Goldsboro and Wayne County Rescue and EMS History

Presenting a timeline of rescue history in Goldsboro, surrounding communities, and Wayne County.  Read detailed research notes (pdf) View newspaper clippings in Google Drive folder. Short Version 1950 to 1969 1952 – After two years of trying to sell the idea of a rescue squad to local civic clubs, fire chief found interest at local …

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Goldsboro Fire Department History

Research notes on the history of the Goldsboro Fire Department. Primary sources are cited newspaper articles. Before 1900 1869 – Notice in newspaper: “Citizens of Goldsboro! Do you want a reliable Fire Company to be composed of white men? If you do, then go, without fail, and attend the meeting at the Court House this …

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Medical Helicopter Crashes in North Carolina

Research notes on medical helicopter crashes and accidents in North Carolina, both fatal and non-fatal. Pictured is the Life Force crash in Macon County in March 2023. The four crew members all survived with minor to moderate injuries. Photo credit TBD.  1980s Duke Life Flight, Duke University Hospital, Durham 7/21/1986 Crashed near NC 751 and …

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North Carolina Ambulance, Rescue, and EMS Line of Duty Deaths

Change Log: Added Paul Boyer, Fort Bragg, who died on 10/22/09. (May 5, 2025) Added Duke Life Flight members who died on 9/8/17. (May 4, 2025) Presenting a list of ambulance driver, rescue squad member, and EMS agency member line of duty deaths, but excludes fire-based EMS agency members (for now). Most of these names …

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North Carolina Fallen Firefighters Ceremony – May 10, 2025

See photos from the ceremony. On Saturday, May 10, 2025, the following names were added to the North Carolina Fallen Firefighters Memorial at the annual ceremony in downtown Raleigh. See below for narratives and notes, about each member and how they died.   John Alexander Bowen  – Fayetteville  – 4/16/22 Nathan Clark Burgess  – Raleigh  – …

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R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company Building 256 – August 27, 1998

On August 27, 1998, a former tobacco factory complex in downtown Winston-Salem burned in a major fire that brought some 200 firefighters and most of the city fire department to the scene. It was battled for nearly seven hours, destroyed three large buildings, and closed a five-block area to traffic. Here are research notes on …

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Durham Public Safety Program – 1970 to 1985

Contents Introduction Short Version Long Version Sources Introduction Presenting a timeline of the Durham Public Safety Officer program, which combined fire and police duties from 1970 to 1986. Collected from dozens of news articles during that time period. See below for source materials, including a larger collection of 1,300+ newspaper articles about DFD going back …

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History of the Second Engine at Durham Station 2

Let’s look at the history of a second engine at Durham Station 2. In 1928, was surveyed by the National Board of Fire Underwriters. Among the findings was that the city needed more fire stations. It noted that while fire companies were closed grouped for protection of the main mercantile and manufacturing districts, additional engine …

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EMS Call Sign Changes

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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