EURE – In 1980, a group of community-minded men joined forces to offer fire protection to this quaint little village located on NC 137.

Now, 30 years later, members of the Eure Volunteer Fire Department continue their efforts to come to the aid of their family, friends, neighbors and even total strangers.

The public is invited to shared decades of memories with the Eure firemen during an anniversary celebration on Sunday, July 11 marking 30 years of community service.

The anniversary festivities will be held from 3-5 p.m. at the Eure Fire Station. Refreshments will be served. The department’s newest addition – a 2010 Pierce tanker – will be on display along with the other vehicles used by the Eure firemen to protect their district.

The new tanker was scheduled to arrive on July 2 from Florida.

Also in the Eure VFD arsenal of fire-fighting equipment are two pumper trucks – a 2005 Pierce and a 2000 Pierce – and a 2001 International tanker plus a service truck.

With 30 charter member, the department held its first official meeting on May 12, 1980. The Eure VFD currently boasts of a 33-member roster.

Ed. S. Storey serves as the Eure Fire Chief. He has served in that role since 1984, the same year that Tom Powell Sr. came on board as the President of the Eure firemen.

The Eure VFD has operated out of the same building since 1981.

“We begged, borrowed and bought the materials we needed for that building,” Powell said.

That original wood frame building contained two truck bays, an office, kitchen, restrooms and a storage area.

Powell said that five-to-six years ago, the department added a metal building with room for three vehicles.

“We are very proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish over the years,” Powell said. “Through a lot of hard work, dedication and training, we were able to improve our fire rating several years ago, improving it from a 9S to a 6/9. That’s a credit to the firemen here.”