Rocky Mount Fire Department

Rocky Mount Fire Department traces its roots to March 1896, when the city's first organized fire company - 26 African American volunteers known as the 'Colored Fire Company' - was approved by the town council, followed by the department's official charter later that year. From two stations at mid-century, RMFD grew steadily through the second half of the 20th century into the seven-station department that serves the city today, adding a third 24-hour shift in 1974 and expanding into emergency medical first response in 2000.

Today RMFD provides fire suppression, EMS first response, hazardous materials mitigation, technical and confined-space rescue, swift water and dive rescue, fire investigation, code enforcement, and public fire and life-safety education across Rocky Mount's 45.65 square miles and roughly 54,248 residents. The department has held international accreditation from the Commission on Fire Accreditation International since 2003 (renewed in 2008, 2013, 2018, and 2024) and in August 2020 achieved a Public Protection Classification (PPC) of Class 1 - the highest rating available - placing it among a small fraction of departments nationwide to hold both distinctions simultaneously.

RMFD recruits Firefighter/EMTs on an as-needed basis rather than through a continuously open posting; interested applicants complete an online contact card or call the department to be notified when the next hiring process opens, then submit a full application packet to the City's Human Resources Department.