Yesterday’s Apparatus Collision in Wayne County

The New Hope Fire Department in Wayne County has posted these pictures of their Engine 1, which was rear-ended yesterday while responding to a call. It was struck by a tractor-drawn gasoline tanker on Highway 70 Bypass near mile marker 336, at the emergency turnaround. There were no injuries, no was was there any leak …

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Revealed – Mystery Vehicles!

July 10 Answers are… Charlotte Decon 1, GMC step van – October 1996 Durham rescue, red car, and small truck – March 1986 Greensboro white car, 1979 Chevy Malibu – July 1985 Fort Bragg Engine 11 – June 1988 Guilford College Chemical 39 – October 1987 Raleigh Engine 3, 1986 EEI/Pemfab – 1987 Click to …

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Guest Post – My Antique Fire Trucks by George Mills

By George Mills, a former Chief of Bay Leaf VFD Last year Mike asked to me write a posting about antique fire trucks. Here’s that article from August 2015, where I wrote about several restored and decaying American LaFrance rigs in North Carolina. This time I’m write about my antiques. Beginning with my first, a …

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Garner’s New Engine 1

The Garner Fire Department yesterday received their new Engine 1, a 2016 Pierce Impel pumper-tanker 1250/1000. It will replace a 2012 Pierce Saber pumper-tanker. By my count, this is their sixteenth Pierce fire engine, since the delivery of a 1984 Pierce Dash pumper 1000/700. The new engine is the fourth of four Pierce Impel pumper …

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Articulated All-Terrain Aerial Platform Fire Truck From South Africa

Lee Wilson found this one, and shared on social media. Would you believe a converted Caterpillar 740B articulated all-terrain construction vehicle converted into a heavy-duty fire truck complete with aerial platform? Cobra Petro Projects built the thing which is believed to be a world’s first. (At least with the aerial platform added. We’ve seen similar …

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City, County Proposed Budgets Announced – Details on Fire Spending

Budgets have been proposed for both the city and county, for Fiscal Year 2016-2017. Here are details on the fire department and fire services expenditures: City of Raleigh Proposed budget presented to City Council on Tuesday. Highlights: Replace two engines and one ladder. [ Ed. note #1: Need more! Ed. note #2: Hearing it’s actually …

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Vintage Wilmington Fire Apparatus in 1997

Vintage Wilmington fire apparatus as photographed in September 1997. Wait, when did trucks from the 1980s start qualifying as vintage?!? Courtesy of David Raynor, a blog reader, fire buff, and former law officer who lived in Raleigh and Greensboro in his day. Pictured left to right, top to bottom: 1987 Ford/Grumman pumper, 1000/500 1985 Ford/Quality …

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Vintage Photo of Raleigh Service Truck in 1987

For your Monday evening enjoyment, here’s another vintage photo from David Raynor, this one of a Raleigh service ladder truck, operating at a fire at St. Mary’s and Hargett streets in 1987. That’s Truck 15, a 1964 GMC that was shop-built using the ladder rack from Raleigh’s first service truck, a 1922 American LaFrance. It …

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