Chapel Hill’s New Platform Ladder… And Other News… And Some History

Posted by Mike Legeros on 5 April 2018, 9:18 pm

Chapel Hill’s new platform ladder was delivered last week. Tower 72 arrived on Thursday, March 29. Photographer Lee Wilson was there, and took these photos. See that album.

‘Tis a 2018 Sutphen Monarch, 1500/300/100′, with a one-off grey-over-Carolina-blue color scheme. (Grey to blend with the boom color.) It’ll be placed in service at Station 3, and replace Tower 73, a 2006 KME 1500/250/100’. (Maybe as early as this week?) The older truck will be sold.

Then some weeks later, it’ll be moved to Station 2, which is being rebuilt on South Hamilton Road. That project is nearing completion. When it opens, Tower 72 will be moved there. Here’s a prior blog posting about the project.

Engine 32 is currently operating from a temporary station, just around the corner on Finley Golf Course Road. Here are some photos of their temporary quarters.

2018-04-04-chfd1

2018-04-04-chfd2
Lee Wilson photos

Built in Ohio

The $1.3 million apparatus was constructed in Dublin, Ohio. It took ten months to build. The replacement was needed as the older ladder has been plagued with mechanical problems, as this town news release notes.

Funding for the truck was paid for by two-thirds general obligation bond funds that the Town Council approved on January 18, 2017. That issuance of bond funds also completed payment for new radios.

That completed a four-year project adding APX three-band radios for the entire Operations division. Crews previously carried three different radios on their apparatus, for communicating with mutual aid units.

Second Ladder Company

Chapel Hill is also adding a second ladder company. Around the time that Station 2 opens, Ladder 74 will be placed in service as Station 4.

It will operate the current Engine 35, a 2014 Sutphen Monarch 1500/500/75′ mid-mount aerial ladder. With existing personnel. No new firefighters have been hired. (If staffing drops below a set level on a given day, Engine 34 will go out of service.)

Here’s the run-down on station assignments, after Station 2 opens and the moves are completed:

Station 1 – Engine 31 (2017 Pierce) and Battalion Chief
Station 2 – Engine 32, Tower 72 (2018 Sutphen), and Orange County EMS ambulance.
Station 3 – Engine 33 (2012 Pierce)
Station 4 – Engine 34 (2003 KME, former reserve), and Ladder 74 (2014 Sutphen)
Station 5 – Engine 35 (2002 KME, current E34)

Watch this space for updates.

Station Map

Here’s a map of the town’s five fire stations and their primary response areas. Click to enlarge:

History Notes

The town’s first ladder truck was a 1959 American LaFrance 900 Series mid-mount aerial ladder, 100-foot. The $90,000 cost was split with the university. And it may have been purchased as late as 1961. (Source: Daily Tar Heel, July 6, 1961.)

It was originally housed at Station 1, though it wasn’t staffed as a ladder company. One person was assigned to the truck, to drive to calls if needed.

(Sidebar: In 1975 [not 1971], the town merged the fire and police departments into a public safety department. Thus *all* apparatus may have operated with less than full staffing. Need to check. Fire and police were separated in 1993, and by that time, full fire companies were staffed.)

Chapel Hill’s next aerial apparatus was a 1972 Ford C/American LaFrance 55-foot telesqurt that operated at Station 3. It was bought for Station 1, but couldn’t fit in the doors, as the story goes. Only Station 3 could accommodate its size. The truck was nicknamed “Myrtle the Turtle” and was considered a hybrid engine/truck. ~~when moved to Station 5, upon its opening in 2001.~~ [ Truck didn’t serve as Station 5.] (Source: Oral histories.)

The first ladder company was activated after delivery of the town’s first aerial platform, a 1992 Simon-Duplex/LTI aerial platform, 1500/300/100-foot, rear-mount. It operated as Tower 71, starting at Station 4 and then moved to Station 3. It replaced the 1959 American LaFrance ladder.

Next was a 2001 HME quint, 1250/500/65-foot. And the first ladder truck with their signature Carolina blue colors. Operated as Engine 35. Then the three rigs, listed above: 2006 KME, 2014 Sutphen, 2018 Sutphen.

Here’s a full fleet listing (PDF) from a couple years ago. See also this virtual exhibit[1] from the Chapel Hill Museum.

[1] Link now broken, http://chapelhillmuseum.org/aperry/chfd/

Click to enlarge these photos:

Photo credits: Chapel Hill Fire Department, Lee Wilson, Mike Legeros

Facebook Comments

Raleigh Adds Fifth Haz-Mat Station

Posted by Mike Legeros on 5 April 2018, 8:57 pm

On January 6, 2018, the Raleigh Fire Department activated a fifth haz-mat station. On that date, personnel and equipment were transferred to Station 18 at 8200 Morgan’s Way.

Haz-Mat 5 and the foam trailer were moved there. They are a 2002 International/SVI medium-duty rescue truck re-purposed as a spill control unit, and a 2012 Combat Support dual-axle trailer with a high-capacity deluge gun and foam concentrate cells.

