Wallace fire chief retires suddenly, volunteers resign

WALLACE — Members of the Wallace Town Council gathered in the Wallace Woman’s Club for an emergency meeting on Monday afternoon after Wallace Fire Chief Sammy Marshburn and several volunteers of the Wallace Fire Department abruptly resigned.

In an opening statement, Mayor Jason Wells said, “On Thursday, March 5, 2026, the fire chief of the Wallace Fire Department tendered his retirement effective immediately. Following that announcement, several members of the volunteer fire department resigned that same evening.”

While Marshburn’s departure was referred to as a retirement, it appeared to have been tendered without advance notice to the town. There was no reason stated for either the chief’s abrupt departure or the volunteers’ resignations. Under personnel laws, the town could not discuss any specifics. However, a social media post by the town after the meeting referenced “low morale” in the department.

As Wells stated in his continued opening remarks, this development left the town at risk.

“These developments have created significant and immediate concerns regarding the department’s staffing levels, leadership structure and its ability to effectively respond to emergencies and provide reliable fire protection services,” Wells continued. “Because the fire department is a critical public safety function of the town, any disruptions to its operational capacity present an immediate risk to the safety and welfare of Wallace residents, businesses and visitors. The loss of key leadership and multiple trained volunteers in a short period of time requires prompt action by the town council to stabilize the department’s command structure and ensure continuity of emergency response services.”

After Wells’ statement, the council voted to allow the town manager and town attorney to negotiate an immediate fire protection contract with the Teachey Fire Department. In addition, the council agreed to dismiss all current Wallace Fire Department volunteers, rescind all policies, bylaws and standard operating procedures currently in place for the fire department, and adopt a new volunteer policy for the town.

In addition, the town appointed two former members of the fire department to fill roles during the restructuring. Wayne Rich was appointed chief and Archie Carter was appointed assistant chief. Both men have a long history with the department.

After voting unanimously to approve the changes, the board went into closed session.

Teachey Fire Chief Richard Williams, told Duplin Journal he was surprised by the developments, but had been contacted last week by Wallace to handle fire calls in the town.

“From what I understand, we will be the primary fire department for the town of Wallace,” Williams said.

The proposed contract between Wallace and the Teachey Fire Department would last two weeks.

While all current volunteers with the Wallace Fire Department have been dismissed, volunteers interested in being involved with the department are being asked to reapply under the new volunteer policy of the town.

After the emergency meeting, Wallace Town Council member Glenn Price told Duplin Journal the developments last week in the fire department came unexpectedly.

“I never thought I would have to deal with this when I was running for council,” Price said. “I thought the fire department was pretty self-sufficient and had a history of doing really great things in Wallace. It’s always had a great reputation.”

Price added that this year marks the 100th anniversary of the incorporation of the Wallace Fire Department.