The Wake County Fire Commission met on Thursday, July 11, 2024, at 6:00 p.m., at the Wake County Emergency Services Education Center, 221 S. Rogers Lane, Raleigh, NC 27610.
View agenda and meeting documents.
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Two Alarms on Donald Ross Drive
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Two alarms were struck in east Raleigh on Tuesday morning, July 16, 2024, at 409 Donald Ross Drive, at the site of a building that burned on Monday evening. One-story residential structure converted to storage building, adjoining two-story apartment building.
Dispatched 5:16 a.m. Engine 12 first-arriving with heavy fire showing from the burned build, with extension to adjoining structure. Engine 3 caught water supply at Haven Road. Squad 7 (on reserve) boosting hydrant. Second alarm requested within minutes of arrival. Heavy fire in attic space.
Ladder 12 deployed, with aerial stream flowing. Engine 12 with hand lines and supplying Ladder 12. Portable monitor deployed in rear of structure, from Engine 11 on Donovan Place. Second hydrant caught from farther south on Donald Ross Drive. Staging for fire on Poole Road at Donald Ross. EMS staging on Donald Ross south of Warren Avenue.
Second-alarm response included Rehab 12, a recently added special unit. Controlled 6:06 a.m.
Mike Legeros photos
Run Card
0516 – 1st alarm – E12 E3 E11 L12 L1 Sq7 R16 B2 B5 ISO14
0520 – Working fire – A10 B3 DC1 INV1
0522 – 2nd alarm – E10 E13 E1 L6 L20
0526 – E6 to Sta 1
0527 – L23 to Sta 1
Plus – Rehab 12, Chief Fire Investigator, Logistics Chief, Fire Marshal
Medical – EMS10 EMS13 EMS71 EMS12 EMS83 EMS84 D1 D6
Earlier Fire
Dispatch about 5:46 p.m. Squad 7 (on reserve) first-arriving. Fire in a one-story residential structure converted to storage building, adjoining two-story apartment building. Crews made an interior attack from both front and rear of structure, plus roof operations for ventilation. Special call for two additional engines. Hydrant just south of structure not working, second hydrant caught farther south toward Poole Road, with Ladder 6 crew using Engine 12 to lay the supply line. Controlled in about 25 minutes. Extreme heat warning day. Two firefighters were transported to the hospital for heat-related injuries, from news reports. Extensive overhaul kept crews on scene for a number of hours. Run card included E10 E12 Sq7 E3 E5 E11 E21 L1 L12 L6 R16 B3 B5 ISO14 DC1 A28 D6 EMS__.
Mike Legeros photos
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History Bits About Salem’s Old Town Hall and Fire Station
Morning history. This week we’re digging into the history of Winston-Salem’s engine houses, both older and newer. Found some neat notes about the old Station 2 at 301 S. Liberty Street, which everyone knows as the old Salem Town Hall. It became a Winston-Salem fire station when the cities merged in 1913.
Learned that the building’s cornerstone says 1909, but is incorrect and was added by a stonecutter who guessed at the thing [!]. The correct date is 1912 is listed in official documents, such as the minutes of the Moravian church, the organization that found the settlement of Salem. That explains sundry citations, over the decades, of 1909 as the build date.
Also learned that the building first-served as WSFD Station 4, as cited in both Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps and city directories. WSFD Station 2 was located at the old Winston City Hall building. See a prior post about that. WSFD Station 4 was renamed Station 2 in 1919, or so says a Sentinel article from January 1979. City directories from that period corroborate that date. Pretty interesting.
^ One of the original bay doors is also labeled “Rough & Ready Fire Co. No. 4”. At the time of the station’s closure in 1976, the bay doors were larger and squared. They read “Fire Department – Central Station No. 2.” The bay doorways were later restored or rebuilt as smaller and arched. Guessing that was the appearance of those doors when the building was completed.
More Information
Legeros pics of the building from 2005. Need to make a return visit.
Research notes on historic and former WSFD stations, to be updated with new findings.
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Early Engine Houses of Winston and Salem
Presenting a map and infographic about early engine houses in Winston and Salem.
View selected source materials via Google Drive.
Learn more about Winston-Salem fire history by Legeros.
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Bob Biggs, Mike Murray, and Restoring Fire Apparatus
In February 2014, Raleigh Fire Captain Nick Murray recounted the following stories of his father, retired Raleigh Fire Captain Mike Hurry and longtime Raleigh Fire Department friend Col. Bob Biggs, retired USAF, and their work restoring numerous antique fire trucks, including Raleigh’s 1926 American LaFrance pumper. Here’s the original blog archives posting:
Jay Leno and Chapel Hill’s 1921 American LaFrance Video
Original Blog Post
Found this the other day, a video from Jay Leno’s Garage featuring Chapel Hill’s 1921 American LaFrance triple combination. Registration #3600, ship order #57359, and ship date September 24, 1921, says John Peckham’s database via SPAAMFA.
