About
"The Lands"
The Richlands Volunteer Fire Department was incorporated on August 9th, 1973 as the Richlands Volunteer Fire and Rescue Squad Incorporated. The name changed May 10th, 1988 to Richlands Volunteer Fire Department Incorporated. The Richlands Volunteer Fire Department provides fire and rescue services in the Richlands-Northwest Onslow Fire District in the Northwest corner of Onslow County in Eastern North Carolina.
The Richlands-Northwest Onslow Fire District is a combination of the Town of Richlands and the Northwest Onslow Fire District. The Town of Richlands is 1.63 square miles with a population of 1,472. The population density of the Town of Richlands is 903 people per square mile. The Northwest Onslow Fire District is 47.46 square mile with a population of 5,425. The population density of the Northwest Onslow Fire District is 114 people per square mile. The total square mileage of the Richlands-Northwest Onslow Fire District is 49.09 square miles. The population of the Richlands-Northwest Onslow Fire District is 6,897. The population density of Richlands-Northwest Onslow Fire District 141 people per square mile.
Leadership
Chief: Brent Cook
Deputy Chief: Robert P. Hunt
Assit. Chief: Robert A. Jackson
Captain: Elliot N. Jarman
Captain: Christopher E. Propst
Lieutenant: Mark R. Hollahan
Lieutenant: Frederick W. Riehle
ISO RATING
Richlands Volunteer Fire Department was subject to periodic inspection by the Office of State Fire Marshal during 2022. A fire department’s rating affects homeowners’ and business insurance premiums and helps signal how prepared firefighters are at responding to calls and battling blazes in their fire districts. We are proud to announce that effective September 1st, 2022 our new insurance rating went into effect for both of the fire districts that we serve! We have lowered the rating in the Town of Richlands fire district from a 4 to a 3 and in our Northwest Onslow fire district from a 5/9E to a 4/9E. This will result in savings to property owners’ insurance in both fire districts! This would not be possible without the continued support of our community and our dedicated volunteers. Thank you to all in our community that keep our department going so we can help others.
MEMBERSHIP
Richlands Vol Fire Department has 34 active members at present, ranging from our Junior
Firefighters (aged 16-18) to our most seasoned 41-year veteran Lifetime Members. The
leadership in the department is elected by the membership annually. Our Fire Chief is Brent
Cook, Deputy Fire Chief is Robert Hunt, Assistant Fire Chief is Robert Jackson. Our President
is Elliot Jarman and Vice President is Mark Hollahan.
We are always looking for a few good men and women interested in serving their community,
learning a great trade and having a lot of fun with a great group of volunteers. Check out the “Contact Us” section for more info.
For the Community.
Our department averages over 350 calls per year, hitting 387 for 2023. We provide the
following services to our community as shown in the zones and services below:
Richlands-Northwest Onslow Fire District is divided into four quadrant dispatch zones. These
quadrant dispatch zones are identified as Zones A, B, C and D.
These Zones locations are as follows:
Zone A: the southeast quadrant of the district that includes residential areas, the Town of
Richlands, and farms.
Zone B: the southwest quadrant of the district that includes residential areas, Walmart,
and farms.
Zone C: the northwest quadrant of the district that includes residential areas and farms.
Zone D: the northeast quadrant of the district that includes residential areas and farms.
SERVICES PROVIDED
FIRE SUPRESSION
Richlands Volunteer Fire Department Inc. is contracted by Onslow County and The Town
of Richlands to provide fire suppression. This includes but not limited to responding to structure
fires, vehicle fires, and grass fires. Other responses that fall into this category are smoke detector
activations, carbon monoxide detector activations, and sprinkler activations.
For smoke detector activations, carbon monoxide detector activations without symptoms,
and similar situations, Richlands Volunteer Fire Department is dispatched and a minimum of one
unit responds initially.
For structure fires, grass fire threatening a structure, smell of smoke in a building, or any
other potential situation where loss of life or major property loss is possible, a minimum of 4
departments are dispatched. These departments are dispatched by zones.
- Zone A has Richlands (Station 14), Back Swamp (Station 1) Rhodestown (Station 13) and Half
Moon (Station 5) Fire Departments respond for a structural response.
- Zone B has Richlands (Station 14), Back Swamp (Station 1) Rhodestown (Station 13) and
Hargetts Crossroads (Station 22) Fire Departments respond for a structural response.
- Zone C has Richlands (Station 14), Back Swamp (Station 1), Rhodestown (Station 13),
Hargetts Crossroads (Station 22), and Potters Hill (Station 19) Fire Departments respond for a
structural response.
- Zone D has Richlands (Station 14), Back Swamp (Station 1) Rhodestown (Station 13) and
Hargetts Crossroads (Station 22) Fire Departments respond for a structural response.
FIRE PREVENTION
Fire prevention includes visits to the schools and day cares, station tours, smoke detector
installations, and other events to promote fire safety. Fire prevention activities also include
conducting courtesy fire inspections, pre-fire planning, and area surveys. These activities are
conducted to familiarize department personnel with the area and local occupancies. This
provides personnel insights into possible hazards and difficulties if an incident occurs at that
occupancy.
VEHICLE ACCIDENTS
At this current time, Richlands Volunteer Fire Department Inc. is contracted for fire
protection and traffic control. In 2018, the Richlands Volunteer Fire Department began to
purchase rescue equipment for vehicle extrication. The first set of gear that was purchased was a
TNT rescue pump, TNT spreaders, TNT cutters, TNT ram, and hoses to be used for the tools. In
September 2018, the Onslow County Board of Commissioners voted to withdraw funding to the
Rescue Squads in the county. In 2019, 2020, 2021, the department purchased high-pressure and
low-pressure air bags for lifting, rescue struts for stabilization, a confined space pedal cutter, and
a suite of battery-powered portable extrication tools. Wood cribbing and wedges have also been
built to aid in vehicle stabilization. Richlands Volunteer Fire Department is not contracted to do
vehicle extrication, but no agency is providing the service in the Richlands-Northwest Onslow
Fire District and is a need in the community.
In the event of a vehicle extrication or a vehicle rollover, a minimum of 3 departments are
dispatched for extrication. These departments are dispatched by zones.
- Zone A has Richlands (Station 14), Rhodestown (Station 13) and Half Moon (Station 5) Fire
Departments respond for a vehicle accident in this zone.
- Zone B has Richlands (Station 14), Back Swamp (Station 1), and Rhodestown (Station 13) Fire
Departments respond for a vehicle accident in this zone.
- Zone C has Richlands (Station 14), Back Swamp (Station 1), and Hargetts Crossroads (Station
22) Fire Departments respond for a vehicle accident in this zone.
- Zone D has Richlands (Station 14), Back Swamp (Station 1), Rhodestown (Station 13) and
Hargetts Crossroads (Station 22) Fire Departments respond for a vehicle accident in this zone.
EMS (EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES) SUPPORT
Richlands Volunteer Fire Department Inc. has begun responding to specific cardiac arrest
emergency medical calls. Richlands Volunteer Fire Department also provides assistance to EMS with lifting assistance, setting up of landing zones (LZ’s) and landing the
helicopter, and providing air packs to patients in environments that are difficult to access.