FRANKLIN FIRE & RESCUE INC

What FRANKLIN FIRE & RESCUE INC does

Franklin Fire & Rescue is a municipal fire and rescue department chartered by the Town of Franklin, North Carolina, operating continuously since 1911. The department provides fire suppression, emergency medical first response, rescue operations, hazardous materials response, and disaster response to the Town of Franklin and the surrounding fire district covering more than 39 square miles, handling approximately 2,000 calls per year (5.6 calls per day on average). It holds an ISO Class 3 fire protection rating within city limits and Class 4 in the rural district. Services are delivered through a combination staffing model of 32 volunteer firefighters and 7 full-time paid members, using a fleet of eight apparatus vehicles including engines (E-11, 1150, 1151, 1152, 1154), a ladder truck (Ladder-11), pumper-tankers (1152, 1153), a service vehicle (1160), and the historic 1937 Chevrolet Darley Pumper (1137) used for community engagement. The department maintains a Knox Box rapid-entry program for secure building access, a fee-based schedule for special events and non-emergency services, downloadable public safety education materials, and station tour programs for schools and community groups.

The department's infrastructure and programs are anchored in operational and community-engagement technology rather than software platforms. The Knox Box system enables damage-free building access via security boxes holding master keys, with Knox Box keys stored in first-out apparatus and Chief/support vehicles. Specialized apparatus includes E-11, a 2012 Pierce Freightliner Responder Engine with pump-and-roll capability for fire suppression while in motion. Public-facing channels consist of the departmental website (franklinfire-rescue.com), two Facebook pages, downloadable safety brochures covering fire, wildfire, tornado, flood, winter weather, heat, power outage, and pet safety topics, and in-person station tours arranged through the Fire Chief. There are no APIs, SDKs, mobile applications, or AI/ML systems disclosed in the data; the technology stack is purpose-built municipal safety equipment rather than a software platform.

The business model is municipal tax funding as the primary revenue stream, with the department operating as a government function of the Town of Franklin rather than a commercial entity. Fee-based services operate on a published cost-recovery schedule: hydrant flow/pressure testing at $75 per hydrant; personnel deployment at $35/hour for officers and $30/hour for firefighters; apparatus deployment at $150/hour for fire engines/tankers and $200/hour for ladder trucks; false alarm surcharges after three per month ($75 residential, $100 business/assembly, $150 education/industrial); and $5 for incident report copies requested by insurance companies. Go-to-market is community-led, relying on 911 emergency dispatch as the primary service distribution channel, in-person applications at the 49 Maple Street station for Knox Box and membership programs, and mutual aid partnerships with Macon County Fire Services (Squad 4), Macon County EMS, Macon County Arson Team, Cowee Fire Department, and Highlands Fire Department for cross-jurisdictional coverage. Customer segments are geographic: Town of Franklin residents and property owners (primary), rural fire district residents, local businesses requiring Knox Box access or fire code compliance, and community groups receiving safety education.

Name

FRANKLIN FIRE & RESCUE INC

Legal name

Franklin Fire & Rescue

Website

https://franklinfire-rescue.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1911

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Franklin Fire & Rescue is a municipal fire and rescue department in Franklin, North Carolina, providing fire suppression, EMS first response, and rescue services to a 39+ square mile district since 1911. It operates with 39 firefighters (7 paid, 32 volunteers) and a fleet of eight apparatus under ISO Class 3/4 ratings.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fire Protection and Emergency Response Services

NAICS

Fire Protection (92216)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAIAGAB

Fire & Rescue Services (Fire Suppression, Rescue)

Business & Public Services/Public Sector & Government Administration/Law Enforcement & Public Safety (Police, Fire, EMS)

SECONDARYBPAIACAL

Community Safety Administration (Fire/EMS, Emergency Management)

Business & Public Services/Public Sector & Government Administration/Local/Municipal Government Administration

SECONDARYHLAJAGAC

Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Operations & Dispatch

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Public Health, Government & Regulators/Emergency Preparedness, Disaster Response & EMS Coordination

Keywords

• Fire suppression services
• Emergency medical response
• Rescue operations
• Municipal fire protection
• Volunteer firefighter recruitment

Headquarters

HQ city

Franklin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Municipal Tax Funding: Primary funding derived from municipal taxes supporting the Town of Franklin, NC. The department operates as part of Town of Franklin government.
2. Fee-Based Services: Fees charged for special events, temporary uses, unique emergency situations including hydrant testing, false alarms (after 3+ per month), and fire department deployment for non-emergency services. Also charges for incident reports from insurance companies.
3. Volunteer Personnel: 32 volunteer firefighters provide service capacity, reducing operational labor costs compared to fully career-staffed departments.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Franklin Fire & Rescue is a municipal fire department providing fire suppression, rescue operations, hazardous materials response, and emergency medical first response services to the Town of Franklin, North Carolina. The department operates a fleet of 8 apparatus vehicles across a 39+ square mile district, responds to approximately 2,000 calls per year, and runs programs including the Knox Box rapid-access system, fee-based services (hydrant testing, false alarm fees, incident reports), public safety education, and volunteer firefighter recruitment.

