We are a combination department of volunteer and part-time firefighters that respond to fire and medical emergencies in the Gilead Fire and Rescue response area. Gilead covers approximately 36 square miles in Western Huntersville, a small part of southwestern Cornelius and portions of Mecklenburg County; this includes 27 miles of shoreline on Mountain Island Lake, the Catawba River, and Lake Norman. We also cover McGuire Nuclear Power Plant, 1 waste water treatment plant, 1 potable water plant, 4 educational facilities, multiple residential and commercial structures as well as several farms. We respond automatic mutual aid back up to assist and receive mutual aid back up from the Huntersville Fire Department, Cornelius Fire and Rescue, Long Creek Fire and Rescue and also respond to assist North Meck Rescue Squad in Huntersville and respond to Lincoln County to assist the East Lincoln Fire Department when requested. Gilead Fire and Rescue has over 30 dedicated firefighters that staff the station day and night as well as respond from home and work to calls. During medical emergencies we respond with N.C. certified EMT’s as first responders to assist Medic, the Mecklenburg County EMS agency. With the population of Huntersville at 45,000 and increasing, Gilead is requested for more and more calls for service. We continue to give the best service possible with funding for equipment and part-time personnel from the Towns of Huntersville, Cornelius and Mecklenburg County as well as private donations. With the area continuing to grow our level of service has also grown with it. We operate out of 2 engine companies, 1 Heavy Rescue, 2 Brush Trucks, 2 Fire/Rescue Boats and 2 first responder/dive trucks. We operate a dive team and in 2007 became Heavy Rescue certified by the state of North Carolina. |
