Clay County NC Emergency Services

08/04/2026

🚑 Clay County EMS Public Safety Announcement 🏈☀️

With football season quickly approaching, Clay County EMS would like to remind athletes, parents, coaches, and spectators about the dangers of heat-related illnesses. As preseason practices begin, high temperatures and humidity can significantly increase the risk of heat emergencies.

Know the warning signs of heat-related illness:
• Heavy sweating
• Muscle cramps
• Dizziness or weakness
• Rapid pulse
• Nausea or vomiting
• Hot, red skin
• Confusion or altered mental status

If these symptoms are recognized early, prompt action can prevent a more serious medical emergency.

To help prevent heat-related illness:
💧 Begin hydrating well before practice or games.
💧 Continue drinking water throughout all activities.
💧 Rehydrate after practice is over.
🌳 Take frequent breaks in shaded or cool areas.
👕 Wear lightweight, breathable clothing whenever possible.
🚫 Avoid excessive caffeine and energy drinks, which can contribute to dehydration.

Heat stroke is a life-threatening emergency. If an athlete becomes confused, loses consciousness, has hot skin, or stops sweating, call 911 immediately. While waiting for EMS, move the individual to a cool location and begin cooling measures if it is safe to do so.

The safety of our student-athletes is a team effort. Parents, coaches, athletic trainers, and players all play an important role in recognizing the signs of heat illness and taking action early.

Clay County EMS wishes all of our local teams a safe, healthy, and successful football season. Stay hydrated, stay aware, and have a great season!

Clay County EMS
Paying forward, and giving back

07/30/2026

In light of the recent storm that came through, we want to make sure everyone is aware of a messaging system offered by Clay County that can provide advance warnings for potential natural disasters.

Nixle / Everbridge is a communication program that sends direct messages to your phone so you can be prepared—for example, tornado warnings or flash flood alerts.

How to sign up
You have two easy options:

Online: Visit the Everbridge / Nixle website and sign up using your zip code.
Text message: Text your zip code to 888777, then follow the prompts to enter your information.
Clay County Emergency Services strongly encourages everyone to sign up so you’re as prepared as possible in case of an emergency.

We hope everyone is safe after this past week’s storm. Have a wonderful weekend.🚑💙

07/27/2026

Please join us in giving a warm welcome to our new EMS Director for Clay County EMS, David Crisp!

As one legend steps into a new chapter, another legendary leader takes the helm.

For many years, Jeff "Silver Fox" Ledford has led Clay County EMS with dedication, integrity, and a passion for serving our community. Under his leadership, our agency has continued to grow while providing exceptional care to those we serve. Although Jeff is stepping down as Director, he isn't going anywhere!

Jeff will now serve as the coordinator of our new Immersion Room—a state-of-the-art, 360-degree simulation training center that will provide realistic, hands-on training for future EMS students, current EMS providers, and emergency management agencies throughout the tri-state area. This incredible resource will help prepare responders for real-world emergencies and continue raising the standard of prehospital care. Thank you, Jeff, for your leadership and for continuing your passion for educating the next generation of EMS professionals.

Now, we're excited to welcome David Crisp as our new EMS Director! David brings decades of EMS knowledge, leadership, and experience to Clay County EMS. We are confident that his vision and dedication will continue to move our agency forward and help develop some of the finest clinicians in the region.

Please join us in thanking Jeff Ledford for his outstanding leadership and wishing David Crisp the very best as he begins this new chapter.

Congratulations, Director David Crisp, and welcome to your new role! We look forward to the future of Clay County EMS under your leadership. 🚑💙

03/29/2026

Each year more than 4500 wildfires burn across North Carolina.How did they start?Ninety-nine percent of wildfires are the result of human activity such as ba...

03/29/2026

As conditions in Western North Carolina worsen, the Clay County Fire Marshal’s office has issued additional local restrictions to reduce the risk of wildfires within the City of Hayesville and Clay County.

Effective March 28, open burning is prohibited within the city limits of Hayesville and Clay County, including within 100 feet of an occupied dwelling. Under this local burn ban: All burning is prohibited.

This includes:
Recreational Fires
Bonfires
Fire pits
Warming fires


Cooking fires are allowed, with the following criteria:
It is contained within a grill or similar outdoor cooking device
It is attended at all times
It is accompanied by an available means of extinguishment (fire extinguisher or hose)

This Ban remains in effect until further notice and applies to all areas within Clay County. Please note that violations of this ban could result in civil penalty.

Mark O’Connor
Clay County Fire Marshal
Office: 828-389-0274
Cell: 770-842-0557
Email: mo’[email protected]

03/28/2026

Due to increased wildfire risk, the N.C. Forest Service has issued a ban on all open burning and has canceled all burning permits statewide effective 6 p.m. Saturday, March 28 until further notice.

Under North Carolina law, the ban prohibits all open burning in the affected counties, regardless of whether a permit was previously issued. The issuance of any new permits has also been suspended until the ban is lifted. Anyone violating the burn ban faces a $100 fine plus $183 court costs. Any person responsible for setting a fire may be liable for any expenses related to extinguishing the fire.

The burn ban does not apply to fires started within 100 feet of an occupied dwelling. The local fire marshal has authority to issue a burn ban within those 100 feet.

Read news release: https://www.ncagr.gov/news/press-releases/2026/03/28/statewide-burn-ban-issued-north-carolina-due-hazardous-forest-fire-conditions

03/28/2026

Due to low general humidity and high winds, the Clay County Emergency Management Office is urging all citizens and visitors to refrain from any outside burning. Your help is appreciated.

01/23/2026

Clay County Emergency Management
Winter Storm Information
01/23/2026

This notice is to inform the residents of Clay County, North Carolina that county agencies are actively coordinating with one another, as well as with neighboring counties and state agencies, to provide the most accurate and up-to-date information regarding the upcoming weather event.

We recognize that multiple weather models are circulating with varying forecasts. Please be advised that Clay County officially monitors weather conditions through the National Weather
Service office in Morristown, Tennessee. Residents may visit https://www.weather.gov/mrx/ for continuous updates and official forecasts.

The most current forecast indicates a winter weather mix beginning around noon on Saturday, January 24, 2026. Conditions are expected to transition to freezing rain later Saturday evening.
Ice accumulations are projected to range between 0.25 and 0.50 inches from approximately 9:00 PM Saturday through noon on Sunday. Due to hazardous road conditions, residents are
strongly encouraged to avoid travel during this time.

Emergency services, including Fire, EMS, the Sheriff’s Office, and 911 Communications, will remain operational throughout the event. Please be aware, however, that icy road conditions may cause delays in emergency response times.

Residents are urged to remain indoors, stay warm, and limit travel for the duration of the storm. For ongoing coverage and updates, please monitor local radio and television stations. If you have non-emergency questions during the event, please contact the following numbers:

E911 – 828-389-2256
EMS/EMA – 828-389-1233
Sheriff’s Office – 828-389-6354
Fire and Rescue – 828-389-6905

Most of the U.S. starts the week calm and unseasonably warm. The Heartland will be warmest, with highs 25–30° above average. Only the Gulf Coast stays chilly. Rain today is limited to western Washington while lake effect snow continues east of Lake Ontario. Cooler air returns after Tuesday, bring...