Griffith Fire Department, 5190 Peters Creek Pkwy, Winston Salem, NC 27127, US

Gumtree Fire & Rescue Inc is located in Northern Davidson County. We provide fire, medical, and rescue services to an area of 6.5 square miles. We serve both Davidson County and Forsyth County. Conception for the department began in late 1973, when members of the Cedar Estates Civic Club were concerned about having fire protection. They began to have meetings and fund raisers to help form the fire department. The department was originally formed from 24 members of the community. They held their first meetings in a building behind Stuart's Three-Way grocery at the intersection of Old Thomasville Road and Gumtree Road. In 1974 the members started looking at plans to build a new fire station. The initial plan was for the station to be built on a 2 1/2 acre tract of land at the corner of Gumtree Road and Cedar Drive. After review of the restrictions of the subdivision, the members were going to have to get 100% of the citizens of the Cedar Estates subdivision to sign a petition to allow the fire station to be built at this location. They were unable to get the needed signatures to build the station at this location, so plans were scrubbed and a new search for land began. A tract of land was then located on Gumtree Road and the members were able to acquire it from Mildred McIntyre. A contract was awarded to McNair construction to construct the $30, 000 metal structure. The initial plans were for the building to have four bays, and one of the bays was to be used for offices, and the other three for apparatus with a planned community center addition later. In October of 1974 ground was broken for the new fire station at its current location.