Cabarrus County reviews $1 million plan to co‑locate Squad 4‑10 at Allen Volunteer Fire Department

Cabarrus County commissioners convened a special meeting to gather public comment on a proposal to co‑locate County Squad 4‑10 at a new Allen Volunteer Fire Department station and to consider a county contribution capped at $1,000,000 to enlarge the building so the squad could be housed on site. County staff described the $1 million as a not‑to‑exceed figure and said the squad’s footprint would be roughly 36% of the new station — approximately 3,000 square feet — with dedicated berths, restrooms and offices and shared kitchen and day‑room space.

The issue drew divided responses from volunteer chiefs, Squad 4‑10 leadership and county staff. Randy Dozier, chief of the Allen Volunteer Fire Department, told commissioners, “there's been a misunderstanding on the stance of Allen Fire Department with this project,” and said prior remarks that Allen would “move forward with or without the county” referred to a different partnership, not the current co‑location proposal. Tim Arlacher, a 40‑year emergency‑services veteran who helped lead the former county rescue squad, characterized the original creation of Squad 4‑10 as having been “pushed down our throat,” a phrase echoed by other volunteer chiefs who said the squad duplicated equipment and capabilities already held by local departments.

County staff and the fire marshal framed the proposal as one option among several to address a countywide staffing shortfall. The county’s fire marshal, Jacob Thompson, said Squad 4‑10 was created in 2017 to provide supplemental services amid declining volunteerism and that the unit currently employs 13 full‑time equivalent positions. Thompson told the meeting that the squad’s budget is paid from the county general fund — not the rural fire‑district tax — and suggested the county could pursue alternative staffing models, including county‑hired firefighters leased to local stations and other joint staffing arrangements used in other North Carolina counties.

Several chiefs urged alternatives to co‑locating the squad in Allen. Chiefs suggested building a standalone squad facility on county‑owned property at the fairgrounds along Highway 49, placing the squad closer to main thoroughfares for faster county‑wide access, or reallocating funds to put more paid personnel directly into existing volunteer stations. Coldwater Volunteer Fire Department leaders said county dollars might be better used to address manpower shortfalls across multiple stations rather than funding a single department expansion.

Commissioners and staff also addressed legal and operational issues. A commissioner cited Ordinance No. 2020‑50 §34‑31 (duties of the fire marshal) and asked why the county and commission had not been notified earlier about the Allen station plans; Thompson said current contracts and ordinances lack a definitive benchmark requiring routine commissioner notification and that staff elevates matters when liability or other concerns require commissioner attention. Thompson and staff also explained that the county controls run cards to reduce ad‑hoc changes by individual departments and noted a special local session law (cited in the meeting as session law actions ratified in 2006/2009/2010) that gives the board authority to adjust fire‑district lines without a citizen petition. Several volunteers said that potential future redistricting — which can affect a department’s tax base — fuels distrust among departments.

On insurance‑rating concerns, Thompson clarified that ISO ratings focus primarily on structure‑fire responses and that the squad’s presence would not automatically change ISO scores under current definitions. Chiefs emphasized that citizens expect rapid, visible response to 911 calls and urged practical placement of resources to meet that expectation.

No formal decision was made on the co‑location or county funding during the meeting. Commissioners asked staff to provide clearer, regular updates going forward and encouraged better communication among chiefs to resolve operational questions at the fire‑service level. Before adjourning, the board voted by voice to enter a closed session to consult the county attorney on pending litigation; the co‑location matter remains pending and subject to further staff reports and commissioner consideration.

The transcript of the meeting includes detailed statements from Allen Fire Department Chief Randy Dozier, county Fire Marshal Jacob Thompson, multiple volunteer chiefs (including Coldwater and Mount Pleasant), Squad 4‑10 staff and several commissioners. Commissioners gave no immediate funding approval; next steps noted in the meeting were additional information requests, improved inter‑chief coordination and future follow‑up to address district, funding and staffing options.