Raleigh Rescue Boats, Past and Present

With the remnants of Hurricane Ian reaching Raleigh today, here’s a look at the city’s water rescue vehicles, past and present. Left to right, top to bottom: 1953 wooden rescue boats, originally operated by the Raleigh Emergency Rescue Squad at Station 1. And they’ve survived to this date, presently in storage. Lee Wilson photo, from …

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New Trailer for USAR 3

North Carolina Task Force 8 has received a new trailer for USAR 3. It’s their first first curtain-side trailer, which will allow access from both sides as well as the back. It’ll replace a box trailer that transports their Base of Operation (BoO) portable shelter system, which includes tents, showers, cots, generators and HVAC systems, …

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Swift Water Rescue Teams Leave Raleigh For Texas

Two swift-water rescue teams left Raleigh yesterday, headed to Texas to assist with the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. They were part of a five-team deployment requested by Texas emergency officials.  Personnel and equipment from NC USAR Task Force 8 and Task Force 9 departed from the Raleigh Fire Department training center, following a 10:00 a.m. …

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New Rescue For Apex… And Some History

The Apex Fire Department placed a new Rescue 4 in service at Station 4 on Saturday, May 13.  The 2017 E-One Typhoon walk-around heavy-rescue, job #140490 , was delivered on April 21. Features include top-mounted coffin compartments, a rear staircase, and a lighting tower. (Believe it also has a cascade system, for filling air bottles.) …

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NC Strike Force 1, NC USAR Teams, Forsyth Rescue, and More History

  North Carolina Strike Force 1. Ever heard of that entity? They were the state’s first Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) team, organized in the late 1990s. They were conceived as regional technical rescue team that was based in Forsyth and Davidson counties. They were incorporated as a non-profit organization in 2000, and renamed from “Strike …

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