Product overview

Franklin Fire & Rescue is a municipal fire department providing emergency response services including fire suppression, emergency medical response, and rescue operations. The department operates a fleet of eight fire apparatus vehicles and serves a 39+ square mile fire district with approximately 39 firefighters (7 paid full-time, 32 volunteers). Core services include emergency response, the Knox Box rapid-access program, public safety education, and volunteer recruitment. Fee-based services cover special event support, equipment deployment, hydrant testing, and false alarm response. The department has an ISO Class 3 rating in the city limits and Class 4 in the rural district.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fire Suppression and Emergency Response Services
• Knox Box Rapid Access Program
• Fee-Based Services

Quantifiable outcome

• ~2000 calls responded to annually
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Macon County Fire Services (Squad 4)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMutual aid partnership with Macon County Fire Services Squad 4 for fire and rescue operations. Cross-staffing includes personnel like Lieutenant Luke Ledford who works with Squad 4 while serving at FFR.
• Macon County Arson TeamcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-department arson investigation team including FFR personnel Captain Tim Chavis, Captain Bo Garrison, Safety Officer Keith Allen, and Firefighter Jim Templeton.
• Macon County EMScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmergency medical services coordination with county EMS. FFR serves as medical first responder while Macon County EMS provides advanced paramedic services. Staff cross-over includes firefighter/paramedics like Tim Lynn and Matt Pruett.
• Cowee Fire DepartmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMutual aid partnership for fire response coverage. Volunteer firefighter Killian Carpenter serves with both departments.
• Highlands Fire DepartmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional fire services mutual aid partnership. Career firefighter Clay Gibson serves with both FFR and Highlands.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Asheville Fire Department: Larger municipal fire department serving Asheville, NC. Comparable core mission (fire suppression, EMS, rescue) but at significantly greater scale and with full career staffing, providing a benchmark for operating standards and ISO ratings.
• Charlotte Fire Department: Major metropolitan fire department in North Carolina. Comparable in service scope (fire, rescue, hazmat, EMS first response) but operates at much larger scale with full career staffing across multiple stations.
• DeKalb County Fire Rescue: County-level fire rescue agency in Georgia where Franklin Captain Carey Patton previously served as a career firefighter. Comparable in fire suppression, EMS, and rescue service scope, but at significantly larger scale.
• Raleigh Fire Department: Large municipal fire department serving Raleigh, NC. Comparable mission and ISO-rated operations, illustrating what a scaled-up version of municipal fire services looks like in the same state.

Direct peers

• Highlands Fire Department: Regional fire department and mutual aid partner for Franklin Fire & Rescue. Comparable small-town municipal fire service in western North Carolina serving a similar mountain tourist and residential population.
• Cowee Fire Department: Nearby volunteer fire department in Macon County with which Franklin Fire & Rescue has a formal mutual aid agreement. Comparable combination volunteer/career model serving a rural mountain community in the same geographic region.
• Nantahala Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department: Volunteer fire and rescue department in the same region of western North Carolina, with founding member Greg Day serving as Franklin's Chief Engineer. Comparable in operating model and rural mountain terrain served.
• Macon County Fire Services: County-level fire service operating in the same geographic region and serving as a primary mutual aid partner. Directly comparable in service scope (fire, rescue, EMS coordination) and customer base (residents of Macon County, NC).

Others

• Macon County Arson Team: Multi-department arson investigation unit staffed in part by Franklin Fire & Rescue personnel (Captain Tim Chavis, Captain Bo Garrison, Safety Officer Keith Allen, Firefighter Jim Templeton). Comparable in fire-related investigation capability but focused on a narrow specialty rather than full-service response.

Regional players

• Macon County Emergency Medical Services: County-level EMS provider that coordinates with Franklin Fire & Rescue on medical first response. Partially overlapping customer base and dispatch coordination in the same region, though focused on transport and paramedic services rather than fire suppression.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/FranklinFireRescueNC
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/franklin-fire-&-rescue-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about FRANKLIN FIRE & RESCUE INC