1956 Pontiac Superior Ambulance

See more photos by Legeros Let’s take a closer look at Gene Lambert’s 1956 Pontiac Superior ambulance that recently appeared at two local events: the Garner Fireman’s Day parade in October and the Raleigh Fire Museum antique apparatus muster in September. It was originally owned by Apex Funeral Directors, today named Apex Funeral Home. They …

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New Hanover County Ambulance and Rescue Services History

Presenting research notes on the history of ambulance and rescue services in New Hanover County. View chart – JPG | PDF See below for selected notes. See this Google Drive folder for 200+ articles, including those referenced below. 1950s 1957, Feb – Cape Fear Ambulance Service was under new management, prices reduced, read an advertisement. …

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Wilmington Fire Department Rescue Squad and Ambulance History

Research notes on the history of Wilmington Fire Department’s rescue squads and ambulances. See second blog posting for wider history of New Hanover County ambulance and rescue services.  See also, Wilmington Fire History by Legeros.  1969 WFD placed first rescue unit in service. [SN, 6/30/71] Was a utility-type truck and was not equipped for transport.   1971, …

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Oldest Rescue Squads in North Carolina + Master List

Posting updated May 30, 2024, with banner graphic added. Database is also periodically updated with corrections.  Research notes on the oldest rescue squads in North Carolina. Originally compiled in September 2022 in this Facebook posting. Source data in this Google spreadsheet copied from Excel master file. Name County Status Start Stop Winston-Salem Rescue Squad, Inc. …

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Fatal Ambulance Accidents in North Carolina

Research notes on fatal ambulance accidents in North Carolina. Most involve collisions with other vehicles. Sources include newspapers.com, Digital North Carolina Newspapers, the Fayetteville Observer archives via News Bank, and numerous Google searches.  See source documents in this Google Drive. 2020 to 2024  February 13, 2024 – Cumberland County Cape Fear Valley Medical Center ambulance …

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Raleigh-Wake County Rescue Medic Proposal, 1976

This is an updated version of a blog archives posting from April 2011. Let’s go back in time to 1976, when city and county officials were working to provide a better level of emergency medical service to residents of Raleigh and its suburban areas outside the city limits. Funeral homes hadn’t transported patients for about …

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Eastern Air Lines Flight 212 Crash in Charlotte

This is an expanded version of a Facebook posting on November 24, 2022, and a blogs archive posting (PDF) from April 8, 2010. The state’s second-deadliest plane crash occurred in Charlotte near Douglas Municipal Airport on the morning of September 11, 1974. The Eastern Air Lines Douglas DC-9-31 was carrying 78 passengers and 4 crew members. …

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End of an Era for Cary EMS

End of an era. Cary Area EMS ceased responding to 911 calls in Wake County yesterday, April 1, 2021, wrapping 17,758 days of service after answering their first call on August 18, 1972. (But stay tuned, as they’re planning to retool as a new educational non-profit.) The “community rescue squad” was formed in September 1971, …

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