Raleigh/Wake Firefighting Blog  -

Event notice. Apex Emergency Readiness Expo on Saturday, May 17. Time: 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Location: Fire Station 3 at 736 Hunter Street.

The town of Cary has released their proposed budget for FY2009. For capital expenditures for the fire department, they include a replacement pumper, a "rescue equipment transport system," the remaining cost of a rear driveway for Station 5, and construction of Station 8 in the O'Kelly Chapel Road area. The pumper for Station 8 will be purchased in FY10.

Today the City of Raleigh and the Raleigh-Wake Emergency Communications Department honors 11-year-old Kayley Lancaster for an emergency call she placed to the Raleigh-Wake County 9-1-1 Center to report that her mother had been injured in a fall. City officials will be in attendance for a ceremony at 10:30 a.m. at West Lake Middle School to present Kayley with the “I Knew What To Do Award.” This award was created to raise awareness about how children should be taught to give information and take instructions from 9-1-1 operators. Read the entire press release.

Seen Monday in Morrisville, a locally-owned 1948 American LaFrance 700 Series. There are also pics on the ALF Owners Network site, include a shot of the Pennsylvania rig's original yellow color. You can imagine my double take while driving. Click to enlarge:

Copies of the the City of Charleston Post Incident Assessment and Enhancement Review Team Phase II Report are circulating, and can be found at charleston.net, sconfire.com, and firehouse.com, among other sites. The report numbers 272 pages and includes time lines, transcripts, unit summaries, and profiles of the fallen firefighters. There's commentary over at firefighterhourly.com, and even trivia from Dave Statter, regarding the FFH blogger and the report.

WSOC-TV has photos and footage of yesterday's parking deck collapse in Charlotte. Second such collapse in six months. No injuries.

Came across this at the local history library. The Battle For Falls Lake by Janet Steddum. With 168 pages and 39 b/w historical photos. It's available for reading at Olivia Raney Local History Library. Or you can purchase a print or electronic copy online, through Raleigh-based Lulu.com. From the Wikipedia entry: Falls Lake is a 12,500-acre artificial lake located in Durham, Wake, and Granville counties, formed by the confluence of the Eno, Little, and Flat rivers, and in turn the source for the Neuse River. Construction of the dam that holds the lake was completed in 1981.

You've seen them in convenience stores for a few weeks now. Color cover page with mug shots and a bold logo with handcuffs. Reeks of tabloid and thus will probably make a mint. What's inside? The May 9 - May 16 issue of the Wake County edition includes mostly mug shots: Recent Arrests, Domestic Violence, Principal''s Office (arrested students), DWIs (plus Featured Impaired Driver), Mature Menaces, Sex Crimes, Wanted (with color commentary), Slammer Salon (hair don'ts), Smiles & Tears, Call a Doctor! (featuring bruises), and Sex Offenders (with street addresses!). The center spread (in pink!) features Mother Murderers and Murdering Motherings. There's also other crime stories, weird news, adoptable pets, and... restaurant health ratings. Ads include mortgage companies, debt services, and bail bondsmen. Of course. The editors take great pains to remind that all suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The fine print notes that their purpose and intent includes informing the public, assisting in deterring crime, fostering public involvement, and to "satisfy the natural curiosity of readers." They also have a web site.

Some highlights from Thursday’s meeting of the Wake County Fire Commission. Corrections and clarifications are welcome.

The Long Range Business Plan will be presented to the County Commissioners on Tuesday, May 12. An accompanying PowerPoint presentation was shown to the Fire Commission and includes background on the Business Plan document, an overview of fire growth and its impact on firefighter safety, findings and recommendations for staffing and facilities, and the Fire Commission’s privatization of all elements of the business plan.

