Champion Fire Department

Champion Fire/Rescue mourns the loss of Cleveland County EMS Paramedic & FTO Ashley Moore, who was killed in the line of duty Monday morning following a traffic collision in Gaston County.

Our thoughts are with Ashley's family, the members of Cleveland County EMS, and all who are grieving this heartbreaking loss. We stand in solidarity with our EMS partners as we honor Ashley's service, dedication, and ultimate sacrifice

Today we pause to remember the Charleston 9 who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty on June 18, 2007 while fighting a warehouse fire in Charleston South Carolina.

Engineer Brad Baity
Captain Mike Benke
Firefighter Melvin Champaign
Firefighter Earl Drayton
Assistant Engineer Michael French
Captain William Hutchinson
Engineer Mark Kelsey
Captain Louis Mulkey
Firefighter Brandon Thompson

Their dedication, bravery, and commitment to serving others continue to inspire firefighters across the nation. We honor their legacy by striving to train harder, serve with purpose, and always look out for one another.

Champion Fire/Rescue and Wilkesboro Fire Dept. Surface/Swiftwater Rescue teams came together for a joint training exercise focused on rescue boat operations, lake response plans, and victim management.

Both departments respond to incidents on W. Kerr Scott Lake and work together to provide water rescue services for our community. Training together helps strengthen communication, coordination, and interoperability between our teams, ensuring we can respond quickly, safely, and effectively when every second counts. Thank you to everyone who participated and helped make this training a success!

Fire departments are struggling to recruit volunteer firefighters. Here's what you need to know about the nationwide shortage https://www.investigatetv.com/2026/06/11/volunteer-firefighter-shortage-threatens-communities-nationwide/