Review finds aging apparatus, volunteer decline and funding disparities; recommends regional options for Forsyth County fire system

County staff and the consultant team presented an executive summary of a draft fire‑system study to the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners, describing a system under stress and a set of broad recommendations for long‑term resilience.

Deputy County Manager Kyle Haney told commissioners the draft — more than 650 pages in full — examined performance, facilities, apparatus and equipment, department finances, staffing (including volunteers), and station‑location analysis. Haney said a key finding is that 33 large fire apparatus are about 20 years old or older and nearing replacement thresholds under NFPA guidance, resulting in a projected capital need in the tens of millions.

The study also documented a steady decline in volunteer numbers — Haney cited a roughly 5% annual reduction in volunteers over the past seven years — and growing disparities in funding across the county’s multiple fire tax jurisdictions. To address those challenges the study recommended seven high‑level approaches, including: prioritizing the county’s most critical service‑delivery needs and apparatus replacement; considering changes to the funding model (including use of the county’s overlay tax district for capital needs); evaluating municipal closest‑station coverage and targeted contracting where appropriate; planning for increased career firefighter staffing where volunteerism declines; encouraging voluntary mergers where feasible; standardizing equipment and purchasing; and developing system‑level service‑delivery standards and asset ownership approaches.

Haney said the fire commission will review the draft study and make recommendations to the board; staff emphasized many of the recommendations will require staged work and additional study rather than immediate, system‑wide changes.

Provenance: presentation and executive summary provided to commissioners and fire commission members during the work session.