Beech Mountain Volunteer Fire Department History

It all began in the 70s when hundreds of homes were being developed on Beech Mountain by a local real estate company, Carolina Caribbean Corporation (CCC). As one of the “amenities” for the fledgling community, CCC operated the fire station which offered a sense of security and safety for prospective home buyers.

Ralph Gawltney a construction manager for CCC was in charge of the crews building the water, sewer, and road infrastructure on the mountain. He was also the Banner Elk Volunteer Fire Department Chief. He drove around in 4-wheel drive pickup truck with a brush pumper loaded aboard.

The first fire truck on the mountain was purchased by CCC and was built by Goforth Brothers out of Shelby NC. Goforth also built the pylons for the ski lift. The vehicle, an International 4X4 gasoline engine manual shift had no power steering and pumped 250 gallons/minute. Next, they converted an oil tanker into a water tanker which was easily recognizable by its blue and white paint job (Carolina colors). Both vehicles were donated by CCC to help start the Beech Mountain Volunteer Fire Department (BMVFD) in 1971.

Prior to the start of the BMVFD, Gawltney arranged for two Banner Elk firemen to stay up on Beech Mountain in the evenings in trade for funds to help build a new Fire Station down in Banner Elk. This agreement worked well until funds dried up and the firemen no longer wanted to sleep on single cots in the developer’s small fire station.

Realizing that the community still needed fire protection, CCC organized a cocktail party at the Beech Tree Inn to plan and recruit members for Beech Mountain’s own Volunteer Fire Department. The party was well attended. None of the residents had any experience in firefighting, but a group of them saw the need and stepped up to the challenge of not only assuming the operation of the startup station…but continue to create one of the finest departments in the high county. Fundraising activities soon followed, and the community generously donated to start this vital public service.

In 1976, an engine designed by Sherman Pickard was built for Beech Mountain. This state-of-the-art vehicle was the first custom-built engine in the high country and helped fuel the growth and enthusiasm for the BMVFD and also helped reclassify the Town’s fire rating from a 9 to a 7, reducing fire insurance premiums. The vehicle was such an achievement for the town that volunteers drove out to the county line to escort the truck into the town when it was delivered. The Property Owners Association (POA) helped secure a low-interest loan and underwrote the payments for the new vehicle which cost over $70,000. This one of a kind truck was diesel-powered and had an automatic transmission. It also had a tandem chassis to handle the potholes and gravel roads on the mountain and pumped 1,000 gallons/minute.

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The first Fire Station was donated by CCC. It had two bays and no restroom. As the Fire Department grew in vehicles and volunteers, bays were added on to the original structure including a bathroom. Currently, Fire Station #1 has five bays housing 2 engines, 1 tanker, 1 brush truck, 1 emergency medical vehicle, and 1 Rescue ATV.

Initially, volunteers were recruited and completed a 42-hour basic training course. Only 2 volunteers had radios and their wives were responsible for calling the rest of the volunteers to fight the fires by telephone. Thus the ‘Call List” was created. Today, individuals call into a modern 911 system and fire-fighters are contacted via pagers and by text message to report to their stations.

The first fire was near the intersection of Pine Ridge and Oak Road. Renters using a hairdryer started a blanket on fire. The building was saved and there were no injuries; however, the home was flooded, and 5 volunteers had to break through a concrete wall to put out the blaze because they did not know how to use the air packs to go into the interior of the building to fight the fire.

In the late 70s, the BMVFD once again pioneered a new path to increase community safety by adding a medical assistance service to the department. A suburban fitted with custom wooden cabinets to hold medical supplies was the proto-type vehicle for the current day First Response Medical Vehicle. Several volunteer firefighters took up the challenge to become the community’s first EMTs.

Emergency medical services have been invaluable to the residents and visitors on the mountain. Currently, approximately 88% of emergency calls are medical-related. The value of the emergency medical response service continued to expand as Dr. Murray Miller spearheaded efforts to create an ambulance substation at the base of Beech Mountain to reduce critical response time. Dr. Miller organized a joint meeting of the Watauga and Avery County Commissioners to work together and create this brand-new service.

As the town grew, the leaders decided to increase the fire rating or services provided in order to again reduce the cost of fire insurance premiums. They purchased another custom pumper and built a second fire station about 3 miles from Station #1. After the most recent Fire Assessment in 2017, the Town’s fire rating was lowered to a 5.

Fire Station #2 was built in 2004 on 3 acres of land purchased from Banner Elk Fire Chief Fred Jennings who also donated several other additional parcels to the Fire Department. This station houses 1 engine/tanker, 1 engine, 1 brush truck, and a large training room. At a later date, a portion of the donated land was sold for $50,000 and Fireman’s Playground was built right next to Station #2. It is a family favorite location for picnics and outdoor fun. Station #2 hosts an annual Open House at which families climb on the fire trucks, meet the volunteers and enjoy a free picnic complete with popcorn and cotton candy.

A major step in the development of the BMVFD occurred in 2009 when the Department teamed with the Town of Beech Mountain in creating what can be considered a “combination” department, with the addition of a full-time paid staff member, Fire Chief Robert Pudney, as well as the sharing of operational expenses. The BMVFD currently has over 47 volunteers and last year responded to over 220 emergency calls with an average response time of 8.25 minutes, better than the state average. Last year the members completed over 13,000 hours of training and volunteer service.

The newest addition to the BMVFD arrived in 2017…a custom Pierce all-wheel-drive 750 Gallon Fire Engine, “9203”. The new engine cost $750,000 and was funded totally by donations. Most of the Town attended the “Push-Back” Ceremony for the new truck as the Department continues to serve the community.

The community’s support for the Fire Department has been remarkable. Individuals came up with creative fundraisers which after many years have turned into traditional events on Beech Mountain. The Roasting of the Hog was taken over by the Department and run by Chief Jim Hatch and is going on its 49th year. Golf and Tennis Tournaments held at the Beech Mountain Club were organized by Reub and Barbara Mooradian and POA President Ed Lotz. Ricky Holcombe and Friends worked on many Fire Department Galas which raised over $500,000 for Station #2 and trucks. These Galas were the biggest party of the summer and “the social event” of the mountain.

As the Beech Mountain Community has grown, so too has the area around the mountain. BMVFD now provides mutual aid to our surrounding communities. Additionally, the Town has recently paved the Buckeye Creek Road Scenic Byway to provide easier egress on and off the mountain in case of emergency. The Department was also instrumental in helping form the Avery and Watauga Fire Associations, which are responsible for coordinating Fire Service in both counties.

Over the 49 year history of the Department, the BMVFD has been led by 7 chiefs: Gordon Ripley (1972), Bill Owen (1972), Jim Hatch (1972-74), Reub Mooradian (1974-94), Tim Holland (1994-98), Jim Brooks (1998-2010) and current Chief Robert Pudney. Several members have been volunteering for most of their lives. Jim Brooks and Riley Hatch have served since the beginning, volunteering for over 49 years. Riley volunteered even before he could legally drive. Tim Holland and Pfohl have served for over 45 years and Reub Mooradian over 23 years.

The BMVFD would not exist without the vision and leadership of many Beech Mountain residents. Their efforts and innovative spirit have created not only a vital community service but also part of the bedrock of our community. If you are intrigued by the BMVFD history and would like to become a part of our future, please consider volunteering.