Heroism, accomplishments by city employees, recognized by Mayor and City Council

Six city employees were recognized by Asheville City Council at its August 13 meeting. Council thanked for their hard work, drive for improvement, and, in one case, heroism. Darlene Barnwell, who works in the city’s Customer Service Division, received a standing ovation for her heroic rescue of an 8-year-old boy who was being attacked by dogs [...]

City of Asheville employees selected for Leadership Asheville

The City of Asheville is pleased to announce that Deputy Finance Director Eric Hardy and Asheville Fire Department Public Information Officer Kelley Klope have both been selected to attend the 32nd Leadership Asheville Class beginning in September. Leadership Asheville, operated through UNC Asheville is an important resource to the community, with participants honing leadership and collaborative [...]

Apply for AFD’s 2013 Fire Escape Camp

The Asheville Fire Department is recruiting middle-school age kids for its summer camp to be held June 24 – 26. This a great way for kids to have fun and learn what it is like to be a City of Asheville firefighter. Click here for the 2013 Fire Escape Application. Apply by June 7. Below [...]

Volunteer to help the Asheville Fire Department repaint fire hydrants

There are nearly 4,000 fire hydrants in the City of Asheville and every couple of years they need a new coat of paint. Each year, the Asheville Fire Department repaints one half of Asheville’s fire hydrants in order to extend their life spans and to be more visible to firefighters. Covering that kind of ground [...]

CoA employees give at the AFD/APD Blood Drive

A big thanks to all of the City of Asheville employees who came out and donated at the Asheville Fire Department and Asheville Police Department Blood Drive on October 24. The drive, held in the City of Asheville Municipal Building that houses both the APD and AFD, saw donors from multiple departments contributing where it [...]

Asheville Fire Department: sprinkler systems save homes and lives

October is Fire Prevention Month, but the Asheville Fire Department already has an important message about the difference a sprinkler system can make in reducing fire damage. From the AFD FireLine page: On September 24, 2012 the Asheville Fire Department was dispatched to 9091 Verde Vista Cr. in response to a reported structure fire. Crews arrived on [...]

Bridge named for AFD Capt. Jeff Bowen

Asheville Fire Department Captain Jeff Bowen, who died in the line of duty while battling a 2011 blaze, was memorialized Aug. 15 with the renaming of a bridge that spans the French Broad River in Asheville. In a ceremony attended by hundreds, including firefighters from Asheville and many other areas, a sign recognizing the Capt. Jeff [...]

Honoring AFD Capt. Jeff Bowen one year later

July 28 marked the one year anniversary of the passing of Asheville Fire Department Captain Jeff Bowen, who lost his life in the line of duty while fighting a 2011 blaze at 445 Biltmore Avenue. To mark the occasion and honor Capt. Bowen’s life and service, a memorial service was held at Asheville-Buncombe Community College. The [...]

Bele Chere Top 10 Things to Know: navigating the festival and doing it safely

#4: Find your way One of the best parts of Bele Chere is wandering around the festival, running into unexpected friends and searching for treasures in artist booths or stumbling upon a fantastic street performer. But sometimes, you want to get somewhere right now, be it a band or a bathroom, and you need to know how [...]

20 years on the force: APD’s Sgt. Danny Holden retires

On July 9, friends, family and colleagues gathered to mark the retirement of Sgt. Danny Holden and celebrate his 20 years with the Asheville Police Department. Holden has a law enforcement career under his belt that totals nearly 30 years, having come to the APD from the Transylvania County Sheriff’s Department in 1992. In 1999, he [...]

Fire Camp a great escape for kids

For 28 youths, this week was a chance to fill the boots of firefighters at the City of Asheville Fire Department’s Fire Escape camp. For the third year in a row, AFD hosted the three-day camp for boys and girls in grades six through eight. Attendance at the camp, held at the Asheville Firefighters Association Camp [...]