By MES Dispatch Staff
The Briefing
- • The Cabarrus County, North Carolina, Board of Commissioners is considering eliminating Squad 410, a county-funded firefighter manpower unit established in 2017 to provide supplemental staffing support to municipal and volunteer fire departments across the county.
- • County Communications Director Jonathan Weaver stated the proposed elimination is not related to budget constraints or performance issues, but rather to a reduction in need as more local departments have added their own paid firefighting staff.
- • Squad 410 currently employs 12 full-time and at least four part-time firefighters; if approved, the unit’s final day of operation would be October 29, 2026.
- • A vote on the proposal was on the agenda for the June 1, 2026, commissioner meeting but did not take place; commissioners stated they would review materials and reconvene at a future date.
- • Squad 410 firefighters told local media they were caught off guard by the proposed elimination.
CABARRUS COUNTY, N.C. — The Cabarrus County Board of Commissioners is considering a proposal to dissolve Squad 410, a county-funded firefighter manpower unit that has provided supplemental staffing support to municipal and volunteer fire departments across the county since its establishment in 2017, according to county officials.
Cabarrus County Communications Director Jonathan Weaver said the proposal is not driven by financial pressures or concerns about the unit’s performance, but by a determination that the original need for centralized manpower support has decreased as individual fire departments throughout the county have expanded their own paid staffing. The proposed dissolution would result in the elimination of 12 full-time and at least four part-time firefighter positions.
Members of Squad 410 told local media they were not prepared for the announcement and expressed concern about the proposed cuts. Under the current proposal, if approved by the board, the unit’s final operational day would be October 29, 2026. The county indicated it would offer employment assistance to affected personnel.
The elimination of Squad 410 was placed on the agenda for the June 1, 2026, commissioner meeting, but the board did not take a vote before the meeting concluded. Commissioners indicated they would take additional time to review the proposal and would return to the matter at a future meeting. No date for a follow-up vote has been publicly announced.