Wake New Hope Community Meeting – May 9, 2022

This is a version of an earlier Facebook posting. View photos by Legeros Scenes from a community meeting at New Hope Baptist Church on Monday night, May 9, 2022, to inform and answer questions about a new city-county partnership. On July 1, 2022, the city of Raleigh will begin covering the response district of Wake …

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Greensboro Rescue History

Introduction This page presents research notes on the history of rescue squad vehicles in Greensboro and notably as operated by the Greensboro Life Saving squad and the Greensboro Fire Department and originally compiled in 2022.  Ambulance and EMS agency history is presently not included. May expand at a later and add.  Summary  1944 – GFD …

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Salem’s Circa 1850s Hand Engine

We’ve been solving a history mystery this month over in the private SPAAMFAA group on Facebook, in a posting about the origins of Salem’s surviving circa 1850’s hand engine. Here’s a photo from Old Salem Museum and Gardens, where the engine sits in storage. See more photos. Original Documentation We entered the fray with this …

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Huntersville Fire History

Would you believe a cab-mounted hose basket? Here’s the coolest vintage truck pic that we’ve seen in a while. Was a 1936 Chevy truck conversions in Huntersville, NC, in Mecklenburg County. Below is a timeline of the department’s history and a few more photos. They’re from Brent Irvin, son of former Fire Chief Larry Irvin, …

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Wilkinson Boulevard Fire Department – Early History

Wilkinson Boulevard was the first rural fire department in Mecklenburg County, and one of the first rural departments in North Carolina.  Souvenir Booklet, 1948 In 1948, the Wilkinson Boulevard Fire Department of Mecklenburg County published a small souvenir booklet. It contained a history of the department, which was the first rural fire department in the …

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Excelsior Fire Companies

How many black volunteer fire companies named Excelsior served in our state, back in the day? It appears just three. Shown are Durham (top), Greensboro (middle), and Rocky Mount (bottom). See below for details. Companies Durham Excelsior Hook and Ladder Company Housed at 201 Pine Street, now South Roxboro Street Served from mid-1880s to 1909 …

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Harper J. Elam and the Little Giant Fire Company

Guest post by Tom Link, retired Charlotte battalion chief and history buff For those of us who have loved the fire service, we have a special admiration for those firefighters who came before us, the men who built the organizations and established what would become hallowed traditions. For me, the appeal of the fire service …

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