The Budget Committee presented the FY09 Fire Tax Budget Recommendation. For apparatus, it includes 5 engines or pumper/tankers, 3 service/rescue trucks, 6 small vehicles, and 5 tankers. For facilities, it includes both land acquisitions for East Garner Station and Wendell Falls Station, and a replacement station for Bay Leaf. READ MORE

The Greensboro News-Record reports that a commercial and industrial area in Guilford County has been quarantined, while search and rescue teams, inspections and engineering crews assess and evaluate each building. The area is around US 421, I-40, NC 68, and Sandy Ridge Road. They define quarantine as meaning no traffic or employees are allowed in that area.

Though this is probably old news for most responders, Rolesville EMS merges with Eastern Wake EMS effect July 1. There's some doc on this change in the agenda of the May 5 meeting of the Wake County Board of Commissioners. The particular agenda items are Public Hearing on the Amended Emergency Medical Transportation Service Franchise for Eastern Wake EMS, Inc. (Second Reading) and Eastern Wake EMS, Inc. Emergency Medical Service Agreement Amendments. Minutes from both should be posted in a couple weeks.

Seen at a shopping center in Cary. Unknown number of flavors, or if they're guaranteed to satisfy. Click to enlarge:

Exchange with citizen on Maywood Avenue last night, after training exercise. "Excuse me, that fire truck that just drove off, the tractor-trailer truck?" "You mean the ladder truck?" "Yes, what is the role of the person in the back?" "The rear driver? He steers the rear wheels. Helps the ladder truck around tight corners." "Wow. Cool."

Lee has posted photos and details of Hopkins' new rescue truck, a 2008 Spartan MetroStar/Hackney. Delivered April 28, placed in service May 5. Equipped with light tower, cascade system, extrication tools, ground ladders, etc. He also photographed Rolesville's new brush truck, a 2008 Ford/Seagrave.

Our friends to the south and east received this 2008 Pierce Enforcer on Monday. The mid-mount engine (1500/1000) will be placed in service at Station 2 in some weeks. Lee took this and other photos:

Usability guru Jakob Nielsen's newest Alertbox presents this startling but probably not surprising fact: users have time to read at most 28% of the words on a web site during an average visit. More realistically, he notes, they'll read 20% of the text on the average page. Another key point is that the percentage INCREASES as the amount of text on the page DECREASES. No duh, right? On pages with 111 words or less, for example, users read half the information.Read the whole thing. And how do you computer how many words are on your web page? Copy and paste into Microsoft Word, and choose Tools > Word Count. This blog posting numbers 122 words.

The February-March edition of the Extra Alarmer, a buff’s publication from the Twin Cities, features an article on the oldest, continually operating fire company serving the city of Minneapolis. Reading same promptly compelled a question about Raleigh: what is the oldest, continually operating fire company serving our city?

Let’s go back to the end of 1912. Five volunteer fire companies stopped, and two fully-paid fire companies started. Hose Company 1 operated the equipment and occupied the facilities of the Capital Hose Company, organized and continuously operating since 1887. READ MORE

What does the 1870 bell look like? Here's a photo from Matt Robbins, the grad student who uncovered the thing and who is the champion for relocating the bell to the bell tower. Click to enlarge:

What's happening with Raleigh's old fire bell, as discovered atop Withers Hall at NCSU? The original Technician article describing the find has been followed by a handful of updates:

• January 31 article on a proposal to move and use the bell in the bell tower, which presently sounds with recorded chimes.
  
• February 2 editorial supporting the plan.
  
• February 12 article on college officials and the plan.
  
• February 19 letter to the editor disagreeing with the plan.
  
• April 4 article on city officials and the plan.
  

New brush trucks have arrived at Bay Leaf, Garner, and Rolesville. Should be about the same as last year's replacement orders, Ford chassis with Seagrave body. Also, the first Spartan/Hackney heavy rescue has arrived at Hopkins. Others departments receiving rescues include Wendell and Stony Hill. Hope to have photos soon.

Here's a longer version of the AP story that appeared in Saturday's News & Observer, about a Civil War buff who was killed in February while attempting to disarm an old cannonball. More about cannons and their history.