They join Engine 18, which operates a 2000 Spartan MetroStar/Quality pumper, 1250/500.

2018-04-05-rfd-1

Four Air Monitoring Groups

Haz-Mat 5 has also been upgraded as an air monitoring group. This adds a fourth air-monitoring group, along with Haz-Mat 1 (Station 2), Haz-Mat 2 (Station 27), and Haz-Mat 3 (Station 8). See map below.

Station 18 has also been assigned the responsibility of air monitoring equipment maintenance.

Also in the pool of resources is Haz-Mat 4 at Station 22, the decontamination unit. However, they’re not part of an air monitoring group.

2018-04-05-rfd-2 Engine 18 and Haz-Mat 5.

Backstory

Why the change? Though the number of technicians per platoon hasn’t change—total of 20—it provides an additional officer, and additional coverage when the Regional Response Team (RRT) has responded somewhere.

See, when a regional response is requested, HM2, HM3, and HM4 leave the city. Before, only HM1 remained available for city and county coverage. Now, both HM1 and HM5 are available for calls.

2018-04-05-rfd-3 Foam trailer at Station 18

Fleet Listing

Here’s the complete listing of fire department haz-mat units:

HM1 – Engine 2 – 2006 Freightliner/Hackney, tractor-drawn haz-mat unit
HM2 – Engine 27 – 2014 Freightliner/1995 Hackney, tractor-drawn haz-mat unit, NC RRT4
HM3 – Engine 8 – 2010 Ford F-350 Super Duty/Knapheide utility truck with climb-in body
HM4 – Ladder 5 – 2004 Ford F-550 Super Duty prime mover + 200_ decontamination trailer
HM5 – Engine 18 – 2002 International 4900/SVI medium-duty rescue spill control unit
Foam Trailer (Station 18) – 2012 Combat Support, 1000 GPM monitor, 500 gallons Class B foam concentrate.
Car 55 – 2007 Ford F-350 light truck with camper shell. Haz-Mat Coordinator.

Note: Upon delivery of Raleigh’s new Pierce rescue this summer, Haz-Mat 5 will receive the reserve rescue, a 2007 Pierce Enforcer. The current Rescue 1 is an identical 2007 Pierce Enforcer.

Map of Air Monitoring Groups

This map shows the response areas of the four air monitor groups, located at Stations 2, 8, 18, and 27. Click to enlarge:

Facebook Comments

Asheville Getting Tiller… And Other News

Posted by Mike Legeros on 3 April 2018, 8:00 pm

News from Asheville. They’re getting a tiller!

KME won the bid, over Smeal and Seagrave. 101-foot, stick only. No pump, no tank. Due for delivery this year. It’ll be Asheville’s first tiller since 1923, which was its first motorized TDA. Click to enlarge this proposal drawing:

Current Tiller Count

What’s the current tiller count, statewide?

Asheville – KME in production
Beaufort – Seagrave
Cornelius-Lemley (Mecklenburg County) – Seagrave
High Point – Pierce
Raleigh – Three Pierces plus one in production
Wilmington – Pierce
Winston-Salem – KME in production

Station 13

Construction of Station 13 on Broadway (east side of the street) at Magnolia will begin after completion of a department Master Plan. Three-story, two-bay engine house, we’re told. The third floor will likely house the Arson Task Force.

An engine house for the Montford/Richmond Hill area has been touted for years. And, if anything, could’ve been initiated after the Highland Hospital fire in 1948. The city’s deadliest fire occurred on March 10, 1948, and killed nine women including author Zelda Fitzgerald. (See my database for the state’s deadliest fires.)

The site was purchased in 2014. The project budget is $3.9 million, per the FY18 budget. For more info, this AshVegas story from 2015.

Engine 13 will be first-due to the Montford Area west, and second-due with Engine 7 to UNC-Asheville. It’ll also be the closest company to future Interstate 26, toward Woodfin. It’ll also respond downtown for structure fires, on the first alarm.

Two More Engines Coming

In February, new Engine 6 was delivered. The 2018 KME Predator, 1500/500 (read specs[1]) is the first of three engines with a new “RIT” (Rapid Intervention Team) spec, with more storage capacity, among other features. New Engine 1 is due after FDIC, where it’s planned for display. New Engine 9 is due in June.

[1] Link now broken, http://www.kmefire.com/featured-deliveries/pumper/gso-10612

Engine 6 is notable for historically styled lettering, similar to the design from their horse-drawn days. Notes an Asheville FD historian, apparatus is lately lettered “Asheville Fire Department” since 2010[1]. Previously rigs were lettered “Asheville Fire-Rescue” since 1989. Before then, they said “City of Asheville” since 1941.

Photo credit KME

Engine 6 is also the first Asheville rig equipped a RotoRay. Has three white LED lights. The coming tiller will also have one. It’s also the first with bumper lettering of “ENG6INE”.

[1] With one exception, the 1977 American LaFrance Century Snorkel was also lettered “Asheville Fire Department”.

