Happened upon the Ash-Rand Rescue building in Asheboro on Sunday, after a zoo visit. Found a school bus-turned-command post in the parking lot. The two-story building was chock full of rescue and EMS vehicles. (Something no longer seen in Wake County, where rescue services are nearly exclusively performed by fire departments. The exception is R.E.D.S, based in Garner in the old Garner Rescue & EMS building.)
Here’s their fleet, as depicted on their web site. Plus my photo of the “Randolph County Search and Rescue” bus. They’re also part of North Carolina USAR Task Force 7, and have a trailer and towing vehicle. Learn more about their organization at www.ashrandrescue.com.
What other “big fleets” of rescue vehicles are found in the central Piedmont? Click to enlarge:
Ash-Rand Rescue & EMS Photos + Mike Legeros photo
it’s cool to run across the rescue squads that are surviving in this economy with so many price increases, and 0.00 in tax funded, it still astonishes me. i recently went by an seen that the command bus has been taken out of the fleet. they have 3 or 4 large trailers now, an updated rescue 2 i believe it was a 2014-2016 but it is a medium rescue vehicle, they have since also added a utility pick up truck known as rescue 6, apart from that they have added 3 or 4 boats, with one staying on randleman lake. i believe a kodiak that’s kept at the asheboro base has a sonar system. they have since also added to their ambulance fleet totaling 4 units now. from my understanding they also have hurst extrication tools they have equipped to the furthest departments, as ash rand rescue is 100% volunteer. also the search team not very big but has 2 recognized working dogs and is working on getting 2 more certified. this information is relevant as of 12/6/25