CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Two fire departments in Mecklenburg County could be at risk of closing down. It follows a recommendation from an agency within the county government.

• Recommendation by the Land Use and Environmental Services Agency calls for the Cook Community and the Robinson Volunteer Fire and Rescue departments in East Charlotte to be consolidated into the Charlotte Fire Department
• Some worry response times will suffer if this happens
• For now, this is a recommendation and Mecklenburg County leaders still have the power to turn it down

The Cook’s Community Volunteer Fire Department has been around for 67 years. It has a staff of nearly 30 people with a little less than half serving as volunteers.

“We run anywhere from 900 to 1,000 calls per year,” Cook’s Assistant Fire Chief, Jason Cook said as he was driving to call.

Cook's firefighters responded to two calls Friday. One while Spectrum News was sitting in the car. That one turned out to be minor, but the fire Friday morning was not.

Cook worries about response time if the Cook’s Community Fire Department closes.

“You have fire shooting through the roof and every second counts,” Cook said. “The closest unit is going to come and help and get whatever needs to be done.”

The Land Use and Environmental Services Agency made a recommendation to the Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners in January as one of five options. The plan would consolidate Cook’s and the Robinson Volunteer Fire and Rescue in East Charlotte into the Charlotte Fire Department. Both are just outside Charlotte city limits.

In an email response to Spectrum News, the agency said this was their recommended cost-effective solution as the county moves forward.

“Our goal is to provide a level of service that is at the current level or better in the most cost-effective manner – balancing service delivery and cost,” said LUESA Director, Ebenezer Gujjarlapudi. “The department is tasked with evaluating options to ensure high quality service at the lowest possible cost to the residents. CFD has agreed to evaluate the feasibility of transitioning some areas for a lower rate than that would be required to continue to fund the existing VFDs based on anticipated capital and operational expenses.”

Both departments think there could be a better solution.

Robinson Volunteer Fire and Rescue Chief Robbie Honeycutt says he is worried about the close connection his department has made with UNC Charlotte’s Fire and Safety Engineering Program.

“We are the closest volunteer fire department to them,” Honeycutt said. “If they want to learn the volunteering aspects, they can come here and get it. We have so many who have been volunteers and have gone on to work in either Charlotte or other surrounding areas.”

For now, this is a recommendation and Mecklenburg County leaders still have the power to turn it down.

“If they close the doors now or if they close to doors in 67 years, we are going to do what we have to in order to protect our community,” Cook said.

There is a community meeting about the volunteer fire departments with some of the County Commissioners and the fire chiefs on March 10 at 6PM at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Government Center Room 267.