Consultant recommends adding fire department to town government
The Wake Forest Fire Department is “a training ground for other departments because it is not a part of the state retirement system,” said the consultant hired to examine whether the Town of Wake Forest should incorporate the fire department into its organization. The cost to train and equip a new firefighter is estimated at $50,000, and the department is losing 8 percent, roughly five or six, experienced firefighters each year to departments like the High Point fire department, which is part of the state retirement system. For two hours Tuesday evening Gregory Grayson and Mike Varnell, both retired fire chiefs now working for Envirosafe, the firm the town hired to examine whether it should add the fire department to its organization, explained and detailed their study. The core finding: “It is the assessment team’s recommendation that in the best interest of the people of Wake Forest, the fire department
