Providence Volunteer Fire Department (North Carolina)

==History==
The Providence Volunteer Fire Department (PVFD) was started in 1954 when farmers and local residents in southern Mecklenburg County and Northern Union County pooled together their resources for mutual protection, creating the PVFD.  Their first station was a small two-bay station locate on the corner of Providence Road and Providence Road West (now known as Ballantyne Commons Parkway) in Mecklenburg County. 
As the City of Charlotte grew and expanded towards PVFD’s district, the area changed from rural to suburban.  To meet increasing service demands, in 1972, the department built a new, 4 bay station at the intersection of McKee Road and Tilley Morris Road, Charlotte. 
When the city annexed Providence Plantation and Raintree communities in southern Mecklenburg County in 1984, the Charlotte Fire Department agreed to buy Providence’s station on McKee Road, which Charlotte renovated and opened in December 1985 as Charlotte Fire Station 9. The PVFD relocated about three-and-a-half miles south and into Union County and built a new station at 5025 Hemby Road, Weddington, NC. By 2010, nearly all of PVFDs service area was located inside the Town of Weddington (Union County), with the exception of approximately 1 square mile in southern Mecklenburg County.  
In May 2012, the Town of Weddington passed a resolution establishing a Municipal Fire District and taking responsibility for overseeing and funding this new district. To do so, the Town raised taxes and entered into various agreements with Providence Volunteer Fire Department (who covered most of the Town), as well two other area fire departments, the Wesley Chapel Volunteer Fire Department and the Stallings Fire Department, who were responsible for two areas outside PVFDs district. 
In 2015, the Town of Weddington terminated its contract with the Providence VFD and signed a contract with the Wesley Chapel Volunteer Fire Department to provide fire protection services for the entire town. The town, which had taken ownership of PVFDs station, transferred that building to Wesley Chapel VFD and that now serves as Station 43. The Providence VFD and Town of Weddington are involved in a legal battle over the fire department and the termination of the contract. 
===Fire Stations===
Station 	Address 	In Service	Notes
Fire Station	Providence Road and Providence Road West, Charlotte	1954-1972 	Building demolished
Fire Station	4529 McKee Road, Charlotte 	1972-1985 	Now Charlotte Fire Department Station 9
Fire Station	5025 Hemby Road, Weddington 	1985-2015 	Now Wesley Chapel Volunteer Fire Department Station 43
==Apparatus==
:2006 KME pumper ((1250/770) (Ex-Engine 321)
:2002	Ford / Quesco brush (200/250)
:2002 Autocar Xpeditor / 2003 Red Diamond tanker (500/3000) (Ex-Tanker 324) (Sold to Lowell Fire Department (Indiana))
:1999 Spartan / Southern Coach pumper (1250/1000) (Ex-Engine 322)
:1993 KME pumper (1500/1000) (2012 refurb) (Ex-Engine 323) (Ex-Americus Hose Company (Pennsylvania))
:1992 International / Hackney rescue (Ex-Rescue 22)
==External Links==
*Providence Volunteer Fire Department
*Providence Volunteer Fire Department Facebook page
Category:Defunct fire departments of Union County, North Carolina
Category:Defunct fire departments of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina
Category:Former operators of Red Diamond apparatus
Category:Former operators of KME apparatus
Category:Former operators of Southern Coach apparatus
Category:Former operators of Hackney apparatus