Now for some color. Presenting a visual history of our fire departments. Take one. Still working on a few details. Couple are noted on the chart. Still tweaking the thing as well. Wish list for future features: First paid members, for each FD. First career members, for each FD. First extrication equipment, for each FD. …
Continue reading ‘Wake County Fire Departments Family Tree’ »
September 10 From reader Micah Bodford as well as this SPAAMFAA Facebook group posting, here’s the history of the rig, as well as four earlier photos. Click to enlarge: Credits left to right, top to bottom: Jack Wilson; Maxim Factory Photo / Max M. Smith Collection; Tucker Dempsey; Jack Wilson. 1968 Maxim Model 262R, Serial …
Continue reading ‘UPDATED – Vintage Photo of Sunset Beach Maxim Rescue’ »
From the files of reader/contributor David Raynor, here are some fire department step vans of years and decades past. Click to enlarge: Left to right, top to bottom: Knightdale (Wake County) – 1995 1990s? Chevy, rescue/equipment truck – #8 Goldsboro – May 1996 Command post – Old Truck 15, a staffed manpower/equipment company. Nashville (Nash) …
Continue reading ‘Vintage Photos of Fire Department Step Vans’ »
Last month, our attentions were commanded by a reported shooting and resulting major incident at Crabtree Valley Mall. No gunshot victims were found, but numerous medical emergencies presented during and after the evacuation. The resulting multi-patient incident brought dozens of EMS and fire units to the scene. But did you know that another Raleigh mall …
Continue reading ‘Sniper Attacks North Hills Mall – Memorial Day, 1972’ »
From the files of reader/contributor David Raynor, here’s a quartet of vintage tankers from Johnston and Wake counties. Left to right, top to bottom: West Johnston FD – Tanker 166 – 1960s (?) Dodge – January 1996 Clayton FD – Tanker 6 – 1960s (?) IHC – June 1999 Wilson Mills FD – Tanker 2 …
Continue reading ‘Vintage Photos of Tankers from Johnston County’ »
Let’s look at some law enforcement special units. Greensboro Police Department and their bomb squad trucks, past ‘n’ present. Reader/contributor David Raynor shares the vintage pictures. Top picture at the city garage in 1987, with containment equipment mounted on an ex-military 6×6. Bottom picture at the training center in 1991, with containment equipment mounted on …
Continue reading ‘Greensboro Bomb Squad Trucks – Then & Now’ »
From the files of reader/contributor David Raynor, here are vintage photos of two Wilmington Fire Department rigs. Top is a 1979 Chevy/1990 Sturdy Equipment manpower unit. Called Service 1, it operated as a “flying squad” with an Engineer, Relief Driver, and two firefighters. It was originally a 1979 E-One/Chevy midi-pumper, and converted in 1990 to …
Continue reading ‘Vintage Photos of Wilmington Squad, Ambulance’ »
From the files of reader/contributor David Raynor, here are vintage photos of two unusual rigs from Shelby, NC. That’s Cleveland County, to the west. Top is Water Tower 30 (also called Ladder 30 at some point), a 1983 Ford F800 with local bodywork and a 35-foot articulating “water tower.” A former electric company bucket truck, …
Continue reading ‘Vintage Photos from Shelby – Green Aerial Ladder & Red Water Tower’ »
From the files of reader/contributor David Raynor, here are a pair of rigs photographed in 1995, somewhere in North Carolina. He didn’t record the location. Readers, can you identify? David Raynor photos
For your Friday enjoyment, here’s a montage of Raleigh Fire Department recruit academy academy class photos from 1978 to 2016. Includes Academy 41, which graduated last night in downtown Raleigh. Congratulations! This one’s an incomplete collection, however. Some of the group didn’t either a formal or even informal photo. See the entire collection of class …
Continue reading ‘Forty Years (Almost) of Raleigh Fire Academies’ »