This is a blog version of a Facebook posting from December 29, 2025.
Effective January 2, 2026, the Durham Fire Department made a number of of operational changes, including activating a new engine company, changing a quint company to a ladder company, and relocating three ladder companies along with other units.
Summary
- New fire company activated, Engine 7. First new DFD company added since 2019. It replaces Quint 7.
- New ladder company activated, Ladder 7, formerly Quint 7. The quint company will be redesignated as a ladder company.
- Squad 7 deactivated. Its personnel will be assigned to Engine 7. it will be reactivated at a TBD location in the future, after the current academy graduates.
- Three ladder companies moved:
Ladder 6 (at FS6) now Ladder 18 (at FS18)
Ladder 12 (at FS12) now Ladder 4 (at FS4)
Ladder 17 (at FS17) now Ladder 13 (at FS13) - Other company moves:
Quint 19 (at FS19) now Quint 8 (at FS8)
Engine 8 (at FS8) now Engine 19 (at FS19)
Squad 4 relocated from FS4 to FS12. No unit number change.
Haz-Mat 13 relocated from FS13 to FS17. No unit number change.
About the Changes
As noted in a press conference on December 29, 2025, the changes were in response to the city’s ever-changing landscape. The goal of the changes was to reduce response time and improve the DFD service delivery in a number of ways.
First, it would improve their effective response force (ERF). Second, it would provide better specialized service coverage, by optimizing ladder company locations. It would equalize their workload with a better distribution of responses across their companies and units.
Shown are before/after ladder locations overlaid with heatmaps of incident locations.
Department Snapshot
Effective January 2, 2026:
17 engine companies
6 ladder companies
2 quint companies
2 squad companies
1 rescue company
2 tankers (one FF) (correct?)
1 mobile support unit (one FF)
4 battalion chiefs
Cross-staffed special units, including:
Water Rescue 8
USAR 80
Haz-Mat 13
Haz-Mat 16
Brush 15
Brush 18
Technical Rescue 2
