By Maggie Beamguard
Insider Editor
In a community as small as Seven Lakes, population around 4,000, it is the small institutions which galvanize residents: churches, schools, a beloved meat-and-three and, here, our fire stations.
Seven Lakes, West End and Eagle Springs stations serve the community of southwestern Moore County with both paid and volunteer staff, often training and working together. This is the first article in a series introducing our local fire chiefs.
The Seven Lakes Fire and Rescue Department sits prominently on Seven Lakes Drive next to four-legged neighbors at Seven Lakes Stables and two-legged ones living in Seven Lakes North.
At the helm is David Alston, a man of measured words and much gravitas — two qualities which undoubtedly serve him well as the man in charge of a 30-person roster of volunteer and paid staff.
Alston is a North Carolina native and grew up in Chatham County. He served in the United States Marine Corps before pursuing a career in fire and rescue. The decision to carry a hose and climb a ladder came after witnessing a structure fire adjacent to his residence. As Alston watched the trucks arrive and the firefighters battle the blaze, he thought, “Man, I think I could do that.”
And for many years now, he has. He started out as a volunteer firefighter. His first paid job was at the West End Fire Department. Alston has worked in a handful of firehouses to also include Pinehurst, Carthage and Pinebluff.
His longest tenure has been at Seven Lakes Fire and Rescue. It’s at Seven Lakes where he worked up through the ranks. He started as a firefighter with the department in 2002. He has served as lieutenant, captain, assistant chief and, since 2016, as deputy fire chief/firefighter/EMT.
The best part of the job, Alston says, is helping people. But the job comes with some heavy responsibilities. The most challenging part for Alston is the hard calls, the ones with loss of life. Alston dwells briefly on some of the tragedies he has seen up close, including the loss of a family of four in a car accident years ago and a more recent drowning.
“It’s tough. There is a lot of trauma in this job,” he said. “I don’t think a lot of people actually realize the trauma we see on a daily basis.”
Oddly, he says it comes in spurts, with periods of no bad calls and then back-to-back difficult calls. Debriefs help the team support each other after the hard ones. Alston has learned that sometimes you just need to take a break.
Building resilience also means having a steady perspective. “I can say this — you’ve gotta live with the fact that you can’t save everybody. Save who you can save. But you can’t save everybody.”
It’s a critical mantra for anyone called to the type of work where life hangs in the balance.
“That’s the responder’s line,” Alston said. “So that kind of keeps me on track.”
Crew members also find outlets outside of the job but Alston won’t be found fishing, hunting or woodworking. “My hobby is, I workout,” he said.
It’s a healthy way to cope with the all-encompassing responsibility.
Alston is not just an administrator. He is classified in fire suppression. “I still fight fire,” he said. “I drive the fire truck too.” You’ll see him in the command vehicle. But, depending on staffing, he might jump in an engine.
“In a rural setting, most of the time that fire chief is a working fire chief,” Alston explains. “What I mean by ‘work’ is I still take care of my admin duties, but we’ve still gotta fight fire.”
He is often out with the crew. “I run medical calls with them,” he said. “Any kind of response out of this station, I’m able to run it with them.” Depending on staffing, he may sit back a call, but “most of the time I’m out there. This is a hands-on fire chief job.”
As Alston described the job of chief, one of the crew washed the floor of the engine bay. The department’s signature bright yellow engines were pulled into the drive. Inside, a robot vacuum buzzed down the carpeted hall. It was a Friday, so it was floor day.
It is clear this is a well-oiled machine.
Alston’s administrative duties include keeping up with the state roster and handling training. He is surrounded by a good command staff with lieutenants who handle finances, turnout gear and public relations.
“Without the officers and volunteers and the core, we’ve got none of this,” said Alston. “They make my job easier. Our good officers and staff and experienced volunteers make it flow like water.”
Which is exactly what a firefighter wants.
The station operates on county tax revenue and generous donations. Alston is grateful for the support of the larger community through their annual mailer. “The mailer, the past three or four years, has been a big benefit. The mailer money that we get, we buy equipment with it.”
It costs about $6,000 just to outfit a single firefighter with gear including coat and pants, boots, gloves and helmet. It’s a big investment.
And it’s been important for the fire and rescue station to give back to the community. A brainstorm in the bay led to a popular community appreciation event featuring The Sand Band and food trucks, held in September. This year they held the second annual 9/11 Memorial Walk with other stations. They also collect toys for Toys for Tots and welcome Santa for a community visit.
Cooperation with other departments is vital to the safety of the whole community. The Seven Lakes, West End and Eagle Springs fire departments run mutual aid on structure fires and other big calls. They also train together and recently held a mutual hazmat drill.
The chief thing the chief wants the public to know is general fire safety. Install those smoke detectors and know the rules about burning (there is no burning in Seven Lakes). And pay attention to fire danger risk, posted outside the firehouse.
The first responders at Seven Lakes Fire and Rescue will keep on keeping on under the leadership of their steady chief.
“I’m kind of a reserved guy,” Alston self-reflects. “I just do what I gotta do. I take every day like the first and the last.” And that is how the water keeps flowing.
Contact Maggie Beamguard at maggie@thepilot.com.
