Lifestyle Outdoors Wellness

Rescue Volunteers Provide Invaluable Services

Photo courtesy of Transylvania County Rescue Squad

By Allison Taylor

Have you ever wondered who would respond if you call 911? Many people are unaware of how our local and rural fire and rescue services operate. In urban areas, such as the City of Asheville, all responding agencies are typically going to be paid staff—whether law enforcement, firefighters, EMS or rescue squad. But, in surrounding districts that are more rural, this is a much different model when it comes to fire departments and rescue squads. Although our local counties in Western North Carolina have dedicated rescue squads, many of the fire departments operate as both fire and rescue stations. According to the North Carolina Association of Fire Chiefs, 91 percent of fire departments in our state are mostly volunteer and 72 percent of firefighters are volunteers.

Jason Davis, owner of North River Farms and DB bar D Outfitters in Mills River, donates his time serving as both chief of North Transylvania Fire Rescue and assistant chief of Mills River Fire & Rescue. Davis sets an example of volunteer service, community involvement, inclusivity, dedication and passion in the fire and rescue service. “Fire departments have become a catch-all of emergency response, and we are called to assist with medical calls, automobile accidents, search and rescues in our forests and community service requests—in addition to structure and wild fires,” says Davis.

This means that even volunteer firefighters must be trained and skilled in a variety of operations. To become a basic certified firefighter in NC requires between 400-500 hours of training. All firefighters have to meet the same standards to become certified, and there are additional certifications that these dedicated personnel can work to obtain in specialties such as wildland firefighting, EMT and technical rescue. In addition to the general technical rescue certification, there are even more specialty certifications beyond that, including options such as wilderness, confined space, structural collapse, water, vehicle, trench, dive, and machinery and agriculture. Even as volunteers, most firefighters carry multiple specialty certifications and are constantly working to improve their knowledge and skills to be better prepared for the diversity of emergencies they assist with.

As Davis strives to be a role model with his own training, he’s also able to be a better asset in promoting safety for both his outfitter business and his farm. “As a continuation of my training and leadership in the fire service, I actively promote outdoor safety in both of my businesses and require mandatory safety training for my staff,” says Davis.

Davis also takes every opportunity to brag on North Transylvania Fire Rescue and Mills River Fire & Rescue. “Our group of firefighters and board members truly believe they are called to serve, and dedicate themselves to countless hours of training, call response and the administrative duties that keep the departments operating smoothly,” he says. “I’m so proud to serve as the chief and assistant chief of such dedicated groups of community servants.”

In NC, a fire takes a life every 1.8 days, and volunteering can help change that. Volunteer firefighters are an invaluable resource, and a single volunteer firefighter in our state saves their community an average of $45,000 per year. For anyone interested in learning more about how to become a volunteer firefighter or rescuer, it’s best to start with fire and rescue departments that are close to where a person lives or works. Most rural departments are happily accepting volunteers, and anyone’s local station can answer questions and point them in the right direction.

For more information on North Transylvania Fire Rescue, visit NTFireRescue.com and for Mills River Fire & Rescue, visit mrfd.org.

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