That is going to stretch some departments, especially those run by volunteers like Rolesville's.
The Rolesville Fire Department is in the heart of town, and it is the heart of the town.
The days of it being an all-volunteer fire department are numbered. A new county policy that requires firefighters to respond to medical emergencies is forcing the town to hire two full-time firefighters.
Long-time resident Herbert Eddings knew it would come sooner or later.
"We hate to see it change. It's been this way so long, but I guess there isn't much that doesn't change now," said Eddings.
"We built this fire station in a community where there are houses. We're not in a big commercial area where nobody lives. We are where people live," said Chief Rodney Privette.
The new policy is called First Responders, and Privette believes it will increase the load for his volunteer firefighters.
Privette also says they have asked the county for some extra time for training.
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