Half Moon Volunteer Fire Department Inc.

10/31/2026

⏰ Turn your clocks back and put safety first, take a moment to test your smoke alarms and check their batteries!

🚒 Your Half Moon VFD reminds you that working smoke alarms save lives.

For more information on changing clocks and batteries: https://nfpa.social/4o3pEmg

Serving with Pride, Protecting with a Purpose ~ Half Moon Volunteer Fire Department

Messaging around smoke alarms and batteries is more nuanced now that newer smoke alarms often feature 10-year batteries.

For those ending this weekend, change clocks and check batteries only if needed. Test smoke alarms monthly.

For more information on changing clocks and batteries: https://nfpa.social/4o3pEmg

10/29/2026

🚒🚑🚓 NATIONAL FIRST RESPONDERS DAY

🇺🇸 Honoring Those Who Answer the Call 👏

Today, we recognize the brave men and women who dedicate their lives to protecting others. From firefighters and emergency medical personnel to law enforcement officers, dispatchers, and all those who serve on the front lines of emergencies… THANK YOU!

Being a first responder is more than wearing a uniform or carrying a badge. It’s about having the courage to step forward when others are stepping back. It’s about sacrifice, compassion, dedication, and an unwavering commitment to serving others, often on their most difficult days.

🚒 Here at Half Moon VFD, we are especially proud of our volunteers who selflessly give their time, leaving behind their families, jobs, and personal commitments to answer the call when our community needs them most.

❤️ To our brothers and sisters across the first responder community: We see your sacrifices, we appreciate your dedication, and we are honored to serve alongside you.

🏡 To our Half Moon community: Thank you for your continued trust, encouragement, and support. It is a privilege to serve and protect the community we call home.

Today, and every day, we salute those who answer the call, not for recognition but because someone needs them.

🇺🇸 Happy National First Responders Day! 🇺🇸

Serving with Pride, Protecting with a Purpose ~ Half Moon Volunteer Fire Department

10/26/2026

🌛Half Moon VFD – Week in review 📆

Another strong and productive week serving our community, sharpening our skills, and sharing important safety information. Here’s a quick look at what’s been happening around the station this week:

📜 This Day in Fire Service History: On October 25, 1925, Los Angeles christened the “Ralph J. Scott”, a fireboat that would serve the city’s waterfront for decades. Fireboats remain an important part of protecting ports, vessels, waterfront facilities, and nearby communities.

🔌 Knowledge Drop - Extension Cord Safety: Extension cords are designed for temporary use, not as permanent wiring. Never connect multiple extension cords or “daisy-chain” surge protectors together. These practices can overload wiring, generate excessive heat, and cause a fire. If you regularly need more outlets, have a qualified electrician install additional permanent receptacles.

👨‍🚒 Training Update - This was our scheduled bye week from training, giving our volunteers time to rest and recharge. We still enjoyed spending time with the students and staff at Summersill Elementary School during a fire-prevention event! Thank you for welcoming us and helping reinforce the importance of fire safety at home and at school.

We also had our Junior Fire Fighters who participate in the Jacksonville Public Safety Explorers program receive some training on hose advancement drills and fire attack techniques with JFD. 👏

☀️ Weather Outlook: Jacksonville can expect a mostly dry and pleasant week, with afternoon highs starting in the mid 70s and reaching around 80 degrees by Friday. Mornings will be cooler, especially Monday, with temperatures in the 40s before gradually warming throughout the week. Enjoy the sunshine, but keep a light jacket handy for those early mornings!

**Note: Students were photographed with permission via school administration.

Serving with Pride, Protecting with a Purpose ~ Half Moon Volunteer Fire Department

10/24/2026

🎃👻 BE SEEN THIS HALLOWEEN! 👻🎃

Little ghosts and goblins can be hard to see after dark! Half Moon VFD reminds families to make visibility part of the costume before heading out for trick-or-treating.

💚 Let them glow! Add chem lights (glow sticks) or glow bracelets to help children stand out. Remind kids never to chew on or break them open.

