Activities
Fundraising
The majority of the department’s budget comes from private donations.
The department holds several fundraising events during the year in
addition to a letter drive.
Training
Training is ongoing. Department members train on a regular
basis in order to improve existing skills and learn new ones.
Fire Prevention and Education
The department is active in fire prevention and education.
During national fire prevention week
members visit the district schools to talk about fire prevention and
safety .
Testing
To ensure their satisfactory condition and proper operation, department
equipment and other resources are inspected and tested. The department’s
pumpers are pump tested annually to confirm that they meet or exceed
rated capacity and that they can maintain that capacity for a prolonged
period. Fire hose is tested under high pressure for leaks. Pressurized
hydrants are inspected for condition, ease of access, ease of operation
and capacity (GPM flow). Dry hydrants are inspected for ease of access
and condition of piping. A pumper then drafts from the hydrant for a
prolonged period to test the hydrant’s capacity (GPM flow).
The department surveys commercial structures to develop fire preplans.
We examine structures for type of construction, size, number of stories
and potential hazards to personnel or hazardous materials. The needed
fire flow, water flow needed to fight a potential fire, is calculated.
The department is rated by the North Carolina Office of State Fire
Marshal. The department works throughout the year to maintain and
improve its rating with the NC OSFM. This effort takes the form of
building new stations, the purchase and maintenance of equipment,
training of personnel, testing and inspection of equipment and
resources, and the preplanning of commercial structures.