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Staff increases at growing fire department
by Suzanne Rook, Wake Weekly Associate Editor
October 9, 2003
Two reasons Jimmy Keith's smiling: eight more firefighters and a new agreement with Raleigh that means better coverage of Wake Forest's fire district.
Keith, the town's fire chief, welcomed the new firefighters Monday. All week they've been educated, trained and generally put through their paces, preparing them for the shift work they'll begin next Monday. The men -- Jeremey Blake, Jonathan Burgess, Nick Carter, Mike Fjelstad, Jason Jordan, Derek Liles, Larry Maddox and Shevais Shrum -- have at least two years of fire fighting experience. Five of the eight have already worked part time or volunteered for the department. The additional fire fighting positions were made possible by a boost in Wake Forest's payment to the independent department. In June, the town board authorized a one-cent tax increase that Keith said he needed to hire more full-time firefighters. Keith did not get a second penny he asked for. That money would have purchased a $750,000 aerial truck. The additional manpower means the department's second station on Ligon Mill Road will be manned 24 hours a day. Previously, the station was manned on weekdays only from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Station 1 in downtown Wake Forest has had firefighters on 24 hour shifts for just two years. But the town's ever-increasing population, which has boomed on the its south side, has meant response times Keith says were too long. By having firefighters at the ready 24/7, trucks can be ready to go at a moment's notice. Ten years ago the department took 313 calls and had a $275,000 budget. Last year, they ran 1,620 calls and had a budget of $1.1 million. In that same time, the district's population grew from 9,800 to 24,000. Those numbers, Keith said last month, prove the need for a larger fire department. They're also part of the reason a mutual aid agreement recently signed with Raleigh is so important. The pact will have the two departments backing each other up on certain calls. Calls in Wake Forest around Capital Boulevard from the Neuse River to N.C. 98 will alert firefighters at Raleigh's Station 25 on Wakefield Crossing Drive. And vise versa for Raleigh calls in the Wakefield subdivision. Keith said the agreement hasn't yet gone into effect due to a glitch in the computer-assisted dispatching system. Another station on tap Three veteran firemen -- Greg Hockaday, Waylon Holbrook and Bo Medlin -- will lead the three Station 2 squads. The men were promoted to lieutenant last month. Growth on the town's northwest side has got Keith looking for suitable property in the area of Capital Boulevard and Jenkins Road. Keith hopes to have a plot purchased by next July. A new station won't open for another two or three years and will cost an estimated $900,000 to $1 million. The chief says he'll be back before the board and county commissioners next spring asking for more money to pay for the new station and the equipment it will require. The department, which services the town and rural areas surrounding it, is funded by both the town and Wake County. "Growth is going to take care of (some of) it, but it's not going to take care of all of it." Job for the future By the time the department stopped taking applications in August, it had nearly 50 firefighters interested in the eight positions. Applicants needed to be 21 years old, have a North Carolina driver's license and be certified as firefighters and first responders and in the handling of hazardous materials. Keith believes the the response was so good because "we provide a good working environment. The word has gotten out. People look and see we have good facilities, good equipment, good benefits." And the growth in the department means an opportunity for advancement. "It's not just a job, it's a job for the future." Other promotions announced by Keith at last month's annual banquet include volunteer firefighters James Madden and Mike Hart who were named captains. Rob Horton, Gary Sullivan and David Williams were promoted to lieutenant. Assistant chiefs are Clifton Keith and Randall Cooper.
Last Updated On: October 9, 2003
Copyright 2003 The Wake Weekly