With a number of new fire stations recently opened in Wake County in the last year–Apex, Fuquay-Varina, Garner, two in Knightdale, and Morrisville–let’s look at all engine house across the county. Here’s new infographic with their pictures.
Photo credits: Google Street and Legeros.
View as JPG (3.9M) | PDF (4.3M)
Let’s take a closer look at Gene Lambert’s 1956 Pontiac Superior ambulance that recently appeared at two local events: the Garner Fireman’s Day parade in October and the Raleigh Fire Museum antique apparatus muster in September.
It was originally owned by Apex Funeral Directors, today named Apex Funeral Home. They were formed in 1892 and, fun fact, had Ralph Butts as one of their directors for decades. He was also the Raleigh Fire Chief from 1941 to 1947. (His father was M. E. Butts, funeral director there for 43 years. He died in 1949.) Below is history of the vehicle after it was donated by Bob McIver to the Apex rescue squad.
Owned by Apex Rescue Squad
Apex Rescue Squad was created in the fall of 1971. They were incorporated on September 8, 1971. It was founded by thirteen members of the Apex Jaycees. They were located behind the old town hall on Salem Street.
The squad started service in October 1971 using the donated ambulance. It had no beacon at the time, but the squad chief quickly added one to the roof.
The squad’s first call was a 14-month old with a febrile seizure, taken to the satellite hospital in Apex, and then the squad transferred him to a Raleigh hospital.
Nicky Winstead, who became the squad’s second chief after about three years, ran the squad’s second call on the ambulance, a motor-vehicle collision with multiple people injured on Highway 55 at Carpenter-Morrisville Road.
The squad used the ambulance for a couple years. It was supplement in the summer of 1972 by a van-conversion ambulance donated by Bill Gerringer of Gerringer Chevrolet Company, and with a $6,150 ambulance installation by Tulsa Emergency and Safety Equipment in Oklahoma.
The 1972 ambulance was later disposed to Six Forks Rescue Squad, when they organized in 1976, and was their first ambulance. By 1976, the Apex Rescue Squad had also acquired a 1973 Chevy/Superior ambulance.
Owned by Willie Yates
When the 1956 Pontiac was removed from service at Apex Rescue Squad in the early 1970s, it was purchased by Willie Yates, the squad’s board president. He owned Holt & Sons Garage on Highway 55 at Salem Street. The vehicle stayed parked at the garage for a period of time until he moved it to private property for safekeeping.
In 1994, Lambert, who was a Wake County sheriff’s deputy, was on a call. As he left the call, his patrol car’s headlines illuminated a vehicle parked in a grove of trees. He drove to the trees and discovered the old ambulance.
Lambert went to Winstead, who was again chief of the squad, and inquired about the vehicle and its history. Winstead told him about its history and its current owner. Lambert later learned that the owner had moved to Raleigh. He met Yates and told him of his desire to buy the car and preserve its history.
“As best I remember, it took almost two years to convince him to sell it to me.”
Owned by Gene Lambert
Lambert had the car towed to Garner Rescue Squad, where he had long-served including as former chief of the squad. It was parked there for a while, while he made arrangements for storage.
Beginning in 2016, Lambert started a serious restoration of the vehicle and using the talents of several “restoration groups.” Over seven years, it was restored to its original condition and with very few exceptions.
It was ready for display in August 2023, where that same week it was taken on a trailer to Morgantown, PA, for the Professional Car Society’s Car Show. It won First Place.
The following summer, it was taken on a trailer to the PCS car show in June 2024. It won First Place and Most Outstanding Pontic.
Lambert welcomes invitations and inquiries about the ambulance. It’s available for open houses, vehicle shows, or any other excuse to share its incredible history with the community.
This is an ongoing blog posting about the project to relocate Raleigh Fire Station 3.
Contents
October 2024 – Site Clearing Started
Site clearing had started by October 8, 2024.
August 2024 – Construction Bid Awarded Continue reading ‘Relocating Fire Station 3 – Site Clearing Started’ »
The Charlotte Fire Department has released an after-action report on the Liberty Row Fire (AKA South Park Fire) on May 18, 2023. The five-alarm commercial structure fire was one of the city’s largest in recent history.
Read the 96-page document (PDF)
Listen to radio traffic from the fire (YouTube)
Five alarms in Charlotte on May 18, 2023 (blog post)
Comparing Charlotte’s SouthPark and Raleigh’s Metropolitan Fires (blog post)
Here’s one we’ve been waiting for. Presenting a delivery list of over 330 rigs built by Emergency Equipment Incorporated (EEI) of Raleigh
This list was compiled over many, many years by Jon Umdenstock of Durham. And he welcomes inputs and corrections, just send him an email.
Learn more about EEI and its predecessors Atlas and Alexander.
See photos and discussions on these trucks in this Facebook group.
News from Wayne County. Effective September 1, 2024, Polly Watson Fire Department merged into Nahunta Fire Department. There are now two NFD stations, the main station (Nahunta) on Nahunta Road and a satellite station (Polly Waston) on Highway 581. The departments share 114 years of combined history, organized in 1958 and 1976 respectively.
