Fuquay Varina marks 100 years of fire service; mayor presents key to retiring commissioner

Fuquay Varina honored a century of local fire service and recognized outgoing Commissioner Jason Watts at the Nov. 8 Town Board meeting.

Mayor Blake Massingale read a proclamation celebrating the Fuquay Varina Fire Departments 100th anniversary, reciting the department's origin as a volunteer organization in the 1920s and its evolution to four modern stations. "Let us celebrate a century of service," the mayor said as he presented the proclamation and introduced a commemorative video.

A video shown to the board featured multiple fire department members expressing pride in service and the personal sacrifices of firefighters. In the video one member said, "I love my life. I love this community," and another reflected on the humbling nature of serving a 100-year-old organization.

Fire Chief Jones thanked the board and described a strong community turnout at the centennial event, noting that the program had renewed interest in the department's history among new staff.

During the meeting the mayor presented a key to the town to Commissioner Jason Watts in recognition of his decade of service. Watts described the moment as emotional and thanked fellow board members and staff for the opportunity to serve, saying the recognition "meant a lot to me" and that he would "always treasure" his time on the board.

What happens next: The centennial event and the department's community outreach activities will continue to be highlighted by staff; the board will receive routine updates from the fire department as part of regular reporting.

Note on attribution: Video participants shown speaking in the centennial piece were not named in the meeting transcript and are attributed here as fire department members.