Facebook Comments

Vintage Photo of Greensboro Civil Defense Rescue Squad

Posted by Mike Legeros on 1 April 2018, 7:40 pm

Found for sale on eBay, vintage photo of Greensboro’s 1967 International/Boyertown Civil Defense rescue squad.

Model year is more likely 1962, as cited on this page of history about Guilford County Fire Services. It was delivered in the fall of 1962 and operated as city-county rescue unit. That said, other sources have cited the vehicle as a 1968 model.

Seller scanned the picture from a 3×5 print. Click to enlarge:

Here’s the same truck a decade-plus later. Click to enlarge:

Scott Mattson collection

Facebook Comments

Kidd Brewer House (2010)

Posted by Mike Legeros on 1 April 2018, 12:12 pm

This is a re-posting of a Blog Archives posting that is no longer available. It was originally posted on June 15, 2010.

Contents

Introduction
Reader Comments
Postscript, 2018 – Kidd Brewer Kidnapped

Introduction

Question from a reader. While walking through the Blue Ridge Road area, he came across Homewood Banks Drive. There, he saw a small driveway leading up a hill. The land looked abandoned, but a mailbox read “Prime Only Steak House.” Walking to the top, he found abandoned parking lots and the remains of a burned structure. What was this building?

That was the Kidd Brewer house, built in 1956. As this Independent Weekly article recounts, the politician– who had been a Duke athlete and ASU football coach– made his mark in Raleigh when he bought 115 acres land outside the city, and near the intersection of Highway 70 and coming Raleigh Beltline. Overlooking the flood plain and future location of Crabtree Valley Mall, he built a house.

Click to view aerial photos from 1981 to 1999:

Tax records describe same as a one-story, wood-frame, stucco-on-mason structure with 8,826 square-feet. The house had two pools, one indoor and one outdoor. Brewer named the property Belle Acres.

Fast-forward a couple decades, and the building was turned into a restaurant. By 1982, at least as property sale records show. In 1989, in the month of May if memory serves, a certain blogger had his wedding reception (first wife) at the place. It was called Crossroads Restaurant. Perhaps readers can add additional history.

By the early 2000s, the place had closed. The road had also been named Homewood Banks Drive. What was it originally called? The restaurant last operated as It’s Prime Only. The abandoned structure burned on November 6, 2005. Units were dispatched just after 3:00 a.m. to another restaurant location above Crabtree Valley Mall. Engine 16 quickly confirmed the correct location, as they could see the flames from Lead Mine Road. Two alarms were struck.

Read an account of the incident on this Raleigh Fire Department timeline page. Below are a pair of pictures from Lee Wilson. Left is digital, right is film. Click to enlarge:

Lee Wilson photos

Reader Comments

Legeros – Somewhere in my stash are pictures of the inside of the restaurant in 1989. I am pretty sure that I took interiors, in addition to the reception pics. Maybe I can find them.

Legeros – About the house and its designer, http://www.trianglemodernisthouses.com/valand.htm

Marcus – Crabtree Mall Security called the fire in. All they could tell me was that it was the old steakhouse behind the mall. I thought they were talking about the one on the Creedmoor Rd side. I think it was the Steak and Ale.

A.C. Rich – I remember that one, responded as the RFD Safety Officer. Looked pretty impressive coming down Creedmoor Rd. It was a BIG fire for B-Shift and as I recall, the structure had become a popular hangout for vagrants. Naturally, the cause of the fire was oriented as such.

Buckwheat – Did that area have hydrants back then? Guessing so but if I recall wasn’t there a volunteer response from Six Forks, Fairgrounds,Durham Highway etc….?

Silver – I was leaving a friends house, coming down Lead Mine Rd. You want to talk about a frickin’ matchstick on the top of a hill!!

A.C. Rich – No vol response as it was in the city; and there were hydrants. It was fully involved upon arrival due to the time of day, 100% defensive attack.

Webster – Not picking on A.C. considering I’ve used it numerous times but seeing it in blog format made me question the phrase defensive attack. Isn’t that one of those oxymorons? Another term that the fire service created that makes since to us but would likely confuse others.

A.C. Rich – Hahaha! You’re right my anonymous friend! OK, I’ll try again… how about we squirted a lot of water from the yard!

Jason – Thanks for posting this! I was very curious as to what had happened there. Its a nice piece of land!

Donaldson – I remember when it was Crossroads Restaurant. I took a prom date there in 1989. I remember the night it burned. Dad and I had just finished a job at Six Forks Station and was listening to all of the sirens in the distance, when we rounded the curve on the beltline just before the Glenwood Ave exit, you could see the flames ext extending over the trees. It was quite impressive.

Debbie brewer – I was the grand niece of Kidd Brewer I visited my uncle and Aunt during June 1978. It was a beautiful house.

