New Crash Truck Delivered at Airport – September 1969

In September 1969, a new fire engine was delivered at Raleigh-Durham Airport. The Ansul 480 “aircraft crash rescue vehicle” was built on a 1969 International Harvster Loadstar chassis by Southeastern Safety Appliance Company in Charlotte. The Airport Authority authorized its purchase on August 5 of that year. It cost $32,250.50. The truck was equipped with …

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North Carolina Fallen Firefighters Ceremony – May 7, 2016

This Saturday, May 7, 2016, 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. See event information. In addition, motorcyclists from across …

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Mecklenburg County Line of Duty Deaths – Historical Perspective

Arrangements were announced today [link expired] for Pineville Firefighter Richard Sheltra, who died in the line of duty at a strip mall fire in Charlotte on Saturday. Sheltra is the seventeenth line-of-duty death in (or from ) Mecklenburg County. The first were recorded in 1914, when Charlotte Fire Chief J. Harvey Wallace and Captain William …

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New Oshkosh Striker 3000 Delivered at Airport

On Thursday morning, a new crash truck was delivered to Raleigh-Durham International Airport. The 2016 Oshkosh Striker 3000, 2000/3200/420/450#/460# plus Snozzle is the first new ARFF rig since 2000, and the first lime apparatus in a quarter century. The truck was purchased with 85% of funding from federal and state sources, thus the safety yellow …

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Travel Report – Hose Reels & Hose Houses

In days of old, when crews were bold, and motor trucks hadn’t been invented, hydrant pressure was used to fight fire. Simply supply hose and nozzles–and a water system with hydrants–and your fire department was equipped. Reels of hose pulled by hand were common, and notably in small towns. (Though they were used in cities …

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Fallen Firefighter Research Resource – Find a Grave

On Saturday, May 7, 2016, the annual memorial service for North Carolina’s fallen firefighters will be held at Nash Square in downtown Raleigh. More about that event in an upcoming blog post. ‘Tis also the season for Mr. Blogger to update his records, notably his fallen firefighter database. Rediscovered a nifty research resource on that …

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Raleigh Fire Department Newsletter – Spring 2016

Here’s the spring issue of the Raleigh Fire Department Newsletter–now in its tenth year of publication!–freshly posted to www.raleighfirenews.org. Contents include facilities updates for Station 6, Station 5, and the training center; FireWatch retooled for the web; annual stats and a year in review; firefighter awards; and retirements, promotions, appointments, and passings. The newsletter is …

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UPDATED – New Crash Truck Coming to RDU Airport

Note: See subsequent posting about the truck’s delivery on April 28, 2016. Production is complete on the airport’s new 2016 Oshkosh Striker 3000, 2000/3200/420/450#/460# + Snozzle. It’s also the first lime apparatus since the 1990s. Here are some pictures from the pre-delivery inspection last week, shared by our friends at RDU Fire-Rescue. Delivery is expected …

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South Atlantic Fire Expo Golf Tourney – August 8-9, 2016

The South Atlantic FIRE RESCUE Expo moves to Charlotte this year (and next year). The annual golf tournament will be held on Monday, August 8, and Tuesday, August 9, at the Verdict Ridge Golf & Country Club in Denver, NC. Shotgun start at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, and 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday. Plus practice rounds …

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