Raleigh/Wake Firefighting Blog  -

Blast from the past. Recognize this one? Couple hints. Residential. Commercial.
 

Traffic camera takes a picture on New Bern Avenue, westbound at the Beltline bridge. Motor-vehicle accident, overturned, injury. That's Engine 11 in the background. Talk about scene lighting!
 

Looks like the largest incident from last night's boomers was Fairview's house fire at 4012 Gumleaf Drive in Apex. As this News & Observer story reports, they were dispatched about 11:45 p.m. Arriving units found fire in the attic, and on the second floor of a two-story, wood-frame, single-family dwelling with 2,626 square-feet. Built 1992. Latter data from tax records.

Eleven engines and nine tankers were on scene, said the Fire Chief, with Fairview, Apex, Cary, Holly Springs, Fuquay-Varina, Morrisville, and Raleigh fire departments on scene. The fire was controlled after about an hour. No injuries, and believed caused by a lightning strike.

North Carolina is number one nationally for copperhead bites, reports today's News & Observer. Total of 228 last year. More than 20 percent in Wake County, which led with the bled. Fangs found most people in urban counties, and typically strikes while victims are doing ordinary chores. Beware those barefoot, or with flip-flops, or Mr. Blogger's perpetual summer sandals. 'Taint typically fatal, but a bite can lead to loss of limb. Can also mean many moons of rehab. Read the entire cold-blooded story. Alas, not as many snake puns present themselves this morning. Shake, rattle, and roll.
 

Ethan Hyman/News & Observer photo

Wallace Warsaw Fire Department Engine 4 was reportedly involved in a motor-vehicle accident yesterday afternoon, when a passenger vehicle collided with the apparatus on scene at another vehicle accident in Interstate 40 at Mile Marker 354364. One firefighter reportedly received minor injuries, and the apparatus sustained heavy damage. No news outlet coverage yet found. We await more details.

Lee Price, the President of the Wake County Firefighters Association, passes along an invitation to all firefighters in the county-- both members and non-members-- to attend the August meeting, which will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, August 10, at the Raleigh Civic and Convention Center in Ballroom A. That's the day before the South Atlantic Fire Rescue Expo starts.

They'll have a short business meeting, and then turn the floor over to Dave Dodson, who will present an abbreviated version of his acclaimed program The Art of Reading Smoke. After the meeting, many will retire to Napper Tandys for snacks and socializing. 

The Wake County Firefighters Association will again have a booth at the show, this year located behind Anchor Richey and behind Southeastern Specialty Vehicles. Dodson presents the full version of his program for show attendees on Wednesday, August 11. Then two days later, Mr. Blogger presents his History of North Carolina Firefighting program on August 13. See everyone there!
 

Photography tip that someone once told me: take pictures of people's hands and the things they're holding. Below is a member of the Raleigh Fire Department Honor Guard, getting ready at last night's promotional ceremony at City Council Chambers. Needs a little work on the lighting and color, but it's one of a couple dozen preliminary photos posted. Congratulations to the honored.
 

Chik-Fil-A of the Greater Triangle Area is sponsoring a promotional and educational event on Saturday, July 31, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., in the Jim Graham Building at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds. They're giving away 10,000 spicy chicken sandwiches, and will have other free edibles, as well as numerous family-friendly activities.

Numerous pieces of fire apparatus will be on display, along with a fire safety house. There will be fire clowns performing, and fire safety materials on hand. Best of all, the thing is indoors. Cool down, indeed! Read this flyer or click below for more information:
 

For today's exercise in media studies, let's look at this Firegeezer story about a situation in Southern Shores on the Outer Banks. The small town is protected by a town-contracted, private-run fire department. As 'geezer summarizes, residents are alarmed by a recent 40% increase in taxes, all of which were directed to the fire department. Then the taxpayers really had a cow, when they learned that the "volunteer" fire chief was earning a considerable salary.

The issues were investigated by WTKR-TV in Norfolk, and over three months. This lengthy video report covers quite a bit of territory, and includes footage of a heated town council meeting, and even a confrontation between the reporter and the Fire Chief.  The video story also has 20 user comments, so far.

For discussion as desired, how fair and balanced is the WTKR-TV story? Both to lay readers and those who ride the red trucks?

Read the Firegeezer story.
Watch the WTKR-TV report.
Visit the Southern Shores Fire Department.

We've gotten pretty good at identifying former firehouse buildings around the country. And old rolling stock is pretty easy to spot, on any day of the week. But recognizing former fireboats? Now we're talking idiot savant. What are the odds that a Baltimore-wandering blogger would stumble upon an old boat from Wilmington?

Below is the tug T. B. McClintic, which was built in 1932 in Bath, MA, for the US Public Health Service. It was named after the doctor credited with the cure for Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, and served the health department from 1932 to 1958. Among the tug's duties during its life was transporting doctors to ships for treating sick seamen. Click to enlarge:
 

In 1963, the city of Wilmington bought the thing for $300. They installed three diesel engines, as well as firefighting equipment. The craft was christened Atlantic IV, and its first duty was washing down the decks of the USS North Carolina prior to its dedication ceremony. More notably, it pumped water into the battleship's hold for a month, to help sink and thus protect the thing. Click to enlarge:
 

Star-News/Chris Nelson photo
 

The Atlantic IV-- steel hull, 64 feet long, 85 tons, 2500 GPM-- was retired in 1986, and subsequently sold. In recent years, it was restored its original state as a public health tug. Read about the restoration and the boats history in this Star-News article from 2008. 