JP – The road was originally Edwards Mill Road. It ran from Blue Ridge to Creedmoor Road, following a path that is still seen with the greenway path on the side of Crabtree Valley Ave between Homewood Banks and Edwards Mill. Crabtree Valley Mall had two parking lots on the south side of the creek adjacent to the mall where the mall entrance met Edwards Mill Rd (currently Homewood Banks)

betty pettersen – I had never seen this website before and it’s so good to be able to find out a little more about the probably cause, etc. I wonder who owned the property at the time and why the drive wasn’t blocked off? I am Kidd’s oldest daughter, Betty, and have wonderful memories of the place…My daughter and I lived in the barn at one time. Is it still standing?

sherri – ms brewer, you must ensure your family’s legacy lives on. there is a magnificent book waiting to be written. was wondering what the linney family connection was, as i’m from hiddenite,nc and have many folks @ rest in linney’s grove.

Michael S, – I noticed the abandoned site with eight posts still standing while exploring Google maps today. Is it possible to get on the property for some photography?

stephen – I have lived in Raleigh all of my life and never even knew about this place until a few weeks ago while on Facebook. Piqued in curiosity and interested in Raleigh history, I ignored the private property signs and ventured forth onto the land. I imagined what I would do with this property if I could own it and then dismissing those dreams as merely that, dreams, I left being very impressed. I would love to now why the property has been abandoned and if anyone has any future plans for it.

Grace Hodgkins – I LOVED the Crossroads restaurant and that sexy view of Crabtree Valley. Took many dates there. Attended Jean Parrott’s wedding reception there in maybe the early 90s(??) I remember a guy I was dating did some work for Kidd Brewer, Jr. in the building behind the restaurant (almost like a barn with a living space above). This was in the months prior to his suicide, if I am not mistaken.

Nancy Webster – I remember the Kidd Brewer house atop the hill overlooking Crabtree River. I believe there was a pond where the mall is now. I think at one time, there may have been some cattle near the pond. All in all, it was a beautiful country scene. A lot more beautiful back then than it is now.

Bobby Campbell – Betty Pettersen We love to get in touch with you. We lived in the barn for the first nine months of our marriage. my mother and Mrs Brewer were first cousins. We also have so many memories of that house as well as all the Brewers. I saw an article about Mrs Brewer and Kiddo written for The News and Observer written by Charles Rose. it was framed and on the wall in the restaurant. Henry Johnson of Wilmington was the architect who changed the house into the restaurant. Someone is so right. The story of the Brewer family …especially Kidd Sr. Would make a wonderful story! About the house…..Kidd bought the property in the 1950s. They remolded the barn first and made an apartment in it. Then Kidd bought a bankrupt tile company, a bankrupt window glass company, a surplus government radio tower and other surplus building supplies and proceeded to build the house. The walls inside the house were chestnut…NOT wormy chestnut. The house had a sliding glass wall separating the living Room from the kitchen and den. There was a fish pond between the indoor pool and living room. This overflowed into a waterfall which went down into the downstairs den beside a rock fireplace. This downstairs den had wide stairs going up to the outdoor pool. This pool looked out over the land where the Crabtree Mall is today. Heaven knows we knew it flooded. There was a little lake down there where we used to have a car pull us around and around as we waterskied!, As you started up the driveway from Edwards Mill Road you passed a stable on the right and then the barn. On the left was the horse pasture. They had several horses. Then the road made a circular drive. This was coated with a special smooth which made it into a roller rink where you could skate. You entered the house into a glass Florida room beside the indoor pool. We put a steel cable from the outdoor pool 1800 feet to the highway. Then we built a two wheel cart with a t bar seat. It had a gasoline lawn mower engine. You could get on the t bar at the outdoor pool and freewheel ride all the way to the highway. then you crank the gasoline engine and rife back up to the pool. at the end of the ride at the highway three was a huge sigh that said YOU’LL BE GLAD YOU DID and we were.

Donna Potter – I so remember Kidd Jr. fondly. He dived with our small Raleigh dive group over a 10 year period. My ex and I divorced, and I moved to Virginia and after I moved back to Cary, Kidd and I did talk occasionally. He phoned me wanting to meet for lunch just a day or two before the suicide. I couldn’t meet for lunch, and always wonder what if, maybe he would have said what was going on with him, and maybe just maybe I could have helped him. I drive past Kidd’s Hill going to work every day and think of Kidd every day. There are so many goI’d memories of Kidd Jr., me, Larry Nunnery, Bobby Moore, Harold Quidley (my ex), and Hog Doc or Larry Tarlton on the Whipsaw with Capt. Ed Wolf heading out to sea for 10 years for another fantastic dives and snorkeling in between dives on the WR-4 John D Gill WW2 Tanker wreck 30 miles offshore. I have a great photo silhouette Harold took of me and Kidd snorkeling over that wreck I treasure. That’s how I remember him, plus how he would protect Harold and I from sharks while we did photography on the wreck. I love you Kidd!

AnnaLee Hammon – My step-mom and daughter Lennie Brewer were friends. We used to go swimming at the Brewer house. It was such a beautiful home! She lived in the barn for a while also.

Vicky Martin Langley – i would love to be in touch with Betty. LeRoy Martin, my father, and Kidd were great friends. I have such fond memories of all the family.

