Two Alarms on Walden Pond Drive

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Two alarms were struck overnight in north Raleigh on Walden Pond Drive. It was the third of four working fires in the city in eight hours, between Saturday night, February 4, and Sunday morning, February 5, and the first of two extra-alarm fires during the same period. 

Dispatched 11:51 p.m. for 4707 Walden Pond Road. Two-story townhouse building with 7,914 [?] square-feet. Built 1973.

Engine 19 first arriving with heavy fire in front/left (A/B) corner of the building, on the first floor and extending into second floor and attic space. Interior attack, with second alarm requested with minutes and crews soon withdrawn for aerial operations and exterior streams. Ladder 15 deployed and flowed. Ladder 4 also raised but didn’t flow. 

Run card included:

Fire

  • E4, Sq7, E11, E15, E17, E19, E21, E22, E28
  • L1, L4, L15, L22
  • R16
  • B1, B2, B5 (command)
  • SO14
  • DC1, INV1, A10

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Apparatus Accidents with Civilian Fatalities

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This is an updated blog version of a Facebook posting from 2009.

What’s the historical perspective of civilian fatalities in fire apparatus accidents across our state? Here’s that secret history. 

Contents

  • 2023 – Charlotte
  • 2019 – Kannapolis
  • 2011 – Kernersville
  • 2005 – Statesville
  • 1997 – Charlotte
  • 1985 – Greensboro
  • 1982 – Charlotte
  • 1980 – Steele Creek (Mecklenburg)
  • 1975 – Durham
  • 1966 – Wilmington
  • 1963 – Lenoir
  • 1957 – Durham
  • 1953 – Goldsboro
  • 1933 – New Bern
  • 1929 – Raleigh
  • 1926 – Charlotte
  • 1923 – Raleigh

Incidents

2023, Jan 30 – Charlotte – Ladder 24 collided with a motorcycle at the intersection of Pineville-Matthews Road and McMahon Drive, while the unit was responding to a medical call. The unit was dispatched at 5:36 p.m. to the 7700 block of Little Avenue. At around 5:40 p.m., the ladder truck was proceeding through the intersection when it collided with the motorcycle. The crew immediately began treating the motorcycle, who later died of his injuries. Source: Spectrum News.


Charlotte – January 30, 2023 – WCCB-TV photo

2019, Mar 19 – Kannapolis – Engine 31 collided with an automobile on Centergrove Road. The car crossed the center line and struck the apparatus head on. The lone occupant of the car, age 29, died at the hospital. The four firefighters suffered minor injuries and were also transported. Speed was not a factor, but the driver was apparently either reaching for something in the back of the car or suffering from a medical event. The driver was not wearing a seat belt. Source: [goes here]


Kannapolis – March 19, 2019 – Kannapolis Fire Department photo

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Photographing Fire Apparatus – FireNews Feature From 2008

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In 2008, fire buff and photographer Jeff Harkey posted a series of articles about fire apparatus photography on his site FireNews.net. The articles included contributions from photographers Lee Wilson and Mike Legeros. The site and the articles have been preserved by the Internet Archive. Here’s a compilation of the articles in PDF format, created in January 2023.

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Understanding Alarm Levels in Wake County

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Presenting an explanation of fire and EMS alarm levels in Raleigh and Wake County. Compiled over the last couple weeks, for the benefit of local fire buff and scanner listeners. 

  • Raleigh Fire
  • Cary/Apex/Morrisville (CAM) Fire
  • Wake County Fire (General)
  • Wake County EMS
  • RDU Alert Levels

Read document (PDF).

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New Zebulon Fire Station

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The town of Zebulon is planning a replacement fire station. The first community meeting was held this week, to share information and receive feedback. There’s also a web page with information including a preliminary site plan, shown below.

Some details. The designer is ADW Architects. The location is beside the town hall. Wake County EMS will be co-located at the facility. The 24,000 square-foot building will include five drive-through bays. Next step is another community meeting in February, to incorporate feedback and share more views of the building design.

The project has been in development since 2018, when a fire station location study was completed and recommended a single headquarters fire station near US 64 and NC 96. 

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Wake County Fire Department Updates – January 2023

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Here’s a new “armchair update” on what’s news and new at the various fire departments around Wake County. Thanks to the various fire chiefs that shared their information. 

