The area we serve in Cheeks Township has about 2500 homes, 5600 people, 150 businesses, a number of farms, a railway line, and Interstates 40/85 in it. There is a public school, numerous churches, and the county's largest industrial employer, General Electric. The department has an annual budget of approximately $80,000. While this may sound like a lot, keep in mind that a single firetruck costs from $100,000 to $200,000, and that does not count some $30,000 worth of equipment for the truck. The gear needed for one firefighter (fire suit, breathing apparatus, helmet, boots, gloves) cost from $1200 to $3500. We have around 30 volunteers in the department, so this adds up in a hurry. And just like the people we serve, we have to pay the light bill and keep the trucks serviced and maintained. But if we tell you that life is expensive, we aren't telling you anything new so we'll stop wasting screen space on that one. We have two "pumpers", which are equipment used to pump water and hold all the equipment we need to fight fire. We have two "tankers", which are primarily used to haul water from hydrants and water points around our district to the scene of the fire, where the pumpers are. And we have a "brush truck", which is a four wheel drive vehicle with 250 gallons of water that is very useful for getting in where the big trucks can't. If you would like to know more about our equipment, just ask us- You don't have to ask twice to get a firefighter going on about their equipment.
Everyone in the department is a volunteer. While a firefighter gets reimbursed $ 4 (that's 16 quarters) for each fire call they make, that is the extent of the "pay." Each firefighter must attend a meeting a month, and also attend 36 hours of training a year. To become a certified firefighter in North Carolina, a worthwhile step that most every firefighter tries to take, one needs an additional 150 hours of training. In your first year, there is an additional 24 hours of training. So in your first three years, you could end up with 380+ hours of training. That's over 9 work weeks worth, or an average of about 3 weeks of training each year. Because we are volunteers, you never know how many firefighters will show up when there is a fire or accident. Generally speaking, you can get a lot of people on a weekend, and fewer people during the weekdays. But there is a plan in place that makes sure there will always be enough firefighters to battle the blaze. As with all volunteer fire departments in Orange County, we have a system called "Automatic Mutual Aid." This means that if you call for help because your house is on fire, not only will skilled volunteers from Efland show up, but firefighters and equipment from your nearest neighboring department will show up too. That way, there are always enough resources available. So if you see a lot of firefighters show up for a fire or accident, remember that the system is set up to do just that - make sure your cries for help are always answered with enough resources.
When a volunteer is responding to a call, they may have a red light flashing up on the dash board of their car or truck. Legally, this is called a "courtesy light" and you don't have to pull off the road like you do for a vehicle with lights and siren. We do ask that when you see a firefighter driving with their red light on, that you do show them the courtesy of either pulling over at your earliest convenience or making it easy for them to pass you. If they were headed to save your house, you would sure want them to get there as soon as they could.
If you ever come up on a fire or accident scene, please take the time to slow down and be careful. It might take you 15 seconds longer to get where you're going, but if you don't hit a firefighter, you save a lifetime of experience. If you come up on a scene and a firefighter asks you to take the "long way home", understand that you are inconvenienced for a few minutes, and that someone else will be inconvenienced for months or forever. Please don't ever drive over a firehose. We know you can drive over your garden hose, but there might be firefighters at the end of a firehose and even a second's disruption of water flow could let the flames of a gas fire explode back out and seriously injure or kill a firefighter.
While we all enjoy the rural settings of this area, you can help us help you by making sure that the driveway or private road that leads to your home is clear of tight turns and low branches, and can support a vehicle carrying 2000 gallons of water. In general, the roadway should be clear to a distance of 10 feet wide and 10 feet tall. The fire trucks are up to 30 feet long, so a curved area needs to be even wider. Too many driveways have trees next to them. We either can't drive through, break equipment on the trucks, or have to slow down and make a few attempts at getting through. When it's your house on fire, seconds seem like hours. If you see us driving around your area, chances are we are making sure we can easily get to your home. Please make sure your home has working smoke detectors in it. One of the most heart-breaking things we see is a home that has been destroyed by fire, and when we lift the melted plastic off of the smoke detector, there is no battery in it. For less than the cost of your family eating out for one night, you can get a smoke detector. If you deserve a steak every now and then, for the same price your family deserves to live. A small dry chemical fire extinguisher in the kitchen is a good idea too. Know and practice an escape route from your home with your family. Want to know more? Ask us!
We get our funds from taxes levied on property like your house and your car and from donations from the public. While no one likes taxes, including us, next time you pay your taxes look at what goes for Fire Protection. Then consider that you will have over half a million dollars of equipment at your house, and all the volunteers needed to run it, and it doesn't seem like such a bad deal. Remember that by having a department with the equipment we have nearby, you save some money on your fire insurance. While what you save depends on where you are, you would pay a lot more if there was no fire department for 5 miles, and you would pay more were it not for Automatic Mutual Aid. We hope this tells you more about us, and if you have any questions drop us a line or ask us if you see us around town. After all, we're all y'alls neighbors too.
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