David Harris – I served in a management capacity at the Crossroads until it was changed into an upscale French Restaurant called La Ber de Sav wa or something along those lines. I new the concept would fail lasting 6 months. How do you fill a 225 seat restaurant with high end french food in Raleigh? LOL. I very much enjoyed the 2-3 years I spent, the holidays were wonderful with large parties every night, wine on every table and smiles everywhere including the staff. I walked the burnt ruins a few years ago and traced my steps on what was left of the tile kitchen, eerie, quite, and sad sums it up pretty much. I drove by today by chance and noticed major changes taking place, finally leveling it off with new construction on the way. I will not forget all the friends and good times I had there. Funny, I still have two bottles of uncorked house wine with the Crossroads label on them I’ve kept over the years for a keep sake, why, I have now idea.

Legeros – For those following this long-percolating thread, the building appears to have been lately demolished, and the property being turned into something new, http: //www.legeros.com/ralwake/photos/weblog/images/2013-08-17-cv.jpg

David Harris – I thought I would share this picture of one of two possible last remaining bottles. It’s old White Zinfandel which was produced by Round Hill for the Crossroads private label. Probably not to tasty at this point. No worries, not spam, just history. https://i.imgur.com/2lgT3k6.jpg

Ben – http://www.bizjournals.com/triangle/blog/2013/07/crabtree-area-mixed-use-project.html It’s really sad to see ALL the trees razed from the area surrounding the Brewer house. They left some standing on the east side of it at least. Anyway, just wanted to let everyone here know how cool it is to read all these posts about the history of this spot, especially from Brewer family members and friends, and how sad and strange it is to drive by it now in its current state with no trees whatsoever.

BEBE JOHNS FOX – I am 76….yikes! born in Chapel Hill. Kidd Brewer Sr.’s wife Frankie and my Mother were good friends. SOMEWHERE I have a photo of them shopping in Durham.My father was in WW II and after he came home Frankie and Kidd invited us to their new house for dinner…so cool with a tree growing out of the roof. Their children were a few years younger than my sister and me. Was the boy called KIDD Jr. back then…really cute little fellow, and his sister and I were introduced as her name as Olivia. As I recall her middle name came from fer mother’s middle name…Linnie or similar, from BOONE I THINK, and her brother was actally named PIERCE SOMETHING BREWER. Kidd, Sr. went to Reynolds High School here in Winston Salem and I think he was there when his football ability was noted by Duke. Does anyone know where the BREWER FARM WAS HERE IN WINSTON SALEM…I think/guess it was where ARDMORE, a dev. which began a bit after WWII was over. It was a reasonable place for the soldiers back then but now mch more expensive as between both of Winston’s large hospitals. I have another little story if anyone is interested!

TJ – Mike, this has to be one of your longest running blog posts, very cool and interesting reading!

Donna Potter – Kidd Jr.’s name was Pierce Oliver Brewer. We called him Capt. Kidd.

Rob – Moved from Raleigh in 1969 and didn’t hear anything of Kidd until the Abyss came out then his subsequent death. Fondly remember Kidd, and his Cobra was the hottest car in Raleigh until another of Kidd’s friends got a Shelby 500. Remember the You’ll Be Glad You Did billboard on the highway.

Denise Stevenson – Homewood Banks Drive was originally Edwards Mill Road!

Postscript, 2018 – Kidd Brewer Kidnapped

Found this Raleigh Times article recently, related to the man. January 22, 1962.

Wow!

Click to enlarge:

Facebook Comments

North Carolina Rescue Squad History (2013)

Posted by Mike Legeros on 1 April 2018, 11:30 am

This is a re-posting of a Blog Archives posting that is no longer available. It was originally posted on May 5, 2013.

Introduction

What was were the first rescue squads in North Carolina? This question was recently discussed on Facebook. Below are some of the highlights Note that “rescue squad” often meant the equivalent of a “first aid truck” and/or “crash truck.” Patient transportation were functions often added later, to supplement or replace the funeral homes and later ambulance services that provided same. The longest lifecycle of these squads was first aid/rescue services > patient transport > basic patient care > advanced patient care. The first rescue squad in the country is the Roanoke Life Save Crew in Virginia, organized in 1928.

Obvious milestones in North Carolina EMS and rescue history include Office of Civil Defense resources during the Cold War years, the implementation of NC DOI credentialing for rescue squads, the creation of NC EMS office and program(s), the implementation of First Responder programs, the addition of advance patient care levels (EMT-I, EMT-D, paramedic), etc. (This blogger is a fire historian not an EMS historian. Apologies for outright errors.)

Earliest Rescue Squads

The first rescue squads were not initially incorporated. WSRS was organized in 1937, but incorporated in 1947, for example. The actions to incorporate were perhaps tied to monetary donations and asset insurance.

Winston-Salem Rescue Squad, formed 1937.
Elkin Rescue Squad, formed 1941[1]
Davidson County Rescue Squad, formed 1941.

Other groups, pre-incorporation?

Vance Life Saving and Rescue Squad is cited as the state’s second rescue squad. Dates TBD.[2]

Early fire department rescue squads?

Greenville FD – 1947
Washington FD – 1951
Goldsboro FD – 1953
Raleigh FD – 1953
etc.

Early fire department ambulances?

