Department History

The Wayside Volunteer Fire Department, established in 1969, initially had two response vehicles and a single level station as shown below.

Wayside Volunteer Fire Department - Station 1, 1970

By 1990, the department had evolved into a multilevel department with six response units and Wayside Station 2 located on Oswalt Amity Road.

Wayside Volunteer Fire Department - Station 1, 1990.
Units from L to R: 606, 601, 602, 603, 605, 604

Since 1969, the Wayside Volunteer Fire Department has served the Wayside community in the southeastern portion of Statesville, North Carolina, with fire suppression, community awareness, fire education and more.

Today, Wayside is responsible for fire suppression to over 25 square miles. Wayside consists of two stations. The main station is located at 2353 Salisbury Highway, serving the northern portion of the district, while the substation is located on Oswalt Amity Road, serving the southern portion of the district.

Wayside currently has over 25 volunteers, 10 first responders, and one full-time firefighter. Of the men and women who serve with Wayside, all are required to attend at least 36 hours per year of firefighter training and education. In addition to those hours, each member is required to participate in weekend stand-by duty approximately six times per year. The first responders are required at least 24 additional training hours per year in the medical field to keep their certifications current.