About the department
Serving Moore and Harnett Counties since 1977.
The Crains Creek community organized its fire department in 1976 and chartered it in 1977. Today it is a combination department, career and volunteer, running from Station 23 on Lobelia Road, a medium rescue certified service holding an ISO Class 3 rating.
History
1977 to now
The Crains Creek community began organizing a fire department in 1976, and Crains Creek Volunteer Fire Department, Inc. was chartered in 1977. It started as a fire department only; in August 2004 the charter was amended to add rescue services, and today Crains Creek is a medium rescue certified service. Its first members wore black cotton duck gear; yellow bibbed gear came later, then tan around 1994. In 2026 the members voted to go back to black, ahead of the department's 50th charter anniversary in 2027.
The department is an independent nonprofit corporation recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) charity (EIN 56-2193822). Its stated mission is to provide fire and rescue services to the citizens in Crains Creek and surrounding areas.
Today it runs from Station 23 at 4525 Lobelia Road as a combination department: volunteers alongside paid shift members on a 48/96 schedule. The department answers structure fires, emergency medical calls, woods fires, rescue calls and vehicle accidents on both sides of the Moore-Harnett county line, and in August 2022 the state rated it a Class 3.
More of the department's history, with older photos, is on the way from the department.
Leadership
Officers
Past chiefs will be listed here.
Governance
Board of Directors
Crains Creek Volunteer Fire Department, Inc. is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation (EIN 56-2193822), governed by its own Board of Directors.
- President
- Stacie Horst
- Vice President
- Alvin McCallister
- Treasurer
- Karen Taylor
- Secretary
- Austin Fowler
- Fire Chief
- Kenneth Mackey
- Firefighter
- William Sadler
- Member
- Dan McPherson
- Member
- Sean Stickley
- Member
- James Cagle
- ISO rating
- Public Protection Classification 3, rated 2022. Class 3/9E from the state, inspected August 24, 2022, effective December 1, 2022 (Sandhills Sentinel).
Station 23, Lobelia Road
Station 23 on Lobelia Road
The station at 4525 Lobelia Rd opened in 1994: , , .
The first station was built in 1977 at the corner of McPherson Road and Cabin Creek. It had three garage doors and no plumbing or meeting room: it was pretty much just a garage. In 1994 the department moved to its current building on Lobelia Road, with four bays, an office, a meeting room, a kitchen and two bathrooms. In 2001, with everyone sharing one office and the trucks short of room, the department added the administration area and sleeping quarters and three more bays. The original bays couldn't be made drive-through because the building sits on the property lines. Station 23 is at 4525 Lobelia Road, Vass, with mail to P.O. Box 999.
Mission
Why we exist
To provide fire and rescue services to the citizens in Crains Creek and surrounding areas.