Goldsboro FD operated two ambulances in the 1950s/60s
Salisbury FD, Wilmington FD operated ambulances in the 1970s.
etc.

[1] Elkin Rescue Squad cites itself as “second oldest” in the state, source: http://elkinrescue.tripod.com/id3.html. They were incorporated ten years later in 1951, from state corporation records.
[2] Vance Life Saving and Rescue Squad also is cited as “second oldest” in the state. Need citation/source.

Earliest Incorporated – Rescue Squads and/or Life Saving Crews

From the state corporations web site, the earliest incorporation dates are:

Winston-Salem Rescue Squad, Incorporated	2/21/1947
Charlotte Life Saving and First Aid Crew, Inc.	7/18/1947
Gaston Life Saving and First Aid Crew	6/23/1948
Rowan County Rescue Squad, Incorporated	7/23/1951
Elkin Emergency Rescue Squad, Incorporated	9/25/1951
Granville County Life Saving and Rescue Squad, Incorporated	8/25/1953
The Raleigh Emergency Rescue Squad, Incorporated	8/27/1953
The Vance Life Saving and Rescue Squad, Incorporated	9/10/1953

Rescue Squad Inc.

State records list 340 corporation names containing the words “rescue squad.” The earliest incorporation dates are:

Winston-Salem Rescue Squad, Incorporated	2/21/1947
Rowan County Rescue Squad, Incorporated	7/23/1951
Elkin Emergency Rescue Squad, Incorporated	9/25/1951
Granville County Life Saving and Rescue Squad, Incorporated	8/25/1953
The Raleigh Emergency Rescue Squad, Incorporated	8/27/1953
The Vance Life Saving and Rescue Squad, Incorporated	9/10/1953
Old Richmond Volunteer Fire Department and Rescue Squad, Inc.	4/16/1954
Montgomery County Rescue Squad, Inc.	11/8/1954
Catawba Valley Life Saving and Rescue Squadron, Inc.	3/14/1955
Hickory Rescue Squad, Inc.	3/14/1955
Wilkes Rescue Squad, Inc.	8/19/1955
Burke Rescue Squadron, Incorporated	8/30/1955
Davidson County Rescue Squad, Inc.	1/30/1956
Lexington Rescue Squad, Inc.	1/30/1956
Walnut Cove Volunteer Fire Department and Rescue Squad, Incorporated	3/9/1956
Scotland County Rescue Squad, Inc.	7/6/1956
The Roanoke Valley Life Saving and Rescue Squad, Inc.	8/27/1956
The Roanoke Valley Rescue Squad, Inc.	8/27/1956
Cabarrus Rescue Squad, Inc.	3/6/1957
Madison-Rockingham Rescue Squad, Incorporated	4/8/1957

Life Saving Crews Inc.

State records list eleven corporation names containing the words “life saving crew” but not the words “rescue squad.” These might include ocean rescue agencies, not sure.

Charlotte Life Saving and First Aid Crew, Inc.	7/18/1947
Gaston Life Saving and First Aid Crew	6/23/1948
Marks Creek Life Saving and First Aid Corps, Inc.	1/7/1952
Mount Holly Lifesaving Crew, Inc.	8/24/1954
Mount Holly Life Saving and First Aid Crew, Inc.	8/24/1954
The Lincoln County Life Saving and First Aid Crew, Inc.	3/11/1957
Rutherford County Life Saving and First Aid Crew, Inc.	5/5/1958
Cleveland County Life Saving and First Aid Crew, Inc.	6/18/1958
South Mecklenburg Life Saving and Rescue Crew, Inc.	7/27/1961
South Point Life Saving Crew, Inc.	10/31/1969
Onslow Volunteer Emergency Life Saving and Rescue Crew, Inc.	1/29/1970
North Bound Life Saving Crew, Inc.	4/7/1972

Reader Comments

Joseph Zalkin – Mike – Thanks for the post. Each of our communities have a rich history of the development of our emergency services. Some interesting folklore as well. Our pioneers are getting fewer and fewer as time goes by. Hopefully, some champions will emerge among your readers who can help in the research and documentation of our history. Ambulance services and first aid teams spot out history. As a native North Carolinian, I know of some of the milestones that NC has contributed to the industry. We need to share the word. JZ

Uncle Bill – Dear Sir, I grew up in Onslow County, North Carolina during the 1950s and 60s. My father, George Earley, was a business man and special deputy with the Onslow County Sheriff’s Department. Our family was involved all the law enforcement and safety organizations there centered in Jacksonville. My parents owned and operated Earley’s Auto Service which included a wrecker service. A part of the business was responding to automobile wrecks and providing wrecker service and wheels to for the NASCAR races at the local half-mile dirt track. Needless to say we saw and responded to many terrible accidents. Around 1962 my father, along with Clyde Cook who was the Chief Of Police, began to prepare a Ford Fairlane station wagon as a rescue vehicle. Many other people were involved in providing gurneys, oxygen tanks, Grappling hooks and lines, etc. I’m not sure of the date it was put into service, but I do know that it served for a period before other vehicles were added. I am not claiming to be an authority on this matter. I am simply responding to the omission of this general information. There are people still living who could verify and complete this information. Your kind consideration would be greatly appreciated. I, also, acknowledge that corroboration of the facts may prove to be very difficult. I am not suggesting any error or intentional omission only that this event did occur. Sincerely.

