Each year the WNC Association of Firefighters gives an award to an outstanding individual who has distinguished himself or herself in the fire service. The association accepts nominations from across the western part of state from 395 departments and over 13,000 firefighters in search of just such an individual. This year, Asheville firefighter Jay Bettencourt [...]
ASHEVILLE – In recognition of Fire Safety Month and fire dangers associated with the fall and winter seasons – wood burning stoves, Christmas trees, etc. – the City of Asheville’s Risk Management Division and the Asheville Fire Department this week hosted portable fire extinguisher training for staff. The training focused on the general principles of portable [...]
ASHEVILLE – Local leaders say the community is best served during emergencies and national disasters when area governments work together, sharing information and resources under the unified goal of lessening risks and hazards to the public. This type of cooperation has a name: hazard mitigation. On Tuesday, Asheville City Council approved a resolution adopting the latest [...]
ASHEVILLE – Members of the Asheville community, city leaders and staff on Sunday gathered to observe the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. The ceremony was led by the Asheville Fire Department and was held in the Ferguson Auditorium of Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College. Officials say the total number of people killed in [...]
ASHEVILLE – The Development Services Center is continuing its emphasis on providing excellent customer service by seeking regular feedback from the people it serves. Staff recently issued an online customer service survey to gauge their performance. The goal is to keep doing what customers say is working and to improve in areas that customers felt were [...]
ASHEVILLE – The Asheville Police Department hosted the 2011 BadgeBall softball tournament Aug. 13-14 to raise money for the Fallen Firefighters Fund and North Carolina Special Olympics. Games were played the first day at Jackson Park in Henderson County, and the championship games were Sunday at McCormick Field in Asheville. The team from Henderson County took the [...]
ASHEVILLE – The City of Asheville Youth Leadership Academy (CAYLA) fosters success stories for students year after year. From 2008-2011, the total scholarship money awarded to CAYLA students was more than $400,000. In addition, 100 percent of CAYLA students in 2008-2010, as well as the 2011 graduating class have been accepted to college. The below vignettes focus [...]
ASHEVILLE – The Asheville Fire Department recently received delivery of a mass evacuation bus that will greatly increase public safety officials’ ability to handle larger emergencies and disasters in the region. It was purchased with a $357,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Grant Program, said Asheville Fire Department Division Chief Joe Meadows. The bus, [...]
Utilizing prop obstacles and cutting equipment, the Asheville Fire Department trained at a warehouse in Swannanoa June 20-22 on techniques to enter structures that are locked or guarded by bars or garage doors. AFD Division Chief of Safety & Training Barry Hendren says: “One of a Ladder Company’s primary functions when they respond to a fire is [...]
An international organization of government IT workers recognized the City of Asheville June 15 for an innovative and cost effective point-to-point network connecting the city’s emergency response network. The system, implemented with the assistance of IT Services, the Asheville Fire Department, and Building Safety, and with a partnership with the locally-based Skyrunner, grew out of a [...]
A training exercise held on the campus of UNC Asheville May 24-26 reinforced the ability of the Asheville Fire Department and other agencies to cross-communicate with each other in the case of a regional emergency incident, as well as provided an opportunity to stage a large-scale drill. The exercise, funded by the Department of Homeland Security, [...]
The Asheville Fire Department has a new high-tech guest: a newly-acquired robot designed to aid in the department in hazardous materials responses will allow firefighters to handle especially dangerous situations while maintaining a safe distance. The Talon robot, designed by QinetiQ North America, comes thanks to federal Department of Homeland Security funds allocated to supply the [...]