Durham Highway Fire Department photo
Listen to radio traffic | See photos by Legeros | See aerial video of aftermath
Three alarms were struck on Friday afternoon, August 30, 2024, at 7604 Silver View Lane, just off Pinecrest Road, after lightning struck a home and started a fire that spread to the homes on either side of the residence. It occurred during a period of severe weather than saw numerous other weather-related calls, including other working fires.[1]
Ladder 23 (on reserve) was first-arriving at the two-story, single-family dwelling with 2,955 square-feet. Built 2003, from tax records. Heavy fire showing on arrival. Second, then third alarms were struck, as a second and third home caught on fire.
Durham Highway Engine 2 was early-arriving (second due?) and used their deck gun for exterior attack on the first fire building. Crews also took lines inside, until all companies were withdrawn for aerial operations.
Courtesy of Stephanie Bartsch, from this community fundraiser for the impacted families
Ladder 23 and Ladder 4 operated from Silver View Lane. Ladder 15 and Ladder 6 operated on Pinecrest Road. Four+ hydrants were caught on both roads, to supply the pumpers and ladders.
Access for hand lines from Pinecrest Road to the rear of the houses was restricted by a block-long iron fence and drop off. One section was later sawed and a ground ladder was laid.
Dispatched about 2:15 p.m. Controlled 3:54 p.m. With extended overhaul as crews located and extinguished hot spots. No injuries were reported. Six people were displaced.
[1] During a three-hour period that afternoon, during the severe weather, the Raleigh Fire Department responded to:
Source: https://x.com/RaleighNCFire/status/1829909902875333112
Legeros photos
Radio Traffic
Run Card
Also on scene:
DHFD Car 1
RFD PIO
RFD Chaplain
RFD Logistics Chief
EMS44
EMS51
Medic 94
District 5
Aftermath
Legeros photo
This is an ongoing blog posting about relocating Raleigh Fire Station 1. See also the official project site.
Contents
August 2024 – Design Services Award
On August 20, 2024, City Council approved a consent agenda that included the formal bid award for design services for new Station 1.
View agenda item that includes one PDF attachment.
February 2024 – Site Selected, Project Restarted
On February 29, 2024, an RFQ was issued for design services. By that time, the project had also been restarted, with the scope of work expanded to include a back-up emergency communications center in the new facility. The project budget had also been increased to $72M. The site location was also changed, and was originally planned for a city-owned parcel near the Raleigh Convention Center.
The multi-story facility is planned to include 50,000 square-feet and five apparatus bays. The site is a city-owned, two-acre parent on the northwest corner of South Salisbury Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway. The site is also catty corner from old Fire Station 2, which was located in the rear of the performing arts center originally named Memorial Auditorium.
Fire Station 1 is currently located at 220 S. Dawson Street and opened in 1953. It has two stories, three bays, and 11,200 square-feet. Its two prior locations were 412 S. Salisbury Street at Old Station 2 (1941-53) (built 1914) and the original Headquarters Fire Station at 112 Morgan Street (1912-41). The latter was erected in 1896, for the city’s volunteer fire companies. It opened as Station 1 in 1912, with the creation of the current career organization.
Headquarters is currently located in the Dillon Building at 310 W. Martin Street. It comprises the Office of the Fire Chief, Office of the Fire Marshal, Office of Safety and Compliance, administrative staff of the Operations Division, and other staff.
The Martin Street space was occupied in 1994. Prior locations for fire administrative offices have included:
The fire department also utilizes office space at the Emergency Communications Center at 2320 Westinghouse Boulevard, for the Emergency Management Division and other staff.
May 2020 – Project on Hold
Around May 30, 2020, the official project site was updated and noted that the project was on hold indefinitely.
November 2019 – Conceptual Rendering Continue reading ‘Relocating Fire Station 1 – Design Services Awarded’ »
This is a blog version of a Facebook posting from August 20, 2024.
Groundbreaking for new Rocky Mount Fire Station 2 was held on Monday, August 26, 2024. It will replace a 1977 engine house that is located on the same site, at the corner of West Raleigh Boulevard and South Grace Street.
The new station will cost $11M+ and face West Raleigh Boulevard, not Grace Street. Program specifications include:
Continue reading ‘New Rocky Mount Station 2’ »
This posting is occasionally updated with new information. Last updated August 20, 2024.
Note: See also these two active Facebook threads: Legeros Fire Line and SPAAMFAA (private group)
Watauga Democrat, May 28, 1959.
In May 1959, the fire equipment and fire apparatus collection of Vincent K. O’Meara of Hialeah, FL, was moved to the Tweetsie Railroad attraction in Blowing Rock, NC. The collection had previously been displayed at his Hialeah Fire Museum at 1022 E. 27th Street.
The extensive collection of artifacts also included 30 pieces of apparatus, with the oldest dating to 1792. O’Meara’s collection also included thousand of pieces of related fire equipment and what the local newspaper called the largest “fire protection library” in the southeast.
Among the displayed apparatus was Greensboro’s 1904 American LaFrance steam engine, reg #496. Originally acquired by a private owner in Winston-Salem, it was sold to Vincent K. O’Meara of Hialeah, FL, in August of 1951. See prior posting about the steamer.
Miami News, May 18, 1959
About the Apparatus Continue reading ‘Fire Museum Moves to Blowing Rock, 1959’ »