Judy Anderson – Hi Bill, this history is very interesting. Thanks for trying to put it in one place. The Goldsboro Rescue & EMS Volunteer Rescue Squad (Originally Goldsboro Rescue Squad) was originally a part of the Goldsboro Fire Department before becoming Goldsboro Rescue Squad in 1953. (Incorporated in 1953). The Squad ran it’s first official call on March 23, 1953. They continued to run out of the Fire Department until they completed their building in 1961 at 605 North Madison Avenue, Goldsboro, NC, where it still is today. We celebrated 60 years on March 23, 2013. We were originally considered among the top 2 or 3 in the state. Wayne County has a long history of service to the community thru its volunteer rescue squads. Thanks again, Judy L. Anderson-Kornegay, Goldsboro Rescue & EMS, Goldsboro, NC.

Judh Anderson – Bill, please forgive me. I got a date wrong. The project started in 1952 to try to organize the squad; it was organized and put in service March 18, 1953. It received its first call on March 21, 1953. Thank you Judy L. Anderson-Kornegay, Goldsboro Rescue Squad (Goldsboro Rescue & EMS). I will have to try to find out exactly when it was “incorporated”. Judy L. Anderson-Kornegay. Maybe you can “edit” my other comment. Thank you very much.

Legeros – Thanks for your comments, Judy! Take a look at this posting from the other week, which specifically recalls the Goldsboro Rescue Squad and other Wayne squads: http://www.legeros.com/ralwake/photos/weblog/pivot/entry.php?id=6647. Here’s a picture of the Goldsboro squad in 1953, as seen in Hose & Nozzle magazine, http://legeros.com/ralwake/photos/weblog/pivot/entry.php?id=2965. Taking a look at state corporate records, Goldsboro Rescue Squad Inc. was incorporated on January 24, 1972. I will add that information and other incorporate dates to my Wayne County summary, noted abov

Facebook Comments

Old Oshkosh P-15 Crash Truck in Goldsboro (2014)

Posted by Mike Legeros on 1 April 2018, 8:48 am

This is a re-posting of a Blog Archives post that is no longer available. It was originally posted on May 23, 2014.

Photographs From 2014

See Flickr album.

Posting From 2014

Need an excuse for a Memorial Day Weekend road trip? Tool down to Goldsboro to behold this 1990 Oshkosh P-15 military crash truck. It’s located at 325 Stoney Creek Church Road, about a mile east of Highway 117. That’s the intersection with the Belfast Fire department, so it’s an easy road to find. The truck’s for sale and is parked at Cardinal Mini-Storage. Drop a line for contact information.

The truck served at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada and then at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base outside of Goldsboro. After retirement, it was sold to a private owner, who purportedly drove the thing to the storage space. (Bet that convoy was something to see!) The truck’s been there for some years, and has since changed hands, and is now for sale. Owner says the truck runs and the tires are good. (Was raised on jacks for a number of years.)

Placard says shipping weight was 41.25 tons. Add 25 more for the 6,100 gallons of water it carried, plus 515 gallons of foam. Powered by twin Detriot Diesel V8 engines. Five-speed transmission. Twin 1,250 GPM pumps, and twin 1,200 GPM turrets. First introduced in 1977. Approximately 150 built for the military, which must be both US and other countries. Sources: http://tinyurl.com/l82d28c and other sites found via Google. Was listed in the Guinness Book of World’s Records for some years as the most powerful fire engine in the world.

Adds military historian Pete Brock, the P-15 was assigned to air bases that had large frame aircraft assigned such as the C5, C141, B52, and KC135. Bases nearby with them were Seymour Johnson, Pope (for a short time only), Charleston, Langley, and Knoxville. Total of 64 units were built for the Air Force (three in 1977, twenty-five in 1979, twenty-five in 1980, and eleven in 1990). The Navy had four units with the closest one at Norfolk Naval Air Station. None were used by other branches of the United States military.

There was no civilian model constructed, through the Oshkosh M4000 was a close cousin. Lower profile and only front mounted monitors that were (if memory serves, says Legeros, remote instead of manual monitors). The 1990 model of the P-15 cost $660,000 each. And if you want to buy this baby, don’t plan to drive the thing in North Carolina. The DMV won’t issue road permits. You’ll have to transport via lowboy and even then probably remove the tires! (That detail from reader Tim Henshaw, who knows a thing or two about transporting old rigs.)

See full series of walkaround photos. And whlie you’re there, scroll through this collection of photos for tours of an American LaFrance Type O-11A crash truck and a 1958 Walter crash truck from Minneapolis.

