Here are my galleries on SmugMug, of pictures before, during, and after Hurricane Florence, as things happened around Raleigh. Ergo, lots of pics of preparations, and after-storm actions. Exactly one incident, wires on fire, during the worst of the local weather. And may add a few more bits and pieces, in the coming weeks, as …
Four new pieces of Pierce fire apparatus have arrived or are arriving in Raleigh. 2018 Pierce Arrow XT aerial ladder, 107-foot. First pump-less ladder since 1986. Production complete, delivery soon. 2018 Pierce Arrow XT heavy rescue, walk-in body, two-person cab. First walk-in heavy rescue since 1953. Delivered August 24. Still getting tags, and equipment mounted. …
Our coverage of Hurricane Florence and local preparations (and later impacts) are being posted on: Twitter Facebook Smugmug photo site
As Hurricane Florence approaches, many in Raleigh are remembering Hurricane Fran from 22 years ago. The storm struck the city with hurricane-force winds on Thursday night, September 5, 1996. During a three-day period, the Raleigh Fire Department answered nearly 700 calls, with call types ranging from fires (46) and medical emergencies (142), to flooding (33) …
Wrapped another squirrel chase! This one started as a question: what’s the origin story of New Hanover’s county fire department? How did a system of community (or “rural”) volunteer fire departments (Castle Hayne, Myrtle Grove, North Wilmington, etc.) evolve into a career, county-run department? It’s a story told in two parts. First, in 1950, with …
Continue reading ‘New Hanover County Fire History – Research Notes’ »
Found for sale on eBay. Readers can add makes/models/years. Look like (bad) scans of physical prints. Maybe some of Tony Kelly’s postcard pics, from back in the day? Click to (slightly) enlarge:
Random historical artifact, by way of the New Hanover County Library’s North Carolina Room. Technical report on the county (and city) fire protection. Includes a four-page response from the volunteer fire departments, clarifying and refuting some points. Includes some nifty details of the time, including a Wilmington FD org chart, and a list of all …
Continue reading ‘Wilmington-New Hanover County Fire Protection Report – 1971’ »
The Winston-Salem Fire Department recently re-dedicated their Fire Station 7, after completing a two-year renovation project. Below are some details of the project as well as before and after floor plans. Thanks to the Fire Chief’s office, for sharing. Located at 100 Arbor Road, the “Buena Vista Fire Station” was opened in 1951. It houses the department’s …
Continue reading ‘Before and After Floor Plans – Winston-Salem Station 7’ »
The following full-page commentary, bought as an advertisement, appeared in the Wilmington Star-News in late 1993 or early 1994. It presents opinions of the county’s volunteer fire departments, and their reactions to recent events of the time, including the closure of North Wilmington VFD that year, new county requirements for VFDs for financial accounting, and county plans …
Earlier this month, Mr. Blogger gave a presentation at the South Atlantic Fire Rescue Expo. The topic was Preserving Your Fire Department’s Heritage. He’s posted a copy of his presentation slides (PDF, 22M). They’re heavily annotated, with versions of his spoken remarks and other errata. The outline: Introduction What is history? Learning your history Preserving …