From The Chief

Thank you for taking time out of your busy day to inquire about our web site.

Let me introduce myself. My name is Kimi Hamby and I am the Fire Chief of Moravian Falls Fire Department located in Wilkes County, North Carolina, in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

I hope you get the information that you are searching for from our web site. I would like to give you some brief history of our department. The Moravian Falls Fire Department was formed by the community of Moravian Falls in 1958. Wilkes county is one of the largest counties in the state and in the 1950’s there were very few rural fire departments in the county. Travel time to a fire was long for the fire trucks coming from the nearest departments and at the time those departments were also volunteer fire departments. Only two rural fire departments existed prior to Moravian Falls organizing its department. The county was seeing a lot of property being lost to fire which initiated three other departments in the county to try to form and organize while Moravian Falls was in the process of becoming a fire dept.

I joined the department in November of 1981 just married and starting a family. When I was a child our mode of transportation was a bicycle. I lived in a small town that is located in Wilkes county where everyone knew everyone else. I knew several of the local volunteer firefighters, and when the fire whistle sounded I would get on my bike and start listening for the fire truck to leave the station, and the kids in the neighborhoods would all get on their bikes and we would chase the fire trucks. If it was near our neighborhood, we were there to watch the fire fighters run into houses and businesses while everyone else was running out. This must have done something for me, for later on after I was an adult, I had the same feeling every time I saw or heard the fire trucks go down the street. As a young man I just knew I had to find some where to volunteer. So, I picked the Moravian Falls community to settle down in and raise my family and also found an-other family, the Moravian Falls Fire Department. Since that time, close to 40 years now, I have been right here helping others, some I knew, others I have gotten to know.

I have received training from the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg Maryland as well as all across the state of North Carolina and South Carolina. We have received training that can save the lives of others and myself. Yes, there has been sacrifices, but you know, I wouldn’t trade anything for the memories or the comradery that I have received from people worldwide. Whether training or traveling, when you tell them, or they find out, that you are a volunteer fire fighter there is an instant connection.

If you are looking for something to fill a void and you just can’t figure out what it is. You should try volunteering at Moravian Falls Fire Department or check the fire station in your area to see if you can be a help to them or others in your community.