🔦 Light the way! Carry a flashlight to see sidewalks, steps, and uneven ground.

✨ Reflect for safety! Add reflective tape to costumes and treat bags, even that spooky black costume needs a little shine!

🚶Walk, don’t run! Use sidewalks, cross at corners or crosswalks, and look left, right, and left again. Never dart between parked cars.

👀 Keep their view clear! Choose costumes that won’t trip little feet and masks that don’t block vision.

🤝 Stay together! Adults should accompany young children. Keep everyone focused on the path ahead and put phones away while walking.

🚗 Drivers: slow down and stay alert! Expect excited children near roads, driveways, and parked vehicles.

Let’s make sure everyone gets home safely with a bag full of treats! 🍬🧡

Serving with Pride, Protecting with a Purpose ~ Half Moon Volunteer Fire Department

10/22/2026

🔥TURNING ON YOUR HEAT? LET’S TALK ABOUT THAT BURNING SMELL:👃

With cooler nights and mornings, Half Moon VFD has been responding to more reports of burning odors after residents turn on their heat.

What causes that smell? Dust can collect on heating components, including electric heat strips during months of little use. When those components heat up, the dust can produce a temporary burning odor. A light, dusty smell at the first use of the season should fade quickly.

⚠️ Never assume every burning smell is just dust!

If the odor persists, gets stronger, or smells like burning plastic or electrical wiring, turn the system off if safe and have a qualified HVAC professional inspect it.

🚨If you see smoke or flames, hear a smoke or carbon monoxide alarm, smell gas, or suspect a fire, get everyone outside and call 911 from a safe location. If you smell gas, avoid operating switches or anything that could create a spark.

✅ Check your air filter and replace it as recommended.
✅ Keep vents and returns clear.
✅ Schedule professional heating system maintenance.
✅ Test your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, never disable them because you think the heat caused the alarm.

When in doubt, call us! We would rather check a concern than have someone ignore a real emergency. 👨‍🚒❤️

Serving with Pride, Protecting with a Purpose ~ Half Moon Volunteer Fire Department

10/19/2026

🌛Half Moon VFD – Week in review 📆

Another strong and productive week serving our community, sharpening our skills, maintaining our equipment, and sharing important safety information. Here’s a quick look at what’s been happening around the station this week:

🔥 Fire Service Fun Fact:
Ever wonder why flames change color? Oxygen plays a role! When fuel mixes well with enough oxygen, it can burn more completely and produce a blue flame. Yellow and orange often come from less oxygen and tiny soot particles glowing as they heat up. The fuel and chemicals involved also affect the color, so flame color alone doesn’t tell the whole story!

🚪 Knowledge Drop - CLOSE BEFORE YOU DOZE: Make closing your bedroom door part of your bedtime routine. A closed door can slow the spread of heat, smoke, and toxic gases into your room, buying valuable time during a fire. Pair that simple habit with working smoke alarms and a practiced home escape plan. One small step can make a lifesaving difference!

👨‍🚒 Training Update - This week, our members practiced more hose management and hose pull drills at a site where new homes are under construction. The framing phase also gave us an opportunity to study building construction principles up close, strengthening our understanding of the buildings we may one day respond to.

We also welcomed some special visitors to the station! A group of Girl Scouts earned two badges while learning about fire & medical safety and general safety awareness. Great work girls, we loved being part of your learning adventure! 👏🤎

Additionally, we completed a thorough inspection and operational check on Engine 504, ensuring the apparatus and equipment remain ready to respond when our community needs us most.

☀️ Weather Outlook: Fall weather is settling into Jacksonville! The forecast this week calls for mostly sunny skies, afternoon highs around 68–74°F, and chilly overnight lows in the mid-40s to around 50°F. Enjoy those comfortable afternoons, and if you’re bringing out a space heater, keep it at least three feet from anything that can burn!

