Randleman, NC

The City of Randleman Fire Department is a combination department with 20 full-time employees, 15 part-time employees, and a dedicated based of volunteer firefighters. The department staffs 2 fire stations, with 3 engines, 2 tankers, 1 ladder, 2 squads, 1 rescue, 1 air unit, and 1 reserve engine. The fire district encompasses 36 square miles that includes both city and county area, serving approximately 11,000 citizens. As a full-service emergency services agency, we provide comprehensive fire protection, emergency medical care, hazardous materials response, and technical rescue services. We also enforce state fire codes, conduct fire investigations, and provide public fire and injury prevention education programs for at-risk groups and businesses.

Current Staffing



Fire Chief
Brian Causey

Fire Marshal
Chris Hedrick

Inspectors
Chris Hedrick- III
Ryan Harrelson- III
Buddy Murphy-I

Volunteer Assistant Chief
Clifford Loflin

Captains
Jeremy Dillow
Buddy Murphy
Ryan Harrelson
6 - Fire Engineers
9 - Firefighters
8 - Part-time firefighters
Dedicated Volunteers

History of the Randleman Fire Department

The Randleman Fire Department was first organized in the early 1930's with D.L. Brown serving as Fire Chief. The first firefighting equipment was a two wheel cart with a roll of hose and nozzle that had to be pulled to the fire and then hooked to a hydrant. This equipment was house outside of the town hall. The first fire station was a single bay block building located on Academy Street. The fire department, along with the Lions Club, then sold raffle tickets to buy the first fire truck, a 1947 Dodge (pictured below).

In 1967, the fire department acquired a 1966 American LaFrance pumper and a two-bay fire station on the portion of Academy Street that is now known as Hilliary Street. This station is the one that has grown into the current Station 5 located at 105 Hilliary Street.  The department was fully staffed with volunteers under Chiefs Brown and Greeson until the first paid employee was hired in 1979 after the retirement of Chief Greeson, Chief Eugene Moore. Throughout the 1980's the volunteer base was filled with a multitude of dedicated firefighters. This decade also saw the hiring of other full-time employees that worked daytime hours and on-call rotating schedule.
In the early 80's, Howard Wood (pictured below) joined the ranks at the fire department. Deputy Chief wood was the first Fire Marshal for the City of Randleman Fire Department and retired after a distinguished career with the rank Deputy Chief. Deputy Chief Wood was also a U.S. Army veteran serving in the Vietnam War, firefighter with Greensboro Fire Department, professor of Fire Science at Guilford Technical Community College, Fire Chief at Guil-Rand Fire Department, and volunteer Fire Chief at Level Cross Fire Department. Current Fire Chief Leonard credits Deputy Chief Wood as being the person most influential to his fire career.

In the early 1990's, the department had the addition of the first 24 hour fire coverage. This was through the hiring of three two-man shifts. The department operated in this manner, still maintaining a large volunteer base, until the current four-man staffing level was hired. The new four-man shift allowed the department to better serve the citizens of the fire district. In 2014 the City of Randleman and Sophia Fire Departments merged.
Sophia Fire Department was established in September 1983. The first Fire Chief was Harris Brown, and Chief Brown held this title until the merger occurred. At the time the department was founded, the community was in a gap of fire coverage between Randleman and Guil-Rand fire districts. The addition of this fire department gave the citizens of Sophia, NC much needed fire protection and emergency medical care.
The City of Randleman Fire Department has grown from the single-bay block building into the multi-station department that it is today thanks in part to many people over the years. The volunteer members that have dedicated their time over the last almost 100 years, have been an essential component to the success, growth, and ability of the department to serve its citizens. The current employees and members know the department would not be what it is today without them.
List of Charter Firefighters
D.L. Brown
John Pugh
Worth Greeson
Fitz Presnell
John Sink
James Macon
Phil Upton
Buster Brown
James Woodell
Clyde Woodell
Frank Woodell
List of Past Fire Chiefs
D.L. Brown: N.A.
Worth Greeson: 1949-1979
Eugene Moore: 1979-1987
Marty Leonard: 1987-2022