Waynesville mulls adding eight firefighters

haywoodWaynesville town leaders will decide this month whether to raise property taxes to hire additional firefighters, and if so, by how much.

More firefighters needed, but is it worth a tax increase?

haywoodWaynesville leaders will face a big decision this budget year: whether to increase property taxes by 10 percent to pay for additional firefighters.

As volunteer fire cavalry wanes, quick response hinges on a core of paid staff

fr firefightersWaynesville town leaders heard something they didn’t necessarily want to hear last week.

Franklin hires new fire chief

maconKevin Rohrer, a captain with Morrisville Fire and Rescue Department, has been hired as Franklin’s fulltime fire chief to replace former interim chief Warren Cabe.

Canton Fire Department earns better insurance rating

fr cantonfiredeptNow that the North Carolina Department of Insurance issued the Canton Fire Department a Class 4 rating this week, Canton homeowners should see a little savings on their fire insurance premiums.

Desperate for recruits, volunteer firefighters hope to change the perception that their brotherhood is a boys’ club

fr fire2Despite the stereotype of volunteer firefighters as Type A alpha males, knowing your Nascar drivers and driving a pick-up truck isn’t a prerequisite for being a volunteer firefighter.

When duty calls: A critical shortage of volunteer firefighters threatens a time-honored American tradition

coverLittle boys worship them. Bruce Springsteen memorialized them. The helpless count on them. 

Volunteer firefighters are a symbol of American strength and determination, pillars in their community who answer the call of duty when friends and neighbors need them most.

SEE ALSO: Desperate for recruits, volunteer firefighters hope to change the perception that their brotherhood is a boys’ club

Franklin to hire fulltime fire chief

franklinAs the demand for services continues to grow, Franklin will begin its search for a full-time fire chief to run the Franklin Fire Department.

Fire tax approved for southern Jackson County

cashiersMark Jones has never voted for a tax increase before, but the Jackson County Commissioner joined the rest of the board in favor of instituting a fire tax for the Cashiers and Highlands areas of the county last week.

Cashiers residents support fire department, question fairness of proposed fire tax

fr firetaxA public hearing to get Cashiers’ take on a proposed fire tax for the area drew about 70 people to the Cashiers-Glenville Recreation Center. Judging by the 10 speakers who said their piece to the Jackson County Commissioners, one opinion is fairly unanimous among Cashiers taxpayers: the Cashiers Fire Department needs more revenue. 

Smokey Mountain News Logo
SUPPORT THE SMOKY MOUNTAIN NEWS AND
INDEPENDENT, AWARD-WINNING JOURNALISM
Go to top
Payment Information

/

At our inception 20 years ago, we chose to be different. Unlike other news organizations, we made the decision to provide in-depth, regional reporting free to anyone who wanted access to it. We don’t plan to change that model. Support from our readers will help us maintain and strengthen the editorial independence that is crucial to our mission to help make Western North Carolina a better place to call home. If you are able, please support The Smoky Mountain News.

The Smoky Mountain News is a wholly private corporation. Reader contributions support the journalistic mission of SMN to remain independent. Your support of SMN does not constitute a charitable donation. If you have a question about contributing to SMN, please contact us.