Would you believe a yellow tanker in Charlotte? This nifty picture was posted to the Fire & Rescue Apparatus 25 Years And Older group on Facebook. Photo by Dan Mack via Scott Mattson’s collection. It’s a 1972 International/Etnyre, 500/1500. As the story goes, Charlotte added these tankers when the city began growing faster than planned …
This vintage picture was posted by Thomas Landen to the N.C. Old Photos and Things of Interest group on Facebook. Late 1930s or maybe early 1940s American LaFrance 500 Series, ex-Melfa, VA, and the first truck for Sunbury Volunteer Fire Department, in Gates County. Bought in 1957 for $750.
Yes, it’s history month at Blog Central. Was shown this last week, from a fellow research. The story of fire protection in Colonial Wilmington, from a May 1975 article in the Lower Cape Fear Historical Society Bulletin. Includes details on what was likely North Carolina’s first hand engine, delivered circa 1756. Plus a few details on …
Continue reading ‘Fire and Fire Control in Colonial Wilmington – 1975’ »
The story’s been long-told that Fayetteville received a hand engine from Boston in 1832, in the year following the great fire of May 29, 1831. But get this, it was donated by the Boston Fire Department and bought with “voluntary subscription of its members.” From the Fayetteville Observer on May 22, 1832, the engine had …
Continue reading ‘Boston Buys Fire Engine For Fayetteville – 1832’ »
Found another obscure fire department. Or, in this case, fire brigade, as this Perquimans Weekly story said on August 30, 1984. Protected Holiday Island, near Hertford, with some 250 residential structures and 106 families as permanent residents. The island was located four miles outside the district of the nearest fire department, Bethel VFD. And the community …
Note: See this Facebook posting for comments and discussion about this blog posting. On August 1, 1979, the Nahunta Fire Department in Wayne County became the first rural fire department in North Carolina–and in the United States–to receive a Class 8 fire protection rating for its rural water supply system, that used tankers and portable …
Continue reading ‘First Rated Rural Water Supply – Nahunta FD, 1979’ »
This posting is an expanded version of an article that first appeared in the fall 2018 issue of the Raleigh Fire Department Newsletter. New Rescue, New Quarters The City of Raleigh Fire Department recently placed a new heavy rescue in service, a 2018 Pierce Arrow XT that was custom-designed by department members. The truck was …
Found in my files, Fire Engineering advertisement from 1930. Bought on eBay, probably. Pair of “Modern Mack Units” for Goldsboro. Love the footer, “We shall appreciate you mentioning Fire Engineering when writing advertisers.”
November 19Looking More Closely…Let’s revisit our recent postings about the June 16, 1960, apparatus accident that killed Cary firefighter Vernon Thompson. Super-close cropping of the News & Observer images gives clues on the Raleigh FD response to the incident. Observe what’s seen here. Top is one of the city’s four 1951/1953 ALF 700 pumpers (based …
Continue reading ‘Locating a Line of Duty Death – Cary, 1960’ »
Let’s update that posting and montage from February 2014, showing every last ladder truck operated by the Raleigh Fire Department. How many do you recognize? Here’s your cheat sheet. As for the montage, it’s a low-res quickie. With a pair of catalog images included, as a change. Don’t believe either is Raleigh’s. And one truck is …