched. That’s the church where we got married, with all those beautiful stained glass windows.”

Youngest son Zach has fond memories of spending time with his dad at the fire department and going to fires. “Of course, we all liked to go on runs,” Melissa added. Oldest son Sam also treasures those special memories associated with the fire department. He points to his father’s humility and commitment to the people of Conway in describing the pride he has long felt for his dad and his work. “He loves being a fireman. It is so much a part of his identity,” he said. “He’s a hero because he’s a man of moral integrity.”

Melissa credits Bart’s work in emergency services with the family’s focus on safety, whether fastening seat belts or crossing train tracks. Bart laughs that his children have nicknamed his tips as “Bart-isms.” Melissa added, “What is so funny is they are just like him.”

While serving as a firefighter, Bart has attended Arkansas Tech University. His main motivation has been his sons, showing them the importance of education. In May, he will graduate with a degree in emergency administration with a minor in sociology. “It’s been a challenge, but it’s been fun,” Bart said.

LOOKING BACK

In addition to the First Baptist fire, another fire that sticks out in Bart’s mind is the one at the American Transportation bus factory. “I knew we were in for a long haul going down Dave Ward Drive because people were getting out lawn chairs and ice chests (to watch),” Bart said with a laugh.

For Bart, those fires that involved a loss of life also stand out. He recalls a mobile home fire that claimed the lives of two children. He and fellow firefighter Mark Mobbs, both fathers of small children, located the children. He described the scary feelings he had – wanting to find the children in the home, but not wanting to find them, in hopes they were outside instead. “By the time we did find them, it was too late to do anything.”

In his early days, firefighters would talk about difficult runs like those involving children and work through their feelings. Today, there is a firefighter who also is an ordained minister who helps the staff work through tough situations. A crisis response team has also been developed.

“The mental health focus has moved to the forefront of emergency services.”

Not only has the job meant leading the department, Bart also has had to serve as a grief, marriage and children’s counselor. “They don’t teach that at the academy but I didn’t mind when the men came to me when they had a problem. I always tried to guide them in the right direction based on the word of God,” he said. “Of course, they’ve seen me on my worse days when they might have wondered if I had ever seen a Bible.”

DANGERS OF THE JOB

Confronting death and realizing the danger involved with firefighting are part of the job for Bart and others who choose the profession, much like for a soldier or a police officer. “There’s not a man or woman in the fire department who wouldn’t do whatever it takes to save someone’s life.”

Still, it’s tough when a firefighter loses one of their own. For Bart, the loss of former fire marshal Ted Fisher after retirement and the cancer-related death of Jon McMahan were very painful. “You see death in so many ways,” Bart said.

Again, Bart’s family has been a source of strength and comfort, especially when his middle son, Tyler, decided to become a firefighter in Maumelle. “He loves it just like Bart did,” Melissa said, adding that Tyler wanted to be a firefighter since he was 1.

“He helps me remember things I’ve forgotten since I’ve been in administration,” Bart said.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

A lot of improvements and changes have been made in the department over the years. Bart is particularly pleased with the top-notch training and is proud of the department’s role in the city’s response following Hurricane Katrina. Using information gathered in New York City after 9/11, the CFD took the lead role in processing more than 3,000 refugees primarily from the Superdome.

Melissa points to her husband’s leadership and his hard work to ensure the future success of the department for years to come. His last day in the office will be Wednesday, Aug. 31, but he plans to serve as the master of ceremonies at the city’s ceremony to commemorate Sept. 11.

“There have been a lot of good things. I have a lot of folks that are good at what they do,” he said. “I will leave on Wednesday and on Thursday, they won’t even know I’m gone.”

Bart admits that he has made mistakes and there are things he would do different. “You live and learn.” Melissa added, “We all do that in life.”

Melissa applauds her husband’s dedication to the men, women and children who call Conway home. “He has put the city and citizens of Conway first,” she said. “I’m proud of him because he has done so much for the fire department, many things that people don’t even know about. He gives credit to everybody else and doesn’t take it himself.”

The commitment to service permeates the department, and Bart suspects it may just be in the DNA of someone who feels the calling to be a firefighter. “I’ve seen men take money out of their pocket and give it to people.”

Melissa added, “People of Conway know they are safe and taken care of. They know they are in good hands with the fire department.”

A NEW CHIEF

Bart has decided now is a good time for new leadership in the department. “I’ve been chief 17 years. It’s probably time for new blood and new ideas.”

Of course, Bart isn’t quite ready to retire completely and is open to other opportunities. “I would still like to do something in emergency management.”

Bart would like to see the next chief selected from within the ranks of the Conway fire department. “There are a number of people capable of being chief. They have the education and the knowledge. There is no need to look outside the department. It is a treasure chest, and I suspect some, when they retire, will become chiefs in other departments.”

His advice to the new chief – “Do the right thing, every time. Depend on God and not on yourself or what others think.”

REFLECTIONS

The chief has enjoyed a special camaraderie with other firefighters, and he says he will miss that the most. He is particularly close to those he served with in his early years, and many have already retired. “We try to get together every three to four months. We tell the same old stories about the same old fires.”

Melissa describes Bart as being ahead of his time, coming up with ideas and new ways to serve and protect Conway citizens. “He uses his talents and knowledge to keep serving the people.”

“I’ve had good people,” Bart added. “I’ve been blessed beyond measure, and the Lord has done what he said he would do.”

Recognizing that he soon will be leaving the department, Bart jumped in one of the fire trucks on a recent run. It had been awhile since he experienced the thrill of the lights and sirens as the firefighters communicated via radio. “It was fun being in the truck with the smell of diesel and the sound of the big horn,” he said. “I thought, ‘good God I’m going to miss this.’”