One of the longest-serving captains in the history of the Raleigh Fire Department is retiring. Captain Rich Coats (top right) will retire on January 1, 2023, with 36.28 years of service, including 23.99 years as a captain. He’ll rank just a hair behind Captain James C. Munns (bottom), who retired in 1999 with 37.36 years of service, including 24.1 years as a captain. But both are passed by Captain Royce Lassiter (top left), who retired in 1973 with 27 years as Captain. He’s the longest-serving found so far.
From more recent eras, here’s that data, from Legeros records:
- J.C. Munns – 24.1 years
- Rich Coats – 23.99
- Glenn Jones – 23.3
- Terry Partin – 23.3
- Titus Brown – 21.8
- Charles Mann – 20.4
- Donnie Carter – 20.0
- Wilbur Beasley – 19.9
- Jerry Melton – 19.7
- Charlie Narron – 19.6
- Robert Stanley – 19.4
- Stan Heath – 19.4
- Steve Wilson – 19.2
- Michael Franks – 19.0
- etc.
For captains from farther back, that’s harder to find. Been using news clippings, in particular. Found so far:
- Royce Lassiter (ret. 1973) – 27 years
- W. Leonard Choplin (ret. 1949, first RFD member to retire) – 22.2 years
What about others, like Captain James White, retired 1968 with 42 years? Or Captain Charlie Hayes, retired 1971 with 40 years? TBD on those!
Related reading, Raleigh Fire Department Personnel Records, 1913 to 1941. Hand-transcribed from handwritten records. View PDF document.