Two private, nonprofit fire departments became municipal organizations Wednesday, in an effort to ensure adequate service amid population growth.
Wake Forest Fire Department is now a part of the town of Wake Forest government.
It began as a private organization in 1921.
The merger comes less than a year after a consulting firm recommended the fire department join the town, said Bill Crabtree, Wake Forest’s public information officer.
The Wake Forest Fire Department operates five fire stations with 84 full-time staff, 24 part-time employees and 300 volunteers. As of September 2019, the department responded to more than 3,500 calls for service a year and arrived at most calls in under eight minutes.
Also on Wednesday, the Eastern Wake Fire Rescue Department was absorbed by Knightdale’s fire service.