AN INSIDE LOOK | SILER CITY’S FIRE DEPARTMENT

Scott Murphy, Siler City’s Fire Chief, shares insights on operation

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SILER CITY — The town’s fire department is nearing a full century of service to its residents, providing life-saving care through its staff and volunteers. We spoke with Fire Chief Scott Murphy about the department’s operation and its recent ceremony honoring some of its staff.

Tell us a little bit about the Siler City Fire Department’s operation ...

The Siler City Fire Department was established in 1923 with 12 charter members. Thomas Dark was elected our first fire chief. We will be celebrating our 100th anniversary next year, hopefully around October 2023. We are a combination department, which means that we have limited career staff along with volunteers. We currently have six career staff who work 24-hour shifts along with Fire Chief . We currently have three part-time firefighters, and 20 volunteer firefighters.

What would a potential volunteer need to know?

We are always looking for volunteer firefighters. But along with that, there is a level of commitment that we expect. It is not just that you join and get a t-shirt. It takes time and a lot of training to reach certain areas of our operations. Our volunteers are required to make a percentage of correct responses on exams and a certain amount of training hours to stay on our department.

And what do Siler City residents need to be aware of?

We still do free smoke alarm testing along with every other department in Chatham County. This area still continues to be our hardest hurdle to cross. People need to realize that smoke detectors are your first line of defense for against a fire. And they save lives.

Addresses are also very important — not only for our responses — but for law enforcement and also EMS. If your address is not clearly marked, it will delay a response, and time is one thing we cannot get back.

Are there any changes coming in the department?

As far as growth, we will continue to try and forecast what our citizens’ needs are now and what they will be in the future. I can say that we know we need renovations to our current station. We also know we need a sub-station to not only cover the CAM (Chatham Advanced Manufacturing) site, but also our customers in our fire district that are currently considered a class 9E or Class 10 for their fire insurance premiums. We know that with the growth in eastern Chatham County currently on the move and the projected growth, it will eventually filter along the U.S. Hwy. 64 corridor west toward Siler City. And that may create the need for another sub-station on that side of our district along with additional personnel and apparatus. This all costs money, which historically has fallen on the taxpayers.

But it is not all building and apparatus purchases. One standard set of turnout gear is $4,400; to replace an SCBA — our self-contained breathing apparatus — is close to $10,000. A set of extrication tools (battery or hydraulic) is anywhere from $25,000 to $50,000, not counting rising fuel costs, along with workman’s comp and other expenses. I try to look at our capital improvements and purchases as not only a fire department investment, but a town investment and an investment by our residents, our taxpayers. So, we take that into careful consideration when we go before the town manager and town board for capital and personnel requests. And Town Manager Hank Raper has addressed those issues while working on a capital investment plan for all town departments.

What about growth, as Siler City grows?

I see our department’s dynamics changing dramatically in the next five to 10 years depending on growth over the next year or so. Talk about potential CAM site construction and improvements, the Toyota plant in Randolph County, and several housing development proposals that we have seen in the last year will directly impact our services. Siler City Fire Department will eventually transition into a small predominantly career department. As our call volume will increase. We have been very fortunate that our dedicated volunteers over the years have stepped in to fill this gap. Our transition is inevitable.

You recently held a ceremony recognizing some of your staff for their actions from an incident back earlier this year… Can you share the details?

Sure, here is a rundown on the incident that occurred on March 19, 2022:

At 1:32 a.m. that Saturday morning, Siler City, Staley and Bennett fire departments, along with Siler City Police Department and First Health of the Carolinas, were dispatched for a house fire on North Dogwood Avenue. As departments were being dispatched, personnel were updated by Chatham County Communications to possible occupants still in residence. Siler City Police Department arrived on scene first and confirmed the entrapment with visible fire showing.

I arrived, confirming the police department’s report, and requested a working fire re-alert and advised Engine 912 (two personnel) to ladder the bedroom window and to attempt a rescue.

Siler City Police Department Patrolman Biehl made contact with the trapped occupant with a 6-foot stepladder, but due to high heat and smoke, he was unable to reach the victim. With a roof ladder positioned to the window, Firefighter Aaron Dorsett entered the bedroom window without the protection of a hose line, located the unconscious victim on the bedroom floor and managed to lift the victim to Firefighter Evan Shaw on the ladder who pulled the victim to safety with the help of Siler City Police Department officers.

The patient was transferred to First Health EMS for transport. As rescue was being completed, additional arriving personnel extinguished the fire and completed searches of the rest of the residence due to conflicting reports of multiple victims. Both the victim and Officer Biehl were transported to UNC-Chapel Hill for injuries.

The resident has been released from the hospital and Officer Biehl is back on duty. The fire’s cause was determined to be accidental, because of combustibles too close to an electric baseboard heater.

This was an awesome outcome for everyone involved!