By Shavonne Walker

shavonne.walker@salisburypost.com

CHINA GROVE — In 1965, a small group of concerned citizens in the Enochville community needed fire protection. In the spring of 1966, the Enochville Fire Department was officially organized.

Next Saturday, May 16, the public is invited to celebrate 50 years of the Enochville Fire & Rescue Department with a community event. The celebration will take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the back parking lot of Enochville Elementary School, 925 N. Enochville Ave.

The event will include a number of activities for children that include a fire safehouse, face painting, a bounce house, fire trucks will be on display and children can meet and take pictures with firefighters and junior firefighters.

The celebration is free to the public, but there is a charge for food (hot dogs and desserts), anniversary T-shirts and a dunking booth. Fire Chief Clark Mackey and Rowan County Commissioner Mike Caskey, as well as local church members and ministers have agreed to be in the dunking booth. The cost is $1 for three throws.
There will be a 50/50 raffle and a raffle for a free airplane ride as well as a woman’s gift basket. The raffle tickets are 3 for $5 or $2 for one ticket.
The raffle tickets aren’t for profit, but mainly to cover the event expenses, said Wanda Broadway, secretary/treasure to the board of directors.

Dallas Campbell, who helped organize the department, was its first fire chief, followed by Lee Smith, John Sims and Fred Jordan.

For a number of years, the Enochville Fire Department depended on donations and various fundraisers, such as ham dinners, to operate.  It had some lean years until the district voted a tax to support the squad.

In 1978, a new building was completed and the old station adjacent to the new building became a multi-purpose facility for community use. The department also added a brush truck at this time, and in 1980 a crash truck was purchased.

Today, the department has 28 firemen, of which 10 serve in both fire and rescue, while 19 are rescue members. There are eight firefighters who are certified as intermediates. Enochville Fire & Rescue has 32 volunteers and or part-time personnel, 12 board members and three fire commissioners. The department established its junior fire brigade or junior firefighter program in 1987 for ages 14 to 17.

When the department received a $165,000 FEMA grant, they were able to replace all of the firefighter’s air packs.

The department covers a 9.8 square-mile district. Fire personnel respond to 600 calls per year with increasing number every year.

For more information, contact the Enochville Fire Department at 704-938-2890.