How the heck did Yours Truly recognize the thing? Easy. Earlier this month, he researched and created a page about Wilmington fireboats. And while wandering this particular Baltimore marina-- drawn to same due to two giant ships also docked there-- he saw the tug, and immediately recognized the name. Although on his web page, he cites the name T. B. McLintick. Memo to self: correct spelling.

Seen somewhere outside North Carolina in the past week, during Mr. Blogger's recent roamings. Believe the thing is a very dark green, versus what almost looks like black.
 

As recently photographed in northern North Carolina. Closed as fire station fairly recently. Now serves as activity center for church.
 

Sure sign that a fire station was once home to horses. Left is a former firehouse in Philly, right is an active station in DC. Click to enlarge:
 

A brother to the south has asked for help. Their helmet was recently stolen out of their locker. An older-style Cairnes New Yorker. Black. And of significant sentimental value. Might have surfaced in the Triangle area. Ring any bells for anyone? Same has distinguishing marks. Mail Mike for more information. Thanks for any help. Shame to the parties responsible.

The Roanoke Times has posted information about a fatal apparatus accident this afternoon in Rocky Mount, VA. Two firefighters-- Fire Chief Posy Dillon and Firefighter William Daniel "Danny" Altice-- were killed when their pumper overturned after being struck by a sport utility vehicle at the intersection of Old Franklin Road and School Board Road. The apparatus was responding to a house fire, when it was struck. It flipped at least three times, and landed on a passenger vehicle. Two civilians were also injured. The two firefighters were the only ones aboard the apparatus. Read the entire story.
 

Jared Soares, Roanoke Times photo

This building on New Hampshire Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., is a "chiller plant." for the subway system. Below is the text that appears on a plaque on the front of the facade. Read more about historic DCFD houses. 

The Former Engine Company 24 of the District of Columbia Fire Department 

The facade of the original house for Engine Company 24 was located at 3702 Georgia Avenue NW, just north of this site. Built in 1911, the firehouse was designed by Luther Leisenring and Charles Gregg. It originally housed horses and horse-drawn equipment. Within one year of its opening, it became the first station in the city to be fully motorized. Engine Company 24 relocated to a new facility in July 1994. The facade of the original building was relocated and integrated into the chiller plant for the Georgia Avenue-Patworth Metrorail station in December 1995 by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.

The Government of the District of Columbia
Mayor Marion Barry Jr.
In cooperation with the D.C. Preservation League    
 

WRAL reports this morning that drivers on I-40 in Johnson County reported seeing a bull in traffic. No accidents were reported, as vehicles were able to steer clear. Perhaps they used their horns. Unknown if the animal saw red. The Highway Patrol assisted a local farmer in leashing the lingering longhorn. Meanwhile, a distant blogger battered readers with beastly puns. His reputation for comedy is always at steak. Hopefully his stock isn't falling. Let him know if you a have a beef. Thank you, and don't forget to tip your server on the way out.

The Garner Citizen finds an interesting Garner-Clayton Record story about basic life-support (BLS) transport in Johnston County. Service for same is provided through exclusive contract by the county to Johnston Ambulance Services. Last week, County Commissioners approved a change that allows other companies to apply as back-up for BLS services through JAS. Garner Medical Transport, Samartian Ambulance Service (Wendell), and North State Medical Transport have applied. Read the story.

But where are the Battenburg markings? Not in service yet. Photographed by Lee. See a few more pictures.
 

Lee Wilson photo

That mystery apparatus is Rescue 1 at the Steadman Station on South Eutaw Street, and around the corner from the Baltimore Convention Center. Wonder how many visitors they'll get this week? Or, heck, how many t-shirts they'll sell??

The station's also home to Special Operations. Check out their newer collapse unit as photographed by Hungrybus, a 2008 Freightliner M2/Morgan with powered lifts on the side, and in the rear. It replaced a 1984 International box truck. See more of HB's photos of BFD specialty units.
 

The Fires: How a Computer Formula, Big Ideas, and the Best of Intentions Burned Down New York City-and Determined the Future of Cities is the long title of a recent non-fiction hardcover by journalist Joe Flood, and as mentioned by Dr. Harry Carter in his latest Firehouse.com column.

There's a review and author Q&A on the Amazon product page. The author spent years researching the "facts and implications of the epidemic of fires that swept through New York City in the 1970s." Areas of the Bronx were devestated, with 97% of all buildings destroyed in six census tracts.

That period is known as the famous FDNY "war years" and which are described in this Google-found letter to the editor from a former Bronx dispatcher. He places the period between the night that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assinated in 1968, and the "second blackout" of 1977.

Sounds like a fascinating slice of history, both from the perspective of the firefighters on the ground, and the best-but-failed intentions of the department and city administrators driving the real world outcomes. As Carter notes in his column, it's a very relevant topic for today. Ordered my copy!