by Thomas Lark

DENVER – East Lincoln firefighter Casey Noles was recently appointed to run the Lincoln County chamber of the North Carolina Firefighters Burned Children’s Fund.



Tim Tench, fire chief of the East Lincoln Fire Department said Noles is an exemplary firefighter.

“He’s lousy!” joked Tench, laughing loudly. “You wouldn’t want me to lie, would you? No, seriously – Casey’s a good guy. And he’s very passionate about working with this fund. That’s his cup of tea. He’s very much into that.”

The chief explained that the nonprofit N.C. Firefighters Burned Children’s Fund supports the education and recovery of burn victims and their families, as well as helping to prevent burns.

The effort raises money and collects aluminum cans which many fire departments save in large, metal bins, Noles said. Proceeds help provide non-medical assistance to young burn victims, as well as the development and implementation of burn prevention programs.

Tench said Noles began as a volunteer for the East Lincoln Fire Department, and he’s been full-time since 2004. A firefighter and EMT, Noles has a long list of specialized qualifications in the fire service, certified through the N.C. Fire Marshal’s Office, including handling hazardous materials and working with collapsed structures. He earned a degree in fire prevention technology from Gaston College.

Noles said he was proud to serve in his new post.

“It’s a good cause for a lot of deserving kids,” he said.

The group meets four times a year and discusses fundraising methods. Members visit patients at the Burn Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and at Wake Forest Baptist Health.

“If we can prevent one kid from being burned, we’re doing our job,” Noles said. “It’s all about prevention through education. And there’s a lot of fine people involved in this.”

Tench also talked about a project near to the hearts of his fellow firefighters: the East Lincoln Fire Department’s Elf Project, in which firefighters take a group of needy children Christmas shopping. It served about 100 children last year.

Throughout this month, Sports Page, located at N.C. 16 and N.C. 73, will give 15 percent of the proceeds from anyone who mentions the Elf Project after 4 p.m.

Firefighters, Tench said, are a special breed.

“We run into places that others run out of,” Tench said.

“We believe in helping people,” said Noles, “and trying to make the best of it for them on what could be their worst days.”

Want to know more?

To learn more about the Elf Project of the N.C. Firefighters Burned Children’s Fund,  call the East Lincoln Fire Department at 704-822-5999 or visit www.ffbcf.org.