Archive of posts filed under the EMS category.

Charlotte and Mecklenburg County Rescue and EMS History

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Presenting research notes on the history of rescue and ambulance services in Charlotte and Mecklenburg County. Resources Read more detailed research notes (PDF) See Google Drive folder of clippings. Summary Before 1960 1921 – First advertisements appear for ambulance services in newspapers. Operators are car and taxi companies. 1926 – Funeral homes begin adding ambulance …

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Kernersville Helicopter Rescue and Crash, September 25, 1984

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This is a blog version of a Facebook posting on March 25, 2025 Recounting the fatal helicopter crash in downtown Kernersville on September 25, 1984, during the attempted rescue/recovery of an injured worker atop a decommissioned water tower. The incident started about 6:10 p.m. after 19 year-old Charles Glenwood Tompkins Jr. was injured while working …

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Siloam Bridge Collapse – February 23, 1975

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Updated: March 25, 2025, with additional clippings and artifacts added to the linked Google Drive. This is a blog version of a Facebook posting from February 2025.  Here’s a short summary about the Siloam Bridge Collapse, that we learned about this week.  This happened on Sunday night, February 23, 1975, in Siloam, NC, on the …

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EMS Call Sign Changes

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Belated posting. Adding here for the historical record. On September 20, 2024, Wake County EMS implemented changes to call signs as well as their staffing plan. Nine new transport units were added, to help with coverage during high-demand periods during the day as well as assisting during shift change. Three new shifts were created, to …

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1956 Pontiac Superior Ambulance

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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

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Presenting a short history of ambulance and rescue services in New Hanover County, plus research notes and other resources.  Resources  Search Legeros Fire Line on Facebook for “New Hanover”  View visual history: JPG | PDF Read more detailed research notes (PDF). View various newspaper clippings in Google Drive folder. 1950s 1957, Feb – Cape Fear Ambulance Service …

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Wilmington Fire Department Rescue Squad and Ambulance History

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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

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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

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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. Last updated July 9, 2026. See source documents in this Google Drive. 2020 to 2026 July 6, 2025 – Davidson County Davidson …

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Raleigh-Wake County Rescue Medic Proposal, 1976

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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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