WAKE FOREST, N.C.-- The Wake Forest Fire Department is aggressively trying to keep up with an increased demand for service in the Wake Forest area. Discuss this story.

 

The fire department is an independent agency that contracts with the Town of Wake Forest and Wake County. The town funds about 80 percent of its budget; the county provides about 20 percent.

 

The department currently has about half the firefighters paid, and the other half are volunteers.

 

Chief Jerry Swift says that during the day, when fewer volunteers are available to go out on calls, they almost always have to bring in mutual aid from neighboring fire departments.

 

Wednesday, Wake Forest Fire responded to a house fire on South Main Street and called in crews from Stony Hill and Falls Fire Departments for back up.

 

"We're only able to show up with eight people to fight fire currently," said Chief Swift. "Safety wise on the fire ground, that's not really good. We need at least fifteen to eighteen people on the fire ground."

 

The department is growing. On September 10th, a group of nine new recruits started to undergo three to four months of training.

 

Some of those recruits are making the transition from volunteer firefighters to full time paid staff.

"It's something to get used to. I had never done any ladder company work," says Randy Privette, a new recruit from Franklinton. "We're in class every day, seven to five."

 

The new firefighters bring the number of full time staff to forty. That staffing level will allow the fire department to operate a third station in town.

 

That station will sit on four acres of land on Forestville Road. Department officials are still deciding what kind of construction work will need to be done to use the site. It is set to be in operation sometime in early 2008.

 

Chief Swift says he plans to ask the Town of Wake Forest and Wake County for funding to add 27 positions to the staff in the next budget cycle.

 

Plans are also in the works to open a fourth and fifth station over the next few years.