On Thursday morning, a new crash truck was delivered to Raleigh-Durham International Airport. The 2016 Oshkosh Striker 3000, 2000/3200/420/450#/460# plus Snozzle is first new ARFF rig since 2000, and the first lime apparatus in a quarter century. The truck was purchased with 85% of funding from federal and state sources, and thus the safety yellow …
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In days of old, when crews were bold, and motor trucks hadn’t been invented, hydrant pressure was used to fight fire. Simply supply hose and nozzles–and a water system with hydrants–and your fire department was equipped. Reels of hose pulled by hand were common, and notably in small towns. (Though they were used in cities …
Continue reading ‘Travel Report – Hose Reels & Hose Houses’ »
On Saturday, May 7, 2016, the annual memorial service for North Carolina’s fallen firefighters will be held at Nash Square in downtown Raleigh. More about that event in an upcoming. ‘Tis also the season for Mr. Blogger to update his records, notably his fallen firefighter database. Rediscovered a nifty research resource on that front. Find …
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This is the third in a series of blog postings about Wake County EMS, and their celebration this year of their 40th anniversary. Read the first posting and second posting. Wake County EMS – Then & Now Comparing the trucks, the equipment, the medics, the call volume, the response areas, and more. View the chart (PDF).
From a blog reader (thanks Greg), High Shoals Fire Department in Gaston County changed their name last year to North Gaston Fire Department. They are Station 21 in the county system. HSFD was incorporated as High Shoals Volunteer Fire Department Inc. on June 9, 1960. They changed their name to High Shoals Volunteer Fire and …
Here’s a montage of Wake County rescue squad ambulances, staged at Carter-Finley Stadium in the fall of 1986 and 1987. Larger versions of each have been posted to the History of EMS in Wake County page on Facebook. Look in the photo albums. Top to bottom, left to right are trucks from Cary, Knightdale, Six …
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Here’s your Monday morning treat. Vintage photos of public safety vehicles at North Carolina State University. They were taken by David Raynor in the 1980s. He’s a blog reader, fire buff, and former law officer who lived in Raleigh and Greensboro in his day. We’ve shared some of his vintage pictures before, and will have …
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The Concord Fire Department will display a restored hand-drawn ladder wagon this weekend, at the Pennzoil Charlotte AutoFair at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. As this Independent Tribute story (thanks Josh!) by Erin Kidd reports, the 129-year-old wagon was used by the Concord Hook and Ladder Company in 1887. That was a company of black firefighters …
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Factory photo of Chapel Hill’s new Engine 31, 2016 Pierce Arrow XT pumper, 1500/500. See larger versions via Pierce on Flickr. This only the second Pierce for the college town, after a 2012 Pierce Arrow XT, 1500/500, which is Engine 33. Who has built the rest of their fire apparatus over the years and decades. …
Have lately been researching local air crashes, and become increasingly curious about military aircraft incidents. (Have found a couple, including a B-17 crash in Garner in 1944.) Let’s get more exhaustive via this database of Air Force Accident Reports from the Aviation Archaeological Investigation & Research. They’ve indexed USAAF and USAF reports from 1918 to 1955, …
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