— The Orange County Sheriff's Office is investigating after a man says he hung Confederate flags at two fire stations in the rural part of the county to get the attention of local fire officials.

The man, who did not want to give WRAL News his name, said he joined three or four others to put a flag atop Eno Fire Department Station 2 and Orange Rural Station 3.

The group also left a note on the door that read, "Northern part of county wants EMS and firemen 24 hours a day."

The man says the stations are rarely staffed, noting that it recently took an hour for an ambulance to reach his injured mother.

"My county does not pay attention to anybody that lives north of (Interstate) 40," he said. "So, if you want their attention, you have to do something kind of radical. There's no racial intention at all."

The man also expressed displeasure with Orange County commissioners spending time Tuesday night to adopt new rules for flag sizes. The vote came after a huge Confederate flag went up near Hillsborough in late April.

The new ordinance requires flags in rural areas to measure no more than four by six feet.

Chief Keith Hayes of the Eno Fire Department said that while it is a rural fire district, thus the tax base is not as large as in Chapel Hill, no 911 call goes unanswered.