History
Mills River Fire and Rescue is located in Henderson County, North Carolina, and provides fire and rescue protection to approximately 9,000 citizens in a 67.29 square mile area, 29.7 square miles of which are inside the Pisgah National Forest.
We were organized in 1968 by a group of active community leaders. The land where the main station sits off Schoolhouse Road was donated by Mr. and Mrs. Ed Brown and Mrs. Ginger Brown Weisberg. The first apparatus was a 1965 International sewer truck which the firefighters converted to a modest fire truck. This conversion work was done in a farm shed owned by one of the founding firefighters, Mr. David Brown. There was no money for a building to be built at the time, so this truck was stationed at another founding firefighter's residence on North Mills River Road, Mr. Max Carland. Through many fundraising events and the establishment of a fire tax district, a fire station was built in 1969 consisting of a small training/meeting room and four apparatus bays.
During the early years, the firefighters were notified by phone for emergency responses as pagers could not be afforded. As funding would allow, radio receivers for receiving dispatch information, and protective structural clothing gear, were purchased for each of the 24 founding firefighters. Some of these firefighters even paid for their own gear and radios. As the community and department grew, two additional apparatus bays were added in 1977. Again, as the department grew, another addition was added in 1986. This addition consisted of four apparatus bays, two offices, two restrooms, a kitchen, and a larger training/meeting room. Much of this work, as well as for the first two projects, was donated by members of the department.
In 1983, Mills River Fire and Rescue became the first rural fire department in Western North Carolina to achieve better than a Class 9 insurance rating as a result of much hard work and dedication. This new rating was a Class 7. In 1999 this rating was improved again to a Class 5, and in 2009 was improved to a Class 4. In 2019 this rating was improved again to our current Class 3.
In 1975, Mills River was one of the first two fire departments in the area to have firefighters certified as emergency medical technicians (EMT's) to begin providing emergency medical care. In 1991, Mills River was the first fire department in the area to upgrade our emergency medical care by providing defibrillation and advanced airway care for victims of cardiac arrest. We were also the first area fire department to have volunteers certified as North Carolina Level II Firefighters.
In 2001, due to exceptional commercial and industrial growth in the northern portion of our fire district, the North Carolina Department of Insurance recommended the construction of a substation in this area. Land for this station was donated by an early firefighter and his wife, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Pryor, and this construction was completed in 2003. In 2006, again due to growth, the Department of Insurance recommended construction of a second substation in the Boylston/Longview area of our district. Land for this station was purchased from Mr. and Mrs. Max Hutchins and construction was completed in 2008.
In 2007, again due to growth and an upcoming rating inspection, the Department of Insurance recommended construction of another substation in the upper North and South Mills River area. Land for this station was donated by Mrs. Alice Krebs, whose family members resided here and owned land in this area for many years. Construction of this station (The George Mullinax Station) was also completed in 2008.
In 2014, Mills River Fire and Rescue purchased 7 acres of the former "Ritter Airport" property on Boylston Highway from Mr. and Mrs. Joe Wright for the construction of a new main fire station. Construction of this new station will hopefully begin in 2021.
The department now has 50 volunteer firefighters, 9 junior cadet volunteer firefighters, 1 paid career chief, 1 paid career daytime captain, 3 paid career shift lieutenants, 6 paid part-time shift firefighters, and 1 paid part-time administrative assistant/treasurer. We also have a very active volunteer ladies auxiliary group which is a very important part of our department. Well over half of our firefighters are NC Level II certified and half of our firefighters also hold emergency medical certifications, either as EMT's or Medical Responders.
The emergency calls which the department responds to vary widely from one to another. Over half of these calls are emergency medical calls and vehicle accidents in which we assist Henderson County EMS. Other calls include fires of all types, searches for lost persons, downed power lines and trees, flooding rescues, plane crashes, and assisting other fire departments as needed.
The number of emergency calls during the early years was very few, less than 20 per year. However, as our community has grown, so too have the number of emergency calls we respond to. This number is now approximately 1,700 per year.
