Hometown Hero Jacob Kahl
Lifelong resident commits to his town
By Steve Wilcox Special to West Washington County Directory
Jacob Kahl could be a firefighter almost anywhere , but he went through a winding process to end up pursuing his career in a place he never left : Prairie Grove .
Kahl ’ s initial career effort was serving as a heavy equipment technician , a course he maintained even as he worked as a volunteer firefighter for six months . Then the opportunity came to become a fulltime firefighter in Fayetteville , where he stayed for five years . He waited for the opportunity to come home . “ I got the opportunity to return to Prairie Grove and I ’ ve been there for a little over a year ,” said Kahl , a lieutenant working on B shift . “ I really like it . It ’ s nice to work where you ’ re from .”
Kahl sees many familiar faces during the course of his days in town . That wasn ’ t the case in a larger community like Fayetteville . “ There ’ s a very good chance you ’ re going to run into someone you know on a call ,” he said . “ I ’ d rather work here than anywhere else because I know everyone .”
The seven-minute commute means his family can stop by to see him any time , as well .
During his high school years , Prairie Grove may have been a town of about 3,000 people , but today , like the rest of Northwest Arkansas , the boom is on . The town ’ s population has more than doubled over the past 10 years with estimates of 8,000 residents or more . But the nature of fires remains the same .
“ In this area , we have a lot of chicken house fires , hay barn fires , structural fires – most of them being private residences ,” said Kahl . “ We fight grass fires , woodland fires .” There ’ s no ladder truck in Prairie Grove , but nearby Lincoln and Fayetteville have those trucks if needed . Like many people , Kahl reached a crossroads in his work life after two years working in heavy equipment . “ I prayed one night that I would have a sign to either stay where I ’ m at or do something different . I actually had a dream that night that I was in the fire service ,” he said . “ When I woke up I said ‘ let ’ s do it ’ and I applied ( to be a volunteer firefighter ) and started rolling from there .”
At the time , Prairie Grove did not have a full-time department , so Kahl moved on to Fayetteville , but he still lived in town . Five years later , an opportunity arose back in Prairie Grove , and he was prepared to take advantage . Now he ’ s one of seven full-time fire department employees , teamed with several part-time firemen and more than 20 volunteers .
Civil servants have high visibility in a small town , especially for someone who grew up in the community and attended the high school . Folks know who you are .
“ The town here , the people are appreciative of what we do ,” said Kahl . “ Any time we ’ re out in public , no matter what we ’ re doing , people mention to be careful and that they ’ ll see us later . That ’ s just small town ; we have a really good relationship with the public , the police department and with the ambulance service . To the public we ’ re not just another guy with a uniform .”
As to his status as a Hometown Hero , Kahl is somewhat taken aback . “ I ’ m honored that I would be chosen ,” he said . “ I really just go to work , do the best that I can and be as nice to everyone as I can . I never thought I was more special than anyone else , but it ’ s nice to be noticed .”
He took the long way around , but Jacob Kahl found his niche . It was right there in town all along .
Photo by : Alan Cruz Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette
2024 WEST WASHINGTON COUNTY DIRECTORY • 11