• By Todd Luck
• Posted Tuesday, September 30, 2025

Volunteers needed for new Forsyth County Fire Commission

The Forsyth County Board of Commissioners is seeking volunteer members for its new Fire Commission.

The Fire Commission will consist of individuals representing the county fire service and those served by the fire service, which serves Forsyth County residents outside of Winston-Salem. The commission will continuously study the county's fire and rescue service and provide recommendations on how to improve them to the county commissioners.

The Fire Commission will have 11 voting members, appointed by the county commissioners. Three positions are ex officio, filled by people currently serving in certain offices:

• 1 county commissioner
• 1 president of the Forsyth County Firefighters Association
• 1 vice-president of the Forsyth County Firefighters Association

Eight voting positions on the board are open for applications:

• 6 residents of Forsyth County served by county fire service who are not an employee, volunteer, family member or board member of a fire department that contracts with the county
• 2 chief officers or board members of a fire department in Forsyth County that contracts with the county to provide fire service

Additionally, there is one representative of a contracting municipality who will be a non-voting member. This representative should be the chief fire or administrative officer of the municipality.

Applications are being accepted through 5 p.m. on Oct. 27 on the Forsyth County board application page.

Terms for commission members who are not ex officio will initially be staggered:

• 2 residents and 1 non-voting representative of a contracting municipality will have a term that expires Dec. 31, 2026
• 2 residents and 1 representative of a contracting fire department will have a term that expires Dec. 31, 2027
• 2 Residents and 1 representative of a contracting fire department will have a full 3-year term that expires Dec. 31, 2028

After that, commission members who are not ex officio will serve 3-year terms and can serve no more than two full, 3-year terms.

The meeting schedule for the new commission is still being determined.