We were organized in 1968 by a group of active community leaders. The land where the main station sits off Schoolhouse Road was donated by Mr. and Mrs. Ed Brown and Mrs. Ginger Brown Weisberg. The first apparatus was a 1965 International sewer truck which the firefighters converted to a modest fire truck. This conversion work was done in a farm shed owned by one of the founding firefighters, Mr. David Brown. There was no money for a building to be built at the time, so this truck was stationed at another founding firefighter's residence on North Mills River Road, Mr. Max Carland. Through many fundraising events and the establishment of a fire tax district, a fire station was built in 1969 consisting of a small training/meeting room and four apparatus bays.
During the early years, the firefighters were notified by phone for emergency responses as pagers could not be afforded. As funding would allow, radio receivers for receiving dispatch information, and protective structural clothing gear, were purchased for each of the 24 founding firefighters. Some of these firefighters even paid for their own gear and radios. As the community and department grew, two additional apparatus bays were added in 1977. Again, as the department grew, another addition was added in 1986. This addition consisted of four apparatus bays, two offices, two restrooms, a kitchen, and a larger training/meeting room. Much of this work, as well as for the first two projects, was donated by members of the department.
In 1983, Mills River Fire and Rescue became the first rural fire department in Western North Carolina to achieve better than a Class 9 insurance rating as a result of much hard work and dedication. This new rating was a Class 7. In 1999 this rating was improved again to a Class 5, and in 2009 was improved to a Class 4. In 2019 this rating was improved again to our current Class 3.
In 1975, Mills River was one of the first two fire departments in the area to have firefighters certified as emergency medical technicians (EMT's) to begin providing emergency medical care. In 1991, Mills River was the first fire department in the area to upgrade our emergency medical care by providing defibrillation and advanced airway care for victims of cardiac arrest. We were also the first area fire department to have volunteers certified as North Carolina Level II Firefighters.
In 2001, due to exceptional commercial and industrial growth in the northern portion of our fire district, the North Carolina Department of Insurance recommended the construction of a substation in this area. Land for this station was donated by an early firefighter and his wife, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Pryor, and this construction was completed in 2003. In 2006, again due to growth, the Department of Insurance recommended construction of a second substation in the Boylston/Longview area of our district. Land for this station was purchased from Mr. and Mrs. Max Hutchins and construction was completed in 2008.
In 2007, again due to growth and an upcoming rating inspection, the Department of Insurance recommended construction of another substation in the upper North and South Mills River area. Land for this station was donated by Mrs. Alice Krebs, whose family members resided here and owned land in this area for many years. Construction of this station (The George Mullinax Station) was also completed in 2008.
In 2014, Mills River Fire and Rescue purchased 7 acres of the former "Ritter Airport" property on Boylston Highway from Mr. and Mrs. Joe Wright for the construction of a new main fire station. Construction of this new station will hopefully begin in 2021.
The department now has 50 volunteer firefighters, 9 junior cadet volunteer firefighters, 1 paid career chief, 1 paid career daytime captain, 3 paid career shift lieutenants, 6 paid part-time shift firefighters, and 1 paid part-time administrative assistant/treasurer. We also have a very active volunteer ladies auxiliary group which is a very important part of our department. Well over half of our firefighters are NC Level II certified and half of our firefighters also hold emergency medical certifications, either as EMT's or Medical Responders.
The emergency calls which the department responds to vary widely from one to another. Over half of these calls are emergency medical calls and vehicle accidents in which we assist Henderson County EMS. Other calls include fires of all types, searches for lost persons, downed power lines and trees, flooding rescues, plane crashes, and assisting other fire departments as needed.
The number of emergency calls during the early years was very few, less than 20 per year. However, as our community has grown, so too have the number of emergency calls we respond to. This number is now approximately 1,700 per year.
OUR FOUNDING FIREFIGHTERS, TO WHOM WE WILL FOREVER BE INDEBTED
James Barnett Norman Hollingsworth Clarence Jenkins Guy Livingston James Maney Richard Marlowe Ralph Moore Albert Morgan Richard Murdock Dr. Howard Norton William Patterson Tom Souther Forrest Young David Brown Sam Brittain Max Carland Emory Carland Wayne Carland Bill Fowler Gerald Fowler Paul Fowler Don Fullam Donnie Goode Joe Lee Heffner |