The Town of Fuquay-Varina recently received a new ladder truck. This 2019 Spartan/Smeal rear-mount, 1500/400/105-foot was delivered on February 27, 2020. Specs include: Four-section ladder and 105 feet of heavy-duty 100,000 psi steel and features a 750 pound working tip load without any restrictions in relation to elevation, extension or rotation, while flowing 1,500 GPM. …
Recording this older news as a blog post, for the historical record. Late last year, the town of Apex received a new ladder truck, a 2019 Spartan/Smeal, 2000/400/105-foot. It was delivered in September/October. Exact date TBD. New Ladder 35 was placed in service at Station 5 on January __, 2020. It was operated at Station …
The Raleigh Fire Department ended its horse-drawn era in November 1914. Reported the News & Observer on November 14, 1914: “Faithful Fire Horses No Longer Needed” “Bill and Frank Will Never Again Carry Wagon to a Fire; Both Have Fine Records” “Bill and Frank, the two beautiful black horses of the old Rescue Company, have …
Continue reading ‘Raleigh Retires the Last Fire Horses, November 1914’ »
This is a blog version of a Facebook posting from June 10, 2019. For years, many have heard that the Boone Fire Department in Western North Carolina once had a tiller. And it was parked in the rear of Station 1, in an downstairs bay accessed by an alley. After years of searching–okay, occasional searching–Mr. …
Alexander Welding and Manufacturing Company of Raleigh (1931-1980) built commercial truck bodies and notably tank trucks, including tractor-drawn tank trailers. They also built a number of fire apparatus. They also have a family connection to Atlas Steel Products (later Atlas Fire Apparatus) and Emergency Equipment Inc. (EEI), the latter operated by the son and grandson, …
Continue reading ‘Fire Trucks Built by Alexander Welding of Raleigh’ »
End of an era. This week, the City of Raleigh Fire Department’s beloved Snorkel was retired. Effective April 1, 2020. The 1988 Pierce Arrow, with an 85-foot boom and no pump, had served as a reserve apparatus for over a decade. It was currently designated Ladder 210. Most recently and famous, it operated at one …
On Thursday, February 13, 2020, a community meeting was held in eastern Wake County, to present a proposed merger of the Eastern Wake Fire Department with the town of Knightdale and its fire department. During the meeting, a town-commissioned 2018 study of the Knightdale Fire Department was heavily referenced. Here’s that document: www.legeros.com/blog/docs/2018-knightdale-study.pdf The four …
North Carolina Task Force 8 has received a new trailer for USAR 3. It’s their first first curtain-side trailer, which will allow access from both sides as well as the back. It’ll replace a box trailer that transports their Base of Operation (BoO) portable shelter system, which includes tents, showers, cots, generators and HVAC systems, …
For your Friday enjoyment, here’s a vintage picture of Durham’s early rescue trucks. Left is the city-county rescue squad’s second truck, a late 1960s GMC van procured after the original late 1950s Civil Defense rescue truck was wrecked in November 1966. Right is the squad’s third and newly repaired rescue truck, with a new Ford …
This content has been moved to a dedicated web page at legeros.com/history/stories/durham-rescue.