HIGH POINT – The chief of the Jacksonville, N.C. fire department has been hired as High Point’s new fire chief.

Chief Rick McIntyre will start his work July 9. McIntyre has led the Jacksonville Fire Department for 16 years.

McIntyre replaces Chief David Taylor, who retired in May 2011 after 12 years in the top spot. Lee Knight served as interim chief.

More than 70 candidates from 24 states applied for the chief position, city officials said. Five candidates were internal, city officials said.

McIntyre’s retirement came shortly after the department was fined more than $80,000 for 16 violations relating to equipment and safety. The city appealed and ultimately paid $57,000.

A Richmond-based company managed the search, and final interviews were conducted by a panel including city officials, former High Point Police Chief Jim Fealy and Greensboro Fire Chief Greg Grayson.

The truck replaces a 1986 Ford/E-One that was donated to the Iredell County Firefighter’s Association.

The rig was placed in service on Wednesday, May 16 at 08:00 hours, and received it’s first run at 09:03.

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Vance County Rescue Squad Golf Tournament

LENOIR COUNTY – The Lenoir County commissioners are weighing whether or not to eliminate nearly $50,000 in fire protection funds from next year’s budget in order to save money in the county’s general fund.

“We’re in the process but we’ve not adopted anything or made any decisions at this point in time,” said George Graham, chairman of the Board of Commissioners.

The county allocates money each year to local volunteer fire departments to augment the funds they raise through fire district and sales taxes, along with regular fundraising events.

There is $48,340 allocated for fire departments in the county budget for the current fiscal year, which ends June 30, and there are zero dollars allocated in the draft budget for the 2012-2013 fiscal year, which begins July 1.

“The commissioners had asked us to give them the leanest, most equitable budget we can,” County Manager Mike Jarman said.

The county’s proposed overall general fund budget for next year is $63.1 million, 1.14 percent higher than the current budget of $62.4 million. The increase is due to higher operating costs for the new county jail, increases in utilities and fuel costs, and higher rates charged by the state to house juvenile offenders.

The decision to remove allocations for fire departments was prompted in part by a request from Kinston Public Safety officials for a portion of the annual funds.

“We feel that our organization should be included in these funds as our citizenry also pay Lenoir County taxes,” Public Safety Director Bill Johnson wrote in a January letter to county Emergency Services Director Roger Dail. “As the provider of Fire/Rescue services to the City of Kinston, we feel an equitable entitlement to those funds parallel to those received by County Fire Departments which operate more than one station.”

Each of the county’s fire departments receives an allocation, which ranges from $1,600 to $6,500 a year, depending on how many firehouses the department operates, and how much each raises through the fire district tax charged to property owners each year.

The city of Kinston operates three fire stations around town, and its fire service is supported by the general fund, which obtains its revenue from property taxes, sales taxes, shared revenue from the state and more.

Jarman said he considered the city its own fire taxing district.

“We’re trying to do a budget that we think is in the best interests of the citizens of Lenoir County, and since there are special taxing districts for all of the fire protection providers we felt like that is where their revenue should originate,” Jarman said.

The county manager said the volunteer fire departments are able to raise $16,000 to $377,000 a year through other revenue sources.

“It’s hard to say how it will affect us — each one — because each one gets a different amount of money, and what they do with that money is up to them,” Timmy Mooring, deputy chief of the Sandy Bottom Volunteer Fire Department and board president of the Lenoir County Firefighters’ Association, said of each volunteer department.

Mooring said the county funds are allocated monthly, and each department uses the money for different needs, whether it is to purchase equipment, fuel, pay insurance or other expenses.

“There’s no set use designated for those monies,” he said. “It’s just monies used throughout the year to help them achieve what they need to achieve.”

Mooring said the elimination of county funding would not force any department to close its doors, but it could have an impact in terms of cutting back traveling for training to save fuel, or postponing a purchase of a set of turnout gear for a firefighter.

“Everybody’s in tight budget constraints as it is, because of the way the economy is, and I certainly understand the county being in tight constraints as well, but we do rely on getting that money,” he said.

SPENCER – Gray Grubb has resigned as chief for the Spencer Fire Department, and Jay Baker, who used to lead the department, will serve as interim chief while the town looks for a permanent replacement.

Grubb said he quit two weeks ago because he has become engaged and soon will move to Davidson County. He will continue working full-time for the Salisbury Fire Department, where he serves as interim captain.

Town Manager Larry Smith said he appointed Baker because he has experience as Spencer fire chief. Baker served the town as fire chief from 1998 to 1999 and 2002 to 2009, when he was promoted to battalion chief with the Salisbury Fire Department, a position he still holds.

In a memo to town board members, Smith said he and Baker are meeting with command staff to address any immediate issues or concerns.

Police said Christopher Richard Haas, 47, was found dead in a house fire off of Hunter Creek Lane in Granite Falls Monday afternoon.