We want to thank you for your continued love and support. Your trust, encouragement, and generosity make it possible for us to serve our community the way we do.❤️

Serving with Pride, Protecting with a Purpose ~ Half Moon Volunteer Fire Department

10/17/2026

🔴 The Half Moon VFD would like to share:

The Durham Fire Department is honoring fallen Firefighter Andrew Brokes today 10/17/26. Please keep his family, friends, and fellow firefighters in your thoughts and prayers.

Join us in sharing Durham’s call to in his memory. His service and sacrifice will never be forgotten. ❤️🖤

Tomorrow evening, we will be lighting our fire stations in red to honor Firefighter Andrew Brokes.

The DBAP, ATC, City Hall, and many other businesses and communities have agreed to join us in this effort.

If you have the ability, we are asking all of Durham to please show some red in honor of Andrew - and to tag the photos with

10/14/2026

🚧✅ RAMSEY ROAD IS NOW OPEN! ✅🚧

The Half Moon Volunteer Fire Department is happy to share that Ramsey Road near Lynn Smith’s Towing has reopened following the recent culvert replacement. Normal travel through the previously closed section can now resume.

Thank you for your patience during the closure, and thank you to our neighboring departments and Onslow County Dispatch for helping us keep our community covered! 🚒❤️

Please continue to drive safely!

Serving with Pride, Protecting with a Purpose ~ Half Moon Volunteer Fire Department

10/13/2026

🌛Half Moon VFD – Week in review 📆

Another strong and productive week serving our community, sharpening our skills, maintaining our equipment, and sharing important safety information. Here’s a quick look at what’s been happening around the station this week:

🐾 Fire Service Fun Fact:
Sparky the Fire Dog® was created in 1951 and became the official mascot of the National Fire Protection Association. For more than 75 years, Sparky has helped teach children and families the importance of fire prevention and safety!

🔊 Knowledge Drop - Know the Sounds: Do you know what your smoke alarm is telling you?

🔥 Three repeating beeps mean smoke or fire! get out, stay out, and call 911.
🔋 One chirp every 30–60 seconds usually means the battery is low and needs to be replaced.

Never ignore an alarm or remove its battery just to stop the sound. Test your alarms monthly and make sure everyone in your home recognizes what they sound like!

👨‍🚒 Training Update - This week, our members worked on hose management and hose pulls. Proper hose placement and movement allow firefighters to advance lines quickly, efficiently, and safely when every second counts.

We also had a wonderful time providing fire prevention education at Stateside Elementary! Teaching our young community members about fire safety is always one of the most rewarding parts of what we do. Thank you to the students and staff for welcoming us!

Additionally, we completed all thorough inspection and operational check on Service/Rescue Truck 511, ensuring the apparatus and equipment remain ready to respond when our community needs us most.

🌤️ Weather Outlook: Jacksonville can expect plenty of sunshine this week, with temperatures climbing into the upper 80s Wednesday through Friday. A noticeable cool-down arrives Saturday, with a high near 67° and an overnight low around 43°. Enjoy the sunshine, stay hydrated during the warmer days, and have those jackets ready for the weekend!

We want to thank you for your continued love and support. Your trust, encouragement, and generosity make it possible for us to serve our community the way we do.❤️

Serving with Pride, Protecting with a Purpose ~ Half Moon Volunteer Fire Department

10/09/2026

📆 Half Moon VFD Call Summary📋

During the month of September 2026, our volunteers responded to 24 calls for service.

In-District Calls (17):
• 3 Structure Fires
• 1 Outside Fires
• 1 VehicleFires
• 1 Cooking/appliance Fires
• 3 Motor Vehicle Collisions
• 3 False Alarms / False Calls
• 3 Hazardous/Public Service Calls
• 0 Technical Rescue Calls
• 0 Medical/Other Responses
• 2 No emergency

Out-of-District Calls:
• 7 Mutual / Automatic Aid responses

Thank you to our amazing volunteers for their continued service, dedication, and sacrifice they give to protect our community, often leaving their families at a moment’s notice. We also want to thank the residents of Half Moon for your continued trust, support, and encouragement. Your support truly makes what we do possible. ❤️👨‍🚒

Serving with Pride, Protecting with a Purpose ~ Half Moon Volunteer Fire Department