Seeing what the IAFF and the Professional Fire Fighters and Paramedics Association of North Carolina (PFFPNC) have done on behalf of all professional fire fighters every day, Waynesville fire fighters decided it was time to organize and support their union brothers and sisters.
Waynesville, NC Local 5247 will represent the interests of a small, but growing department. With only four full-time fire fighters per shift, Local 5247 members are dispatched to 3,000 calls per year from two fire stations.
Local 5247 President Ricky Mehaffey says, “The Town of Waynesville’s budget is tight, so one of our first tasks as a local is to look for cost-effective ways to bring in more fire fighters, such as applying for a Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant.”
Joining Mehaffey on the Local 5247 Executive Board are Secretary-Treasurer David Blackburn and Vice President Cody Parton.