North Carolina Strike Force 1. Ever heard of that entity? They were the state’s first Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) team, organized in the late 1990s. They were conceived as regional technical rescue team that was based in Forsyth and Davidson counties. They were incorporated as a non-profit organization in 2000, and renamed from “Strike …
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Video from Yours Truly of Saturday’s fallen firefighters memorial parade, part of the day’s events ahead of the annual North Carolina Fallen Firefighters Memorial ceremony. Participating fire apparatus–with a couple exceptions–represented departments that have lost one or more members in the line of duty. Plus pipes band and honor guard. Still shots coming. Preview of …
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This Saturday, May 6, 2017, the annual North Carolina Fallen Firefighters Memorial Service will be conducted at Nash Square in downtown Raleigh. The event starts at 1:00 p.m. and will be preceded with a parade at 10:00 a.m., featuring honor guards, pipes and drums, and fire apparatus from across the state, from departments with one …
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Coming to the Buis Creek Fire Department is this newly completed 2017 Pierce Arrow XT aerial platform, 1500/300/100-feet. The colors are those of Campbell University’s Fighting Camels. Says me, this is most striking piece of fire apparatus in North Carolina. (Sorry Greenville, with your purple pumper. Sorry Carolina, with those keen Carolina blue trucks.) The …
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A special-called meeting of the Wake County Fire Commission will be held on Thursday, May 4, 2017. The location is the Wake County Emergency Service Education Center, 221 South Rogers Lane. The room is Suite 160, the large conference room. The meeting starts at 7:00 p.m. Agenda is below. View the meeting documents. Meeting Called to Order: Chairman …
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Here’s an administrative detail that the Raleigh City Council recently resolved, ratifying the prior purchases of two future fire station sites: Station 14 on Harden Road and Station 30 on Ronald Drive. Here’s our blog post with the latest information about the Station 14 project. As for Station 30, that’s an in-fill station that’s planned for …
The Wake Forest Fire Department has purchased a replacement for Squad 5, which is housed at Station 5, the former Falls Fire Department station. Squad 5 currently operates a 1994 E-One Century top-mounted pumper-tanker, 1000/1000, and also carries rescue equipment. The new Squad 5 is a 1997 International 4900/Clay Fire Equipment, four-wheel drive, rear-mounted rescue …
Belated blog post. On Monday, Central Alexander Fire Department Captain Michael “Bubba” E. Pennell, 49, died after suffering a medical emergency, while on duty at the fire station. He was in the apparatus bay and working on cleaning the vehicles. He was found fallen on the floor, and his fellow firefighters attempted to resuscitate him. …
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This is a blog archives posting from October 2010. The page is corrupted on the old site, so we’re re-posting here. From a reader, here’s what looks like a delivery photo (or at least a polished posed photo) of one of two 1986 EEI/Pemfab pumpers that served the city of Raleigh. Equipped with 1500 GPM pumps …
On November 6, 1915, the “largest fire in Raleigh’s history” threatened an entire city block, as the News & Observer and other buildings burned. Two firemen escaped death, as a building collapsed upon them, as they sprayed water from a rooftop. Windows melted across the street, flying embers started fires. Sound familiar? The 6:05 a.m. blaze …
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