Haas was a special agent with the North Carolina SBI assigned to the Hickory district, according to police.

Authorities said Haas’ wife discovered the fire when she arrived home and called 911. The Granite Falls Fire Department arrived on scene, quickly put out the fire and discovered Haas’ body in the home.

Investigators have not indicated if any foul play was involved in Haas’ death. They said they’re waiting for the autopsy report, which is expected to be performed later this week.

Officials said the fire caused $8,000 in damages to the home.

Haas leaves behind a wife and two children.

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MINT HILL – Leadership has changed in the Mint Hill Volunteer Fire Department.

Jeremy Russell, who served as elected volunteer Fire Chief of the department and was employed by the town as the Fire/EMS Operations Director, has resigned from both positions.

Russell resigned from town employment on April 13, and as volunteer chief on May 10. He had been with the department since 1994.

David Leith is now the interim Fire/EMS director, reporting to the town.

On the volunteer side, Fire Department Board Chair Jerry Mullis is in charge, though he says the day to day operations are in the hands of Deputy Chief John Phillips in charge of fire operations, and Assistant Chief David Leith in charge of EMS.

Russell gave no reasons for his resignations. He was not available for comment.

Town manager Brian Welch says he can’t comment on any details surrounding the issue since it is a personnel matter.

The board has called three closed sessions over the past month to discuss unidentified personnel matters.

Mullis attended the most recent Mint Hill town meeting and told Commissioners the department desperately needed several more full time employees to ensure adequate coverage of all three shifts.

Though the department is still considered volunteer, the town of Mint Hill pays for five full time employees for each shift.

Mullis and Welch say they want to assure the community that, even though department leadership is changing, citizens can be assured that they are still safe and adequately protected.

HORRY COUNTY, SC - An accident near the area of the West Perry Road fire closed southbound lanes of Highway 501 Saturday evening for nearly an hour.

The South Carolina Department of Transportation reports that an accident on Highway 501 southbound at Gardner Lacy Road that occurred at 5:59 p.m. had closed all lanes to traffic.

Traffic cameras provided by the SCDOT show that at least one lane reopened to traffic just before 7 p.m.

The South Carolina Highway Patrol’s website says they responded to the accident around 5:49 p.m. but did not provide any further details.

Reports from the scene indicate that the accident involved a fire vehicle that rolled over in the road, and one person may have been trapped inside.

Lisa Bourcier, spokesperson for Horry County, says the overturned truck was a tanker from Fair Bluff, in Columbus County, North Carolina. The occupants were transported to a local hospital for treatment. Their condition is unknown at this time.

ROCKY MOUNT – On May 9, 2012 at 21:28 hours, City of Rocky Mount fire units were dispatched to a vehicle crash on Interstate 95 involving several tractor trailers which were on fire.

While en-route to the scene, information was given that hazardous materials were involved. Upon arrival at the 137 mile marker north bound lane, Battalion 2 found two cargo trucks and a tanker with heavy flames visible from two of the tractor trailers, including the tanker.

Two victims and several bystanders were visible in the roadway in the south bound lane across from the crash site. A third victim was later found near the cab of his truck, down the embankment in a wooded area near the site. It appears the third victim may have been ejected from his cab.

Both lanes of travel were shut down on the Interstate. As BC 2 attempted to identify the cargo or product involved, it was determined through verbal communication with one of the drivers that the tanker was hauling cooking oil. The scene was then cleared for emergency crews to approach.

Nash EMS personnel arrived and initiated patient care with two of the victims. The third victim was packaged and carried by fire crews through the hot zone to an awaiting ambulance.

Rocky Mount Fire Department and Red Oak Fire Department worked together to establish a water supply and provide fire suppression at the north end of the crash site.

West Mount and Coopers Fire Departments provided fire suppression and water supply at the south end of the crash site.

It was later determined that the tanker was hauling approximately 6,000 gallons of cooking oil. Approximately 300 gallons of diesel fuel also spilled during the crash.

An ARFF truck was requested from Rocky Mount – Wilson Airport to provide foam support.

Battleboro Fire Department responded with their Haz-Mat trailer and deployed booms in the medians to contain runoff from the site. The fire was brought under control within one hour.

No emergency personnel were injured during the incident. DOT representatives were on scene and managed signage and detour routes.

The Nash County Fire Marshal’s Office and Nash County Emergency Management responded to assist with resource management. State Emergency Management officials were also notified of the incident.

Nash County EM advised they would contact the state in regards to some of the product spilling into a nearby creek. Eastern Environmental was requested by Nash EM and NC DOT to provide clean up efforts. Eastern Environmental off loaded approximately 4,700 gallons of cooking oil from the burned tanker.

Fire units cleared the scene at 0324 hrs.

DOT opened the south bound lane at 7:00 a.m. and the north bound lane at 10:00 a.m. on May 10, 2012.