Asheville Fire Department gears up for Citizens Fire Academy

The Asheville Fire Department is accepting applications for its second Citizens Fire Academy, following last year’s inaugural program. During an eight-week course running March 29 through May participants will get an up-close look at the many facets of AFD operations. There will be a hazmat day, medical day, rescue operations session, ladder truck operations day [...]

Asheville Police Department celebrates Citizen’s Police Academy graduates

The Asheville Police Department celebrated the graduation of its Fall Citizen’s Police Academy class on December 15, with 25 people graduating from the program. The program allows citizens to gain an understanding of the police department and how it operates. The Citizen’s Police Academy is a 14-week program in which participants can experience up close and [...]

Asheville Fire Department: Smoke alarms save lives and property

Unattended cooking is a leading cause of house fires, according to the Asheville Fire Department. The Asheville Fire Department responded to a fire alarm activation at a residence this past week, forced entry and found food left on the stove. Thanks to the fire alarm, which was monitored by an outside agency, and the quick response [...]

For safety try flameless candles this Halloween

Flameless candles are a fun and safe alternative to using real ones in a festive jack-o’-lantern or with other decorations. Children dressed in costumes excitedly running door to door to trick-or-treat, festive decorations like glowing jack-o-lanterns, paper ghosts and dried cornstalks adorning front porches – these are some of the classic hallmarks of Halloween that make [...]

Every smoke alarm has an expiration date: What’s yours?

The Asheville Fire Department urges City of Asheville residents to know how old their smoke alarms are, and to replace them every 10 years   Does your home have a smoke alarm? According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the answer is likely yes: NFPA research shows that most American homes have at least one. But do you know [...]

911 ceremony photo

City of Asheville holds 9/11 remembrance ceremony

The City of Asheville held a 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony at 10:30 a.m. Sept. 11 in front of the Municipal Building, 100 Court Plaza. The ceremony was in remembrance of the 2,996 people who died during the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and on hijacked United Airlines Flight 93. The ceremony opened [...]

Asheville firefighters set to run 200-mile+ Blue Ridge Relay

Twelve Asheville Fire Department employees will compete in the Blue Ridge Relay this weekend. This marks the sixth year that a team of firefighters from AFD have completed the 208 mile course. Typically finishing in about 26 hours; each athlete will run an average of 17 miles. The team will be competing with 175 other teams from across the [...]

City of Asheville and Asheville firefighters to host Tunnel2Towers 5K

Event honors those who perished on 9/11 Among the promises made by Americans after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, was to pay homage to those who perished, and to never allow the heroism and resilience displayed by Americans in the aftermath to be forgotten. As we near the 15th anniversary of 9/11, the City of [...]

Asheville media offered opportunity to cover rapid deployment training

From 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. August 3, media representatives are invited to attend rapid deployment training. The training, which has involved the Asheville Police Department, Asheville Fire Department and Buncombe County Emergency Medical Services, will take place at the Career Technical Education building beside Asheville High School (419 McDowell St., Asheville). There will be opportunity [...]

Asheville Police, Fire Department officers to participate in Carolina Brotherhood Ride

Firefighters and police officers from North and South Carolina will cycle approximately 460 miles in five days to pay tribute to fallen brothers and sisters from the Carolinas. Riders will head out on July 25 from Columbia, S.C., and will end their journey on July 29 Raleigh. Several Asheville Firefighters and Asheville Police Officers are among [...]

Asheville Fire Department: Play it safe this Fourth of July

Each Fourth of July 4, thousands of people, most often kids and teens, are injured while using consumer fireworks. On a typical Fourth of July, there are more fires nationally than on any other day of the year, with fireworks accounting for two out of five of those fires, more than any other cause of [...]