Cleveland Fire Department Clayton, NC 27520

Cleveland Fire Department Clayton, NC 27520 No.1
9039 Cleveland Rd
Clayton
No.2
13279 Cleveland Road
Garner
No. 3
5180 Cornwallis Road
Garner Anytime, Anyplace, Any Need. The members met in the home of Mr.

The Cleveland Fire Department was established in 1961. At the time, the Cleveland community relied on the surrounding departments in Clayton and Smithfield to respond to emergencies in the area. Fourteen members of the community saw a need for a local fire department to protect the Cleveland citizens. They united together to make their vision a reality starting with collecting donations door to do

or. Even children joined the effort by contributing their pennies towards the cause. A parcel of land was donated from the McLemore Family and for the next forty years this would be the site of the Cleveland Fire Department. From the donations received from the community and timber from adjacent farms, a two bay station was constructed at the intersection of Cleveland Rd and Matthews Rd. Once the land had been secured and the station was being built the members focused their efforts on the purchase of a fire truck and equipment. Percy Barber and signed a contract to purchase a 1961 American LaFrance Pumper, four sets of turn out gear and a siren for the station for the cost of $16,000. One of the early assignments for the charter members was to collect money one Sunday afternoon each month. Each member was assigned an area and they would go request for donations in order to pay for fuel, the light bill, or the loan payment for the pumper and gear. This fund raising method continued for many years and highlights the dedication of the members and the community towards the fire department. Over the years continued fundraisers at the fire station included pastry suppers, bake sales, auctions, and even a mud sling. In the 1980’s additional funding for operational cost was provided when Johnston County levied a fire tax on property within the fire district. This tax eased the financial burden on all departments within the county. By the late 1990’s the Cleveland area was rapidly developing. This growth contributed to higher call volume and created the need to move forward from an all-volunteer department. In 1998 the department hired two fulltime day shift firefighters. At this point the Cleveland Fire Department needed more space than the original station provided. The McLemore family once again generously donated a parcel of land to for the construction of a new station. On July 4, 2001 the new station was dedicated in the honor of the fourteen charter members who tirelessly worked to fulfill their vision for a safer community. The ensuing years brought a substantial increase in business and residential building. Due to increasing call volumes and the expanding service area in 2005 the Cleveland Fire Department hired it first paid Fire Chief, Chris Ellington. Once again, the department realized a need to expand in order to reduce response times in the Cleveland district. Land was secured on Cleveland Rd north of highway 42 in 2008 and construction began on the second station. On July 18, 2009 Station Two was dedicated and placed into operation. Today, In addition to fire protection and offering EMT level emergency services, the fire department conducts various community programs, such as visiting local schools and child care facilities, fire extinguisher training for businesses, and CPR classes; fire protection and education and employee safety training. Cleveland Fire Department responds to over one thousand fire and EMS calls each year serving the Cleveland community.

06/13/2026
06/12/2026

The call comes in. The crew responds. The mission remains the same: serving and protecting our community. 🚒🔥
Any Time • Any Place • Any Need

Help out our association!
06/12/2026

Help out our association!

Last night, the Cleveland community experienced a devastating fire, and we are thankful for the tremendous response from...
06/11/2026

Last night, the Cleveland community experienced a devastating fire, and we are thankful for the tremendous response from firefighters across Johnston County and surrounding areas. Their teamwork and dedication helped bring the incident under control and protect nearby homes.

Please keep the affected family in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.

A special thank you to 1-800-BoardUp of The Triangle and Tommy Mitchell for providing rehab supplies and support for the heroes who worked tirelessly last night. Your generosity was greatly appreciated.

Thank you to everyone who answered the call and showed once again that the fire service family and our community are always there when needed.

❤️🚒

06/09/2026

🚒🎙️ Our very first Cleveland Fire Podcast is LIVE!

We sat down with Firefighter Tanner Bain to talk about the fire service, training, life at Cleveland Fire, and more.

This is just a short clip watch the full episode on YouTube!

📺 Full Episode:
https://youtu.be/2eBs8_wgzBE?feature=shared

Let us know who you’d like to see on future episodes! 👇

🎉🎂 Happy Birthday, Kim Lawter! 🎂🎉Today we’re celebrating the woman who keeps Cleveland Fire Department running behind th...
06/08/2026

🎉🎂 Happy Birthday, Kim Lawter! 🎂🎉

Today we’re celebrating the woman who keeps Cleveland Fire Department running behind the scenes. While firefighters get the lights, sirens, and fire trucks, Kim gets the emails, phone calls, paperwork, scheduling, questions, and somehow manages to keep us all organized.

We’re convinced Kim has answered approximately 47 million emails, fixed 12 million problems, and reminded us of deadlines at least 100 million times.

If you’ve ever wondered how things magically get done around here, the answer is usually: “Ask Kim.”

Thank you for everything you do for our department, our members, and our community. Your hard work, dedication, patience, and sense of humor don’t go unnoticed.

We hope your birthday is filled with cake, laughter, and absolutely ZERO work emails (although we know that’s probably impossible). 🎂📧🚒

Kimberly Carroll Lawter

Happy Birthday, Kim! We appreciate you more than you know! ❤️🎉

Address

9039 Cleveland Road
Clayton, NC
27520

Telephone

+1 919-989-1909

Website

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