Williamston Fire/Rescue/EMS

Number of Stations: 1

Number of Apparatus: Pumpers: 3      Aerials: 1  Specialty: 2 Administration Vehicles, 1 Equipment Truck, 1 Mobile Command Trailer, 1 Tanker, 1 Brush Truck, 1 Special Operations Trailer, 1 Flatbed Truck, 1 Medium Duty Rescue/Hazmat truck, 1 Hazmat 20’ Trailer, 1 Hazmat 36’ Trailer, 2 Hazmat Tractor Trailers, and 2 UTV’s.

Do you provide EMS?  Yes

What type: Advanced Life Support

Specialty Operations: Confined Space and Trench Rescue Capabilities, Agriculture/Grain Rescue Capabilities, and North Carolina Hazardous Materials Regional Response Team 1

Annual Budget: 1.4 Million

Area Covered Square miles: 122

Population: 13,000

Total Runs: 2,679 Fire: 283
EMS: 2,396

Chief: Chief James “Jimbo” Peele III

Chief Officers: Deputy Chief Levern Roberson, and Assistant Chief Michael Peaks

Other Officers: (list number of Captains 5, Lieutenants 3

Paid: 19  Volunteer: 37

Address: 901 Washington Street, Williamston, NC 27892

Web site: townofwilliamston.com

Phone: (252) 792-3521

Fax: (252) 792-3478

Community Outreach:

Our Fire Marshal’s Office and staff conduct fire education events at our local schools, community functions, and business throughout the year. We offer fire extinguisher training and reflective address sign program to aid our responders in finding the address of an incident quicker. We have an active smoke detector program where we give fire prevention information as well as the installation of the alarm. These alarms are equipped with smoke detection as well as CO detection where needed. Our agency is a Certified Child Safety Seat Check Station, involved in our local Safe Kids Coalition (Safe Kids Riverbend) and our local Child Protection Team.

Top Two concerns in your community:

Maintaining our smoke alarm/CO alarm program so we can do our part to ensure life safety is meet to our best abilities. We have found homes with inadequate number of alarms, nonfunctioning alarms and no alarms at all. We encourage our residents to reach out to our department for these needs. Another concern is recruitment and retention of volunteers.

What are you doing for fundraising?

Every Black Friday our department comes together for “Fill the Boot” a fundraiser for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. We are proud of the amount of money we have raised over the years we have participated with this outstanding organization.

Our agency has held an annual fundraiser for the past nine years in order to raise money to restore the towns first motorized fire apparatus.  “Grillin on the Green” is a two day two night event held at the Roanoke Golf and Country Club and brings people out to enjoy golf, evening social, pig pickin and dance. We are proud to say our 1928 American LaFrance was brought home in October 2017 and has been completely restored. We have been able to accomplish this goal through the tremendous support from our community.

What upgrades will you make in your department this year?

Our agency is presently working on specification for a new engine to hopefully be in place in late 2018.

What special hazards or unique businesses in your community?

Located in Northeastern North Carolina, our main concerns are around transportation and agriculture emergences. Being one of North Carolina’s seven Regional Hazmat Teams and covering 25 Counties, chemical facilities, fixed industrial facilities, transportation, and railroad emergencies are always a concern and help drive our training.

What problems in your department that you would like feedback from others? 

The department values the service and dedication of its volunteers. Volunteers play a tremendous roll in our organization and without the services of our volunteers, it would very difficult to provide the services currently being provided, however we no longer have the number of people willing to volunteer that we once had. We offer many benefits to our volunteers to help retain them but we still struggle with adding new members.

Accomplishments:

Williamston Fire/Rescue/EMS improved it rural rating from a 9S to a 5 a few years ago by purchasing a 3500 gallon tanker, conducting county wide water haul exercises and participating in the county wide automatic aid program. With this exercise we have not only strengthened our water haul capabilities but have improved our relationship with other county departments. We are able to come together, train and discuss specific needs for our organizations.

In 2016 our department improved its EMS services from Basic to Advanced Life Support with most of the staff and many volunteers certifying as Advanced Emergency Medical Technicians.

One of our proudest accomplishments occurred in 1995 when we were chosen to provide Emergency Hazardous Materials Response to the 25 Counties in Northeastern North Carolina by receiving RRT-1 through NC Emergency Management and the North Carolina Department of Public Safety. Working with many Chiefs and Emergency Management Coordinators through the years has been a highlight.