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 …
Here’s a vintage picture that I don’t believe we’ve shared before. Truck 1 at Station 2 at Memorial Auditorium. That’s the original tiller with its new cab, a 1939 ALF cab towing a 1916 ALF trailer. Two-section, crank-operated, wooden aerial ladder. Aerial Ladder Truck 1 was originally cross-staffed with the service ladder truck, a 1922 …
Be advised. Effective today, October 27, the following city fire companies and units were moved: Ladder 2 from Sta 11 to Sta 15, riding the city’s fourth tiller, in service today Ladder 9 from Sta 29 to Sta 23 Battalion 4 from Sta 23 to Sta 18 Haz-Mat 2 from Sta 27 to Sta 29 …
Continue reading ‘Raleigh Company and Unit Moves, Effective October 27’ »
The Raleigh Fire Museum has added more vintage photos of the State Fair Fire Brigade to their Flickr site. See their photo album of State Fair fire history. From the 1960s to 2005, the brigade provided on-site fire protection (and fellowship) during the State Fair. Members were primarily off-duty Raleigh firefighters. They lived on site, and …
Continue reading ‘Remembering the State Fair Fire Brigade’ »
The Cary Fire Department has placed an order for two, count ’em two, identical Pierce Enforcer Ascendant tractor-drawn aerial ladders, or tillers. From this Atlantic Emergency Solutions Facebook post, the spec includes: 60″ cab TAK-4 Independent Front Suspension Detroit DD13 525hp engine USSC Valor Seating HiViz LED scene lighting Harrison 6kW generator And needed the …
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. …
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 story told in two parts. First, in 1950, with the …
Continue reading ‘New Hanover County Fire History – Research Notes’ »