A&A Fire and Safety Company started as a retirement plan and side hustle for former Little Rock firefighter Alan Ford, but has developed into a three-generation, family-owned small business and one of the last independently owned, full-service fire protection companies in Arkansas, providing a complete range of vital life-safety services to businesses across the state.
April Broderick, who had worked for the company in some capacity since 2000, took over the company from her father in 2014.
“I started at the entry level,” she said. “I was inspecting fire extinguishers in schools and working in the powder room servicing the fire extinguishers.”
Broderick always assumed she would go into a different field after college, but the family business beckoned. While her father always held firefighting as his primary passion, Broderick was drawn to the company because of the challenges it faced, especially in the early years.
“Part of it was probably my competitive nature,” she said. “I loved trying to think of things outside of the box to meet those challenges or find a solution to the latest problem.”
Since its founding in 1994, the company has expanded its offerings and has grown from a handful of part-time employees – firemen who worked on their days off – to a full-time team of 30 employees. When A&A was founded, it focused on fire extinguishers and restaurant fire suppression systems. Over the years, A&A has expanded its services to include fire sprinklers and fire alarm systems, growing into a full-service fire protection company.
“Many times, these systems overlap,” Broderick said. “If a business has a fire sprinkler, they will also have a fire alarm to monitor if the sprinkler system has gone off. When there is a problem with one system, there is another fire protection system that will also be impacted in the building.”
The company has also seen tremendous growth in physical space to account for its expanded operations and workforce. A&A has two locations – Cabot and Sherwood – that have provided much-needed room for increased staff, improved workflow, and enhanced client support operations.
“These facilities reflect our commitment to strategic, sustainable growth,” Broderick said. “It ensures we have the space and infrastructure to support our teams, equipment, and service lines now and into the future.”
Today, A&A is a full-service fire protection company that works with a variety of businesses, schools, healthcare providers, government agencies and industrial facilities. The company specializes in the design, installation, inspection, testing, maintenance, and repair of fire sprinkler systems, fire alarm systems, kitchen fire suppression systems, and portable fire extinguishers.
Some of its notable clients include Arkansas Children’s Hospital, Nabholz Construction, Little Rock Air Force Base, the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, and various school districts like Little Rock, Cabot and North Little Rock.
“We are unique because we are one of the last independently owned fire protection companies in Arkansas that can offer all of these fire protection systems under one roof,” Broderick said.
A&A has divisions for fire extinguishers, fire alarms, fire sprinklers, and kitchen suppression systems.
“We are fortunate to have strong leaders in each of the divisions,” Broderick said.
While many independently owned fire protection companies have been sold to large equity firms or corporate entities, A&A is doubling down on its local approach.
“A&A still has local people answering the phones responding to Arkansas customers who have questions about their fire protection needs,” Broderick said. “A&A has no plans to sell.”
Broderick’s oldest son now works full time for the company, continuing the family tradition.
“The goal for A&A is to achieve steady, sustainable growth while remaining an independently owned company,” she said. “As we continue to expand our services and customer base, our commitment to personalized service, strong relationships, and local ownership will remain at the heart of everything we do.”
Editor’s note: This article is sponsored content, paid for by A&A Fire and Safety Company. For more information, visit aafireandsafetycompany.com.