The truck, which was the second motor apparatus to serve the college town, was sold around the mid 1990s. Tt was purchased by the late Bob Biggs, a local apparatus buff and longtime friend of the Raleigh Fire Department.
Recall that he lead the restoration of the city’s 1926 American LaFrance. Biggs and Raleigh Capt. Mike Murray restored this truck. Bob passed away in 2007, and the truck was since sold to Gary Wales in Woodland Hills, CA. He gives Jay the full tour, and then they take the truck for a spin. By way of pre-restoration comparison, here’s a picture of the truck from Lee Wilson at Station 2, taken in the early 1990s.
Continue reading ‘Bob Biggs, Mike Murray, and Restoring Fire Apparatus’ »
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Wilmington’s Temporary Headquarters, 1954 to 1956
Notes on Wilmington’s temporary fire department headquarters at 3 South 2nd Street, just south of Market Street, a leased building that was occupied from 1954 to 1956 during the construction of a new Station 1 at the corner of 4th and Dock streets.
The construction bid for the new Station 1 was awarded in September 1954. The former Station 1, built in 1907, was demolished in November 1954. The new Station 1 was dedicated on May 23, 1956.
Read more about Wilmington fire station history.
Picture of photo on the walls at Wilmington Fire Station 1.
Sanborn Fire Insurance Map, 1955
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Wilmington Terminal and Warehouse Company – Waterfront Fire of 1953
Recounting the story of the major waterfront fire on the Wilmington, NC, waterfront on March 9, 1953.
Retrospective
Read retrospective (PDF) from 2009 by Chris Nelson.
Newspapers Continue reading ‘Wilmington Terminal and Warehouse Company – Waterfront Fire of 1953’ »
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Wilmington Fire Underwriters Reports – 1949, 1958
Research resource alert. Via New Hanover Public Library, pair of National Board of Fire Underwriters reports for Wilmington in 1949 and 1958. These are highly detailed accounts of the fire department, the fire alarm and water systems, and more. Read digital versions in this library at https://legeros.com/history/library/_nbfu
And drop a line of you have other NBFU reports to contribute!
See also, Wilmington Fire History by Legeros.
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Wilmington Standards of Cover
Found a fine reference document about all things related to the Wilmington Fire Department. Standards of Cover from September 2023. Generously informative document that includes a nice history section. There’s even a full fleet listing on page 120.
Copied and stored here, read document (PDF).
See also, Wilmington Fire History by Legeros.
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New Hanover County Ambulance and Rescue Services History
Presenting research notes on the history of ambulance and rescue services in New Hanover County.
See below for selected notes.
See this Google Drive folder for 200+ articles, including those referenced below.
1950s
1957, Feb – Cape Fear Ambulance Service was under new management, prices reduced, read an advertisement. [SN, 2/17/58]
1958, Oct – Cape Fear Ambulance Service ceased answering emergency calls in the city and county, due to losing money. The city started providing ambulance service through police department, using two police station wagons. Officers were also “fully trained in first aid.” The first police ambulance call was October 13, 1958. The county planned to equip the sheriff’s department to provide ambulance service. CFAS would continue making non-emergency “house calls.” [SN, 10/2/58, 10/6/58, 10/7/58, 10/13/58 ]
1958, Oct – Wrightsville Beach reported as having emergency ambulance service, through permanent use of a “fully-equipped” Civil Air Patrol ambulance. It operated from the police department and was maintained by CAP squadron members. Ambulance rides were free, but the squadron appreciated donations. [SN, 10/10/58, 10/16/58]
1958, Oct – County made 90 day agreement with Cape Fear Ambulance Company to provide emergency service to unincorporated areas, as a trial basis. [SN, 10/20/58]
1958, Oct – Civil Air Patrol squadron ambulances were operating at Wrightsville Beach and Carolina Beach, and a third was being obtained at Fort Fisher. [SN, 10/20/58]
1959, Feb – Cape Fear Ambulance Service ceased operating. [SN, 8/23/63]
1959, Feb – Ambulance Service Company started operation. Owner is Harold Jackson. By June 1963, the company operated four vehicles. [SN, 6/25/63, 8/23/63] Continue reading ‘New Hanover County Ambulance and Rescue Services History’ »
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