Haywood County Cares: Fire Marshal Andrew Messer
Andrew Messer has worked in public safety since 2001. He began as a volunteer firefighter, but has also worked as a 911 dispatcher and an EMT as well.
In his day job, he is the Fire Marshal for Haywood County. His work entails investigating the cause and origin of fires, conducting routine fire safety inspections of businesses, teaching fire and life safety classes for public groups, among other duties.
During the COVID-19 incident, along with his duties as Fire Marshal, he is also serving on the Haywood County IMT as the Communications Unit Leader where he maintains communications via radio with team members and monitors current incidents for information. He also runs the EverBridge system that is used for communications via messaging and creating conference calls for the IMT. He is the person behind most of the Haywood Alerts sent to both responders and the Haywood County citizens.
For anyone who has not signed up for Haywood Alerts, visit alerts.haywoodcountync.gov to register. It only takes a few moments to register.
“This response effort involves many people working diligently on many different levels for a common goal. This truly is a team effort. Just as a puzzle fits together, no team is complete without all the pieces of the puzzle. Ever since a young age, I knew it was my calling to be a servant in public safety. During these uncertain times, I’m just honored that I get to serve alongside my team members.”