Guest post by Tom Link, retired Charlotte battalion chief and history buff For those of us who have loved the fire service, we have a special admiration for those firefighters who came before us, the men who built the organizations and established what would become hallowed traditions. For me, the appeal of the fire service …
Continue reading ‘Harper J. Elam and the Little Giant Fire Company’ »
This is a blog version of a Facebook posting from January 24, 2022. Terrible news in Baltimore today, January 24, 2022. Three firefighters dead and fourth in critical condition after the partial collapse at a three-story row house, about 6:00 a.m. Killed were Lt. Paul Butrim, Firefighter/Paramedic Kelsey Sadler, and EMT/Firefighter Kenny Lacayo. Hospitalized and …
This posting is a work in progress. Last updated February 19, 2022. On December 31, 2012, the City of Raleigh Fire Department ended its 100th year of service as a career organization. It was staffed with 575 authorized positions and a budget of $50,483,534. They operated twenty-seven fire stations with twenty-eight engines, eight ladders, three …
Searches were suspended on Wednesday for the light plane with eight souls aboard that crashed off the coast of Carteret County, NC, on Sunday. The remains of all eight occupants had been located, along with the plane’s fuselage. The expansive search started Sunday afternoon, after ATC at MCAS Cherry Point saw the craft disappear from …
This content was previously published as a Facebook posting. Power and lighting units, what were the early ones in North Carolina? Below are some of the “big city” rigs. Shown left to right, top to bottom are: Charlotte – 1934-36 International/Charlotte Auto & Wagon Works. Added by June 1935, housed at Central Fire Station. Lights …
This is the time of year that attentions turn to diversity and inclusion. And an occasional question to Mr. History is “who were the first X, Y, Z” in the history of the Raleigh Fire Department. Let’s dig into those old (and newer) milestones, and build a list accordingly. Here we go. Inputs welcome, notably …
The Wake County Fire Commission will hold another virtual version of its regular meeting on Thursday, January 20, 2022, at 7:00 p.m.. The agenda and meeting documents are below. Information on submitting public comments and access for viewing/listening are posted on the Wake County Public Meetings Calendar. View Meeting Documents Agenda Meeting Called to Order: Chairman …
Continue reading ‘Wake County Fire Commission Meeting – January 20, 2022’ »
This is a blog version of a Facebook posting. Reader question. Hey Mike, both Philadelphia and NYC have had their deadliest residential fires in decades. What’s the worst residential/multi-family fire in NC history? Answer: Believe it’s the Guthery Apartments in Charlotte on North Tryon Street on March 15, 1940, that killed nine. Recounts the Charlotte …
This is a blog version of a Facebook posting. Big news in Johnston County this week. North Side Fire & Rescue started service on Monday, December 4, at 9:00 a.m. The new department was created with a merger of Archers Lodge FD (est. 1958) and Thanksgiving FD (est. 1961). It’s believed to be the first …
On Tuesday, August 16, 1955, at the sixty-eighth annual convention of the North Carolina State Firemen’s Association, a portrait of the late, longtime state fire marshal Sherwood Brockwell was unveiled by his granddaughter, Mary Louise Joslin, daughter of Louise Brockwell Joslin and A. L. Joslin of Danville, VA. The portrait was presented to the NCSFA …