The Wake Forest Fire Department has placed a new brush truck in service. Brush 4 is a 1984 Ford F-350 XLT with a C.W. Williams Wildfire skid unit. Placed in service at Station 4. It joins four others in the fleet: Station 1 – 2008 Ford F-550/Seagrave Station 2 – 1977 Ford with skid unit …
June 22, 2017Renovations are well underway. The interior has been gutted. New walls, windows, wiring, plumbing, HVAC, and fixtures are being installed. The adjoining “shop space,” the old repair shop, is being re-purposed as a drive-through apparatus bay and additional living space. Work should be completed in November. Engine 2 relocated to their temporary quarters …
Continue reading ‘Updated – Renovations for Raleigh Fire Station 2’ »
Thirty-three years ago, the Raleigh Fire Department produced its first “yearbook.” The slim hardcover, with just under 100 pages, included a text history of the department, portraits of all members, action photos, historical photos, pictures of each fire station, and even a few candid shots. The project was self-funded, through advance orders and sponsorships. And …
Continue reading ‘Raleigh Fire Department 1984 Commemorative Book… Digitized’ »
Two alarms were struck on Parkville Drive in north Raleigh on Thursday morning. Engine 19 was first-due at 4830 Parkville Drive. They reported a heavy column of smoke visible, while en route. Headquarters upgraded to a working fire, prior to their arrival. Engine 19 arrived at a two-story, wood-frame, multi-family residential building (townhouses) with about …
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For your Friday enjoyment, here’s a vintage certificate of completion from the North Carolina Fire College, awarded to Raleigh Fire Department firefighter J. B. Keeter, after completed the 1942 Lecture Course for Officers and Members. (Here’s a neat video from the 1967 college, we blogged about in 2011.) Believe John B. “Jack” Keeter was a …
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The spring/summer 2017 issue of the Raleigh Fire Department Newsletter has been published. This is a special edition about the Metropolitan fire on March 16, the five-alarm “fire of a century” that destroyed a block-long apartment building, damaged several others, and brought some 130 firefighters to the scene. The issue also includes a page of news …
On July 1, 2017, a new fire department begins operating in northern Wake County, a consolidation of Bay Leaf Volunteer Fire Department, Incorporated, and Stony Hill Rural Fire Department, Inc. Northern Wake Fire Department will operate five fire stations, with 28 pieces of equipment, and 140 members. They’ll cover a 70-mile area that’s north of …
Continue reading ‘Northern Wake Fire Department Family Tree’ »
On Sunday morning, Yours Truly spent a couple hours crossing from east Carrboro into West Chapel Hill, and following the track tracks that end at the power plant. That’s right, a coal train delivers their fuel, by way of a 10-mile spur from the Norfolk-Southern line that crosses through Orange County. But here’s another fun …
Continue reading ‘Looking For Train Tracks on the UNC-Chapel Hill Campus’ »
June 7Last night, the Apex Community Auxiliary made a presentation to the town board, with retired, longtime Chief Nicky Winstead recounting the story of the squad and the supportive auxiliary. They then introduced each of eight charity and non-profit organizations, and invited them to make remarks, before presenting them with checks and certificates. See more …
Continue reading ‘After 45 Years, Apex Community Auxiliary is Disbanding’ »
On Friday, the Raleigh Fire Department announced that the “fire of a century” at the Metropolitan Apartments has been ruled as “undetermined” for cause. Here’s the full statement: On March 16, 2017, at approximately 10:03 p.m., the Raleigh Fire Department responded to a reported structure fire at The Metropolitan apartment complex (Metropolitan), 314 West Jones …
Continue reading ‘Raleigh Fire Department Announces Metropolitan Fire Cause as Undetermined’ »