08/06/2026
Tonight is an important night for the future of public safety in our community.
For the past six months, your Police Department, Fire Department, and EMS have continued serving this community after being displaced from the Public Safety Building. Although our first responders have never stopped answering the call, operating from multiple temporary locations creates challenges when seconds matter.
Tonight’s presentation will discuss:
• The condition of the former Public Safety Building.
• Whether the building can be repaired or if replacement is necessary.
• Long-term solutions to provide safe, reliable public safety services for our community.
📍 Town Council Chambers
160 Midland Ave.
🕔 Tonight at 5:00 PM
If you care about emergency response, protecting our first responders, preparing for future disasters like Hurricane Helene, and understanding the financial impact to taxpayers, we encourage you to attend.
What has been happening behind the scenes?
While Police, Fire, and EMS have been operating from temporary facilities, significant work has continued to reduce costs and identify long-term solutions.
✅ The Fire Chief, Police Chief, Matt Begley, and Land of Sky have been aggressively pursuing grants, federal funding opportunities, and congressional appropriations to reduce the burden on local taxpayers.
✅ The Fire Chief and Police Chief have been working with North Carolina House and Senate representatives, along with the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction and the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, to pursue the donation of nearly17 acres for a future Public Safety campus.
✅ The Town continues its FEMA appeal, which is currently under review in Washington, D.C., regarding the former Public Safety Building.
✅ Despite working from facilities that were never intended to serve as long-term Police, Fire, and EMS stations, our first responders have remained committed to protecting our community every day.
✅ Some may say the Police Chief and Fire Chief simply want a new building. The reality is that this is not about what we want, it's about what our community deserves. The citizens of Black Mountain deserve a modern, resilient, Public Safety facility that supports the level of emergency services they expect and depend on.
Today's fire and police services are far more complex than they were when our current facility was built. Modern emergency response requires facilities that can support advanced technology, specialized equipment, coordinated operations, and the health and safety of first responders. Our community deserves a facility that allows police officers and firefighters to respond quickly, work efficiently, and remain operational during everyday emergencies as well as major disasters.
This investment is about protecting lives, improving response, strengthening resilience, and ensuring taxpayer dollars are spent wisely by building a facility that will serve the community for generations. Hurricane Helene exposed the significant limitations and vulnerabilities of our now condemned Public Safety building, reinforcing the need for infrastructure that can withstand future emergencies and continue serving the people of Black Mountain when they need it most.
We hope you’ll join us tonight to hear the facts, ask questions, and be part of this important discussion.
