Surry County fire and rescue departments seek more funding for staffing, aging equipment and station repairs

Representatives of Surry County’s rescue squads and volunteer fire departments told the Board of Commissioners on Wednesday night that rising costs, aging equipment and heavier call volumes are driving requests for additional county support and grant funding.

Austin Love, representing the Surry County Rescue Association, told commissioners the association submitted three applications this year through the county’s Neighborly portal: one association-wide request and two department-specific applications. “We capped our increase at 7.5%,” Love said, noting the cap does not fully cover inflation and rising operating costs. He said Mount Airy Rescue Squad has secured half the funding it needs from the City of Mount Airy to hire a paid person for peak hours, and Elkin Rescue Squad expects revenue from its transport service to reduce future county assistance needs.

Why it matters: Several volunteer fire departments described apparatus and equipment that exceed recommended service lives and said shortfalls in overnight and weekend coverage are increasing missed calls. Departments asked the county either to approve modest tax increases for their fire districts, fund part-time or full-time coverage, or continue awarding the county’s $50,000 capital grant that departments said helps complete station repairs and pay for critical needs.

Mountain Park Fire Department assistant chief Michael Marr said his department covers the county’s largest response area and has vehicles well beyond recommended life spans. “This truck is 39 years old,” Marr said of a 1986 engine that remains in frontline service. Marr told the board the department’s newest engine required a $20,000 light upfit and general repairs after warranty expiration, and that the department has a $314,784 loan on a recently completed substation.

Pilot Mountain-area and nearby departments similarly described aging fleets and rising maintenance costs. A department spokesperson told commissioners its fleet average is 18.33 years and that nine self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) are 29 years old; “those packs are over $8,000 each,” the speaker said, and the department requested replacement for five units.

Central Surry and other departments emphasized personnel funding as the primary driver of budget requests. A Central Surry presenter said a proposed 0.013-cent tax increase would raise the district rate from 0.091 to 0.104, largely to fund a part-time paid person seven days a week; the presenter estimated one cent of fire district tax yields about $35,000–$67,000 depending on the district’s assessed value. Central Surry also told the board it is in talks with another nearby department about a possible merger, but said no decision or logistics had been finalized.

Westfield Fire Department representative Jonathan Sutton said Westfield’s ISO rating recently improved from a 5 to a 4 and listed community programs and outreach (holiday toy and food drives, school fire-prevention weeks) as part of the department’s service portfolio. Westfield sought the county’s $50,000 capital grant to repair older bay doors, replace deteriorating pavement, and add parking-lot lighting to reduce vandalism and improve safety.

Multiple departments noted grant competitiveness is increasing. Skoll Camp (presented as “Skull Cam” in meeting materials) said it has relied on FEMA and AFG grants in past years for radios and SCBAs and that those programs are now more competitive and favor larger jurisdictions. Several departments listed recent grant awards including SAFER and federal grants for breathing apparatus and training equipment; they said grant shortfalls are making county contributions more critical to maintain response levels.

Commission staff and several commissioners asked departments for supporting documents, including audit or Form 990 filings. County staff member Laura confirmed many departments had filed required materials and asked others to submit missing documents; several presenters said they were updating accountants and working to resolve outstanding filings. No formal funding actions or budget approvals were taken at the meeting.

The board recessed after hearing from the departments; commissioners said they will consider the requests as part of the county’s budget process and revenue-neutral tax-rate work later in the review cycle.