North Carolina fire departments get equipment boost from Enbridge Gas’ Safe Community grants
Deep in the woods of Person County in north-central North Carolina, a hunter stood in a tree stand, waiting for deer to make their appearance.
Before the white-tailed ungulates could arrive, the hunter lost his balance and fell from the raised platform, injuring his lower body.
Timberlake Fire and Rescue, the region’s volunteer force, responded to the call, sending a team to hike through the woods to reach the wounded hunter. Without back-country wheels like a Utility Terrain Vehicle (UTV), the rescue crew not only had to hike to the patient—rescuers had to physically carry him out of the woods on a backboard.
“Thankfully, (the patient) wasn't seriously injured, but having a UTV would have saved a lot of time, steps and backache,” says Ashley Fletcher, captain of the Timberlake Fire and Rescue. “It would have allowed us to ride him out and administer aid faster.”
That vital piece of equipment will soon be part of Timberlake Fire and Rescue’s fleet, thanks in part to one of several Enbridge Safe Community First Responder Program grants awarded in the state near Enbridge Gas North Carolina’s Moriah Energy Center, an LNG facility now under construction.
Through our Safe Community grants, we invest in emergency response organizations to help them access training and purchase equipment and critical services in communities near our operations.
Launched in 2002 and expanded to Canada in 2009, the Safe Community First Responder Program has invested about $24.7 million to date in emergency response organizations across North America—including $1.5 million to 217 American organizations in 2025.
The ATV “will give us better access to areas we can't get a regular fire truck or even a smaller brush truck to,” explains Capt. Fletcher, noting their rural service area includes a 282-acre park and wooded areas that are popular for outdoor recreation. “It'll allow us to get to patients or a fire quicker.”
Nearby, Moriah Volunteer Fire Rescue—which operates in southeastern Person County and northeastern Durham County—received a Safe Community First Responder grant of $10,000 in 2025 to purchase equipment for its new fire engine.
“We received a decommissioned truck from the City of Mebane after they purchased a new engine. To bring it into compliance with North Carolina requirements, we had to outfit it with specific equipment,” explains Chief Roger Whitt.
Thanks to grants and fundraising in the community, the engine is now outfitted with firehose, nozzles of various sizes, ladders, axes and thermal imagining equipment to assist in medical and rescue efforts. Without the equipment, the truck is an empty shell.
“We respond to calls from fire alarms to grass fires to full-blown structure fires and motor vehicle crashes,” Chief Whitt continues, noting the equipment is vital to providing aid to the community.
In 2026, the Moriah volunteer force received a second $10,000 Safe Community grant, this time for battery-powered “jaws-of-life” hydraulic extrication tools.
“The battery-operated ones are so versatile; I can take them anywhere,” he adds.
Both Chief Whitt and Captain Fletcher acknowledge how fulfilling it is to be part of a volunteer force and helping fellow community members in need.
“It makes you feel good when you administer aid to someone,” Chief Whitt continues. “It’s why we do this, to keep the community safe.”
(N.B. All photos supplied courtesy of Moriah Volunteer Fire Rescue and Timberlake Fire and Rescue.)
