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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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 …
Found for sale on eBay, small print of Cherokee Fire Department’s 1964 Ford/American LaFrance, 750 GPM pumper. Click to slightly enlarge:
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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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 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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Found for sale on eBay, vintage dealer photos of Howe fire apparatus from what looks like the 1970s. The Garner Fire Department had a pair of these International/Howe pumpers, one 1974 model and one 1976 model. Same size pump and tank on each. Readers may have more information on these trucks. Click to enlarge:
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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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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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 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, and thus the safety yellow …
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