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Fire marshal urges unified fire tax district to shore up staffing and standards
Summary
Buncombe County’s fire marshal presented a findings report recommending consolidation of fire tax districts into a unified fire tax district, adoption of minimum service standards and a multi‑year plan to address uneven funding, aging equipment and volunteer declines; the board set a timeline for notice and a public hearing.
Kevin, Buncombe County’s fire marshal, told the Board of Commissioners the county faces “uneven financial sustainability across Buncombe County fire departments,” aging apparatus and falling volunteer numbers and that those conditions support creating a unified fire tax district to stabilize funding and services.
The report presented to the board, prepared under authority of North Carolina General Statute 153A‑304, lays out a two‑part approach: (1) adopt basic minimum service standards agreed by county fire chiefs (examples included a suburban standard of 22 firefighters on scene within 10 minutes 80% of the time and rural adjustments with an extra five minutes), and (2) create a unified fire tax district to provide long‑term funding to meet those standards. Kevin said meeting the standards will be a multi‑year effort that will depend on the county’s broader fiscal health.
Commissioners pressed for details about how the change would affect who responds to calls and how funding would be distributed across districts. Kevin and staff emphasized that the change is a unification of tax districts, not a consolidation of fire departments: “If this board sees to pass this, the fire department that comes to your home on June 30th will be the fire department that comes to your home … the same dedicated community members you’re used to dealing with on July 1.”
The report notes substantial variation in current tax rates and service capacity and recommends adopting modified standards (not full NFPA 1710/1720) tailored to Buncombe County. Staff outlined next steps: mail notices to property owners, a public hearing request at the April 21 meeting and an ordinance vote thereafter, and incorporation of the unified tax rate into the recommended budget to be shared May 2 with a budget public hearing May 19 and budget adoption June 2.
The fire marshal said the plan is intended to reduce risk to firefighters and the public, improve long‑term apparatus and personnel funding, and create an equitable baseline for fire protection across the county. No final ordinance or tax rate was adopted at the March 17 meeting; the board will take formal action after the required notices and hearings.
