West Buncombe Fire Department
Protecting the community of Buncombe County
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The mission of the West Buncombe Fire Department is to protect the lives, property, and environment of the residents of the community of Buncombe County by providing exceptional public safety services. We accomplish this mission through professionalism by being prepared, compassionate, focused on customer service, and evolving our profession through continuous self and organizational improvement.
We are Hiring!
Join West Buncombe Fire Department Today!
Join the ranks of heroes today! If you’re fearless, compassionate, and ready to make a real impact, consider becoming a firefighter.
It’s a career of purpose, continual learning, and deep community respect. Your community needs you now more than ever.
Take the first step towards becoming a hero – follow the link below to learn more and start your journey today!
Who We Are
Learn a little more about the West Buncombe Fire Department
A need for an organized fire department within the Erwin Hills Community was recognized by a small group of Lions Club members just a half mile from our current station. It was through their commitment and tenacity that in March 1959, the West Buncombe Volunteer Fire Department was established.
Interestingly, the men of the Lions Club wished to name the newly created fire department the Erwin Hills Volunteer Fire Department but alas, another North Carolina Fire Department had already claimed that name. Garfield Treadway, a Lions Club member and current Fire Chief of the Asheville Veterans Administration, was named Chief. Since 1959, West Buncombe has only had eight Fire Chiefs. Chief Dennis Fagnant currently serves as our Fire Chief and is only the second paid, full-time Chief we’ve had.
Since our humble beginnings in 1959 as an all-volunteer fire department, we now staff two stations strategically located within our 25.8 square miles and employ 30 full-time & 20 part-time paid firefighters, 35 volunteer firefighters, and 1 business manager; a third station in the Dix Creek Area is planned. All stations are staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with a minimum staffing of 8 paid personnel. The department is proud to hold an ISO rating of 3.
Our Mission
The mission of the West Buncombe Fire Department is to protect the lives, property, and environment of the residents of the community and of Buncombe County by providing exceptional public safety services. We accomplish this mission through professionalism by being prepared, compassionate, focused on customer service, and evolving our profession through continuous self and organizational improvement.
Our Values
To Protect – Lives, Property, and Environment.
To Serve – Our public and each other before ourselves and any personal gain.
Our Vision
To continue our steadfast commitment to serving our community by delivering an unparalleled level of customer service.
We will invest in our staff by being a transparent, collaborative, and compassionate employer. Leadership commits to helping staff attain greater heights of personal and professional achievement through training, goal setting, and increasing responsibility. It is our shared vision to work towards greater health and wellness initiatives to achieve a better and longer quality of life in active service and continuing into retirement.
Our goal is to establish and maintain a high-performing department that is both expected and deserved by the community we serve. We understand it is our duty to respond quickly, safely, and most importantly, professionally when called on by our citizens. We will respond with understanding and compassion regardless of circumstances as we recognize all members of our community deserve high-quality care. Emergency response is only one tenet of responsibility to our community and thus, we endeavor to increase our visibility and engagement within the community and to increase our education related to the reduction of injuries and fires.
To meet the needs of our staff and community, it will take both a financial and personal commitment. Department leadership and its stakeholders commit to these needs while conscientiously being the best stewards of the resources provided to us. Our actions and business practices shall be in line with best practices and will continue to be transparent and accountable.
Interested In Joining?
The West Buncombe Fire Department is currently accepting applications for the following positions:
- Firefighter/EMT – Full-time and Part-time, open until positions are filled.
VOLUNTEER
Our volunteer program is temporarily not accepting new applicants. Please check back.
Equal Opportunity Statement
At the West Buncombe Fire Department, we don’t just accept difference – we celebrate it, we support it, and we thrive on it for the benefit of our employees, our service delivery, and the diverse community in which we serve. West Buncombe Fire is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace. Background checks and drug testing is required for all employees.
