Remember last week when we asked you what you wanted us to cover? You sent us over 100 questions, comments + ideas.

To start, we've chosen 3 questions to answer right here. Happy Friday, Asheville. Here's to going into the weekend a lil' more informed.

#Asked – I don’t know (and I’ve asked others who don’t know) how Fire Departments work, how paid firefighters are paid and who they report to? The County? Only in internal board?

#Answered – Asheville firefighters work directly under the City of Asheville. There are 12 Community Fire Stations in the area with their main office being located at the downtown fire station (100 Court Plaza).

From now until June of this year, the City of Asheville is accepting applications for their Firefighter Trainee program. Starting salary is around $32,630 with a full list of benefits through the city + state. You can find the application + requirements here.

#Asked – Are all of Asheville’s shelters, essentially “no-kill” (excluding dangerous, fatally ill)?

#Answered – Asheville has three main animal shelters: Brother Wolf Animal Rescue (BWAR), Asheville Humane Society + Buncombe County Animal Shelter. While there is not a set definition as to what “no-kill” means, all three of these animal shelters hold their own “no-kill” policy.

BWAR’s No-Kill project simply states that an animal will not be euthanized unless they are “truly dangerous to society and have no hope of rehabilitation.” BWAR does not euthanize an animal as a method of population control.

Asheville Humane Society + Buncombe County Animal Shelter follow the same Beyond No-Kill policy. These two shelters hold the idea that an animal is entitled to “The Five Freedoms” and in the instance that they do not meet these freedoms, a “difficult but humane choice” is considered.

#Asked – With all this talk about affordable housing, it would be nice to see the process of landing one of the sweet new downtown apartments that are going up (I’m thinking Eagle Street or Hilliard/Clingman). Who qualifies at X above the poverty level? Where do we find the application for Mountain Housing Opportunities? Is there a loooooong wait list?

#Answered – To apply for housing assistance you will need to head over to Asheville Housing Authority and submit an application. This option is for those who make 50% of the area median income below. For United Way, Asheville Habitat for Humanity, Mountain Housing Opportunities + more check out this full list for a housing plan that will work best for your financial needs.

Housing assistance is broken down into three income limit categories; Extremely Low, Very Low (50%), and Low (80%). To see stats based on number of people in the family per category click here.

In regards to the Eagle Street apartments that are under construction, Eagle Market Place Apartments are asking that you call/email to make an appointment. There you can find a way to get on a list.

Want to ask you own questions? Emil hello@avltoday.com or drop a line in the comments here.