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Forsyth County study finds gaps in fire coverage; staff recommends systemwide funding and policy changes
Summary
A staff fire‑service study presented April 21 found uneven coverage, steep declines in volunteer staffing and growing reliance on mutual aid. County staff recommended operating and funding fire services as a system, creating an advisory fire commission and a systemwide capital plan.
At an April 21 Forsyth County briefing, staff presented the county's fire‑service study and recommended shifting to a systemwide approach to funding and operations after finding coverage gaps in parts of the county.
The report, led by Deputy County Manager Kyle Haney, said primary concerns are declining volunteer participation and uneven resources across the county's 25 fire tax and service districts. "The basic coverage is not being met in some areas of the county," Haney told commissioners as he summarized the study group's findings.
Why it matters: county residents in different tax districts currently receive markedly different levels of funding and staffing. That variation has produced differences in response times and a growing dependence on automatic mutual aid when local apparatus or personnel are unavailable.
Key findings and evidence - Volunteer decline: The study group found volunteer rosters had fallen from more than 1,000 volunteers historically to about 285 countywide; only 136 of those were certified for interior structural firefighting. Haney said volunteers now run roughly 7% of emergency calls. -…
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