Apex

  • New Station 6 nearing completion, 1206 Wimberly Road. Expected to open in late March or early April. See drawings in this blog post. 
  • New E-One Typhoon pumper on order, for the station. Expected around June, delayed due to build delays.
  • Academy 3 graduates April 21, with 12 firefighters to help staff the new station and new Engine 6.
  • Second battalion and three battalion chiefs will be added, when Station 6 opens.
  • New Spartan Gladiator/Smeal aerial platform also on order, 2000/400/100-foot.
  • Preparing to spec new replacement engine for next budget year.
  • Currently advertising for third assistant chief, new position. Assistant Chief of Professional Standards and Accreditation.

Cary

  • Four Pierce Enforcer pumpers on order, 1500/500.
  • Station 4 renovation plans are nearing completion and will be bid soon. The project will completely remodel the 1988 facility at 1401 Old Apex Road. Everything will be new within the existing footprint, plus some modifications to interior walls. Plus a 1,500 square-foot addition, for a fitness room. The station will be closed during the project and crews moved to a modular unit.

Durham Highway Continue reading ‘Wake County Fire Department Updates – January 2023’ »

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Two Alarms on Logger Court

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See more photos by Mike Legeros.

Two alarms were struck on Friday night, January 21, 2023, at 1100 Logger Court in north Raleigh. Two-story, garden-style, office condo building with 3,600 square-feet, if calculating correctly. Built 1981, say tax records.

Dispatched 10:02 p.m. as a multiple residential structure fire at the intersection of Falls of Neuse Road and Carlos Drive. Engine 15 first-arriving with fire showing through the roof of what initially appeared to be a residential structure. Engine 19 with supply line from hydrant at Falls of Neuse and Logger Court.

Interior attack, with two lines taken into the second-floor of a rear unit. One of the lines started leaking, due to fire damage, and that crew was backed out to the breezeway. Subsequent partial collapse of the roof, over the fire unit. Also at least one exterior line deployed, to protect exposures. 

Ladder 15 positioned and raised in the front of building, but used just for lighting. Ladder 4 deployed in the back of building, in a parking lot from Ridgefield Drive, and flowed water. Supplied by Engine 4, from a hydrant at Ridgefield and Spring Forest Road [?].

Medical monitoring and rehab by Wake County EMS, in the parking lot on the northeast side of the structure. Decon of firefighter PPE at Engine 15. 

Special call for additional two engines. Upgraded by command to full second-alarm assignment, which added three more engines and two ladders. 

Controlled 10:43 p.m. Extended overhaul, extinguishing hot spots. First pic about eight minutes into incident. 

Run card included:

First alarm:
E15, L15, E4, L4, B5, E19, E9, R16, B1, SO14
EMS11

Working fire:
DC1, Air28, INV1
D3, EMS12, T1

Added:
EMS72
E11, E22

Second alarm:
L22, E18, E27, E17, L6

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New Morrisville Fire Station 3

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The town of Morrisville recently broke ground on a new Station 3 at 1021 Harris Mill Road. The facility will replace current Station 3, which is co-located with Cary Station 7 at 6900 Carpenter Fire Station Road.  

From this town project page: the town acquired 6.3 acres of land at 1021 Harris Mill Road to construct a new fire station, and approximately 2.7 acres will be used for the station. The remaining property will be available for other uses, as yet to be determined.

The building is expected to be approximately 15,700 square feet, with double deep bays and administration and personnel quarters for four to nine staff per day. The overall site work will also include landscaping improvements.

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New Holly Springs Fire Station 3

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The town of Holly Springs is planning a new Station 3 on Cinder Station Road off Woods Creek Road. The fire station currently occupies a converted house at 4112 Friendship Road. Below are conceptual renderings from this town project page. 

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New Garner Fire Station 5

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Ground was recently broken on Garner Station 5  at 7816, AKA the Caddy Road Public Safety Building. Here’s some project information and a rendering, from this Wake County project page. 

Project Summary
The Caddy Road Public Safety Station is a co-location of Garner Fire-Rescue, Town of Garner Police and Wake County EMS. The construction contract award was approved by the Wake County Board of Commissioners and the Town of Garner Council in September of 2022. The plans for the project include a total of 16,816 square feet including four full apparatus bays, company day rooms, offices, a conference room, an exercise space, a full size kitchen and dining areas, support space, and 1,400 square feet of future building pad for the Town of Garner. Construction is scheduled to begin in November 2022 and the facility should be open for service by the winter of 2023.

  • Site Acreage: 5.19 Acres
  • Parking: 40 Parking Spaces
  • Building Area: 16,816 SF
  • Number of Vehicle Bays: 4 Full Apparatus Bays (8 Vehicles)
  • Programs Offered: Emergency Response – Fire & EMS and Police
  • Architect: adw architects, PA
  • Contractor: Engineered Construction Company
  • Construction Budget: $10,225,330
  • Projected Opening: Winter 2023

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