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. …
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 …
Long before COVID crashed out shores, our fire departments and rescue squads assisted with another national health crisis. During the polio outbreaks of the 1940s and 1950s, they added iron lungs to their emergency equipment. Here’s the Durham Fire Department receiving one, as photographed by Charles Cooper for the Durham Morning Herald and/or Sun on …
Forgot to blog about this last year. Another Legeros history chart, this time about the New Bern Fire Department. Created in July 2019, following the release of Daniel Bartholf’s book, History of Firefighting in New Bern, North Carolina – Colonial Days to the 21st Century. See earlier posting. One disclaimer, it’s a draft version. Will …
Continue reading ‘Visual History of the (Early) New Bern Fire Department’ »
This content was original posted on the Legeros Fire Line Facebook page. Go there for more content and much more frequent postings. March 26, 2020 Photo error!. The previously included photos of a burning grandstand were not from this incident, but an earlier speedway fire in Greensboro. The grandstand at their fairgrounds burned on May 1, …
Continue reading ‘The Grandstand Burned… But The Race Continued, 1959’ »
In March 1985, Durham city officials received a comprehensive analysis of their Public Safety Program, a combined fire and police system in place since 1970. The study concluded that both services could be improved and their costs lowered by either modifying the PSO program, or eventually separating the two services. City officials chose the latter. …
Continue reading ‘Durham Public Safety Program Study, 1985’ »
For your Tuesday enjoyment, here’s a new interactive Google My Maps of Raleigh fire station locations past and present. Even includes pictures! View the fire station map.
Found these plane crash photos from 1978 by Jim Thornton in the Herald-Sun photo collection at Wilson Library at UNC. Here’s the story behind them. On Monday night, February 13, 1978, a twin-engine Aero Commander 600 approaching Raleigh-Durham Airport disappeared from radar at 8:00 p.m. Six souls were aboard. The plane apparently struck a tree …
Continue reading ‘Five-Hour Search For Downed Plane at Raleigh-Durham Airport, 1978’ »
For your Friday enjoyment, here’s a vintage program from the 27th Annual North Carolina Fire College and Pump School, held in May 1955 in Charlotte. The popular event was conducted by the then-named North Carolina State Firemen’s Association. It was held from 1929 to 2002 in various locations around the state. View a PDF version …
Here’s a surprise historical find, newly discovered audio recording of the 911 call, the dispatch, and the first 13 minutes of radio traffic, of fire units responding to the commuter plane crash in Morrisville on December 13, 1994. Listen to the recording at www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwV4H5GVK_Y. It was contributed by David Ferrell, a Morrisville Fire Captain and …
Continue reading ‘Audio Recording from Commuter Plane Crash Response in Morrisville, 1994’ »