Original Reader Comments

DJ – I would just like to have one of the turrets, preferably the front one since that is the one I got to flow water with) and set it up in my front yard, as a sort of memorial. Of course, if I did that, I would have to keep the whole truck and turn it into an apartment or something to live in…

Robert – I served in the Air Force from 87 to 91 and i never got to operate one of these but i did get to drive the P-2. That thing was awesome to drive and chase aircraft!! I guess it would be the next biggest truck under the P-15, it carried 2000 gals of water and would give pumpers a run for their money with its dual Detroit’s!!

Randy – Tom Bender fire marshal of Chatham county would be your local expert. He worked at Seymour and drove the rig. We did a tour and it is very impressive. It could sit still and pump 2400 GPM or pump and roll 1200GPM. They could not take it off the runway because it would tear down the power lines because it we so tall.

Cody – Luckily, I have a Hot Wheels Airport Rescue, which is modeled after it. Luckily at about four inches long, I don’t have to worry about finding a place to put it. Good luck to whoever buys it. It’s going to need a little work, and a huge building to put it in. I just hope whoever buys it doesn’t do something stupid with it–as in turn it into an RV. I hate it when people “repurpose” old fire apparatus.

Chuck – I worked at National and Dulles airports from 1981 to 2009. We had a P-15 at each airport, what an awesome rig to drive and operate. Oshkosh also made a civilian version, M-4000, sometimes called an M-15. National and Dulles were federally owned and operated before 1987, I guess that’s why we had military versions.

Yeager – Oshkosh made 4 civilian models similar to this rig. M23 had 6000 gallons of water & 500 foam. Memphis FD had one but it has been scrapped. The others were at Ft Hood, TX and not sure on the others.

No Name – How much do they want for it?

Facebook Comments

Vintage Photo of Garner’s 1958 Ford/American LaFrance Pumper (2015)

Posted by Mike Legeros on 1 April 2018, 8:37 am

This is a re-posting of a Blog Archives post that’s no longer available. It was original posted on October 22, 2015.

Found via the SPAAMFAA on Facebook, via this posting from Scott Mattson, here’s a rare color photo of Garner’s 1958 Ford F-600/American LaFrance pumper, 500/500. (Original capacity was 300 gallons.) Was the second new pumper delivered to Garner, following a 1957 Chevy 10-500/American LaFrance. (See subsequent posting with a picture of the 1957 Chevy/ALF.)

The department was organized in 1952 and operated a 1941 Ford mini-pumper (ex-Durham), a 1942 International pumper (added in 1954), a 1948 Chevy tanker (built by firefighters), and a 1952 GMC panel truck provided by the local office of Civil Defense. See old photos of same, via the Raleigh Fire Museum.

This was Engine 2 and was labeled “municipally owned.” Was purchased by the town ($10,627.32) but housed and operated by the fire department. (The fire department was and remains a private organization that received outside funding and equipment in addition to the monies and donations they received.)

The department also operated as two departments for a number of years. Reported the Raleigh Times on September 16, 1959, the town board that week approved an ordinance for forming a municipal fire department. Same would have a Fire Chief and Assistant Fire Chief as elected by the Board of Alderman, plus any other personnel as deemed needed. (The story notes that the town board and fire department agreed that the Volunteer Fire Chief would also serve as the Municipal Fire Chief.)

Though separate on paper, the two departments shared the same infrastructure. Same building and most of the same equipment. (Some assets were town-only, of course. They also maintained separate rosters.) Unsure how long this continued. Through the late 1960s, at least.¹

Engine 2 was later housed at Station 2 on Sauls Road. Lee Wilson photographed the truck in November 2012 at Ken’s Corn Maze on Highway 50, south of town. The owner (Battalion Chief Ken Walker) found the truck in a junkyard and bought it and brought it to the maze. Maybe readers can help with more history.

Scott Mattson Collection

Lee Wilson photo

¹Why have separate town and “rural” departments? In the case of Garner, the news story noted that the “chief advantage of the ordinance is that it gives the fire chief authority as a fire inspector.” This empowered him with legal authority not afforded to the (position of) volunteer fire chief. Also, there were differences in (fire) insurance districts. One corresponded to the property inside the municipal limits of a town. The other was the “rural” district, consisting of area(s) outside a town’s limits. We’ve talked about this in prior blog postings, such as these from October 2011 and March 2009.

Additional Information

News story. Click to enlarge:

Annual report, 1961. Click to enlarge:

Facebook Comments

Save the Date – Preserving Your Fire Department Heritage – August 10, 2018

Posted by Mike Legeros on 29 March 2018, 6:41 am

Save the date in August when the state firefighters convention returns to Raleigh, and Mr. Blogger becomes Mr. Speaker.

2018-03-30-mjl

Preserving Your Fire Department Heritage

South Atlantic FIRE RESCUE Expo
Raleigh Convention Center
Friday, August 10, 2018
9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.

Workshop Description

The history of a fire department is a rich tapestry that combines people, places, things, and events. And it’s comprised of many moving pieces, including photos and videos, scrapbooks and news clippings, physical artifacts, first-person memories, and official records. This workshop provides an introduction to those concepts, as well as steps for getting started with defining, compiling, and sharing your fire department’s history. The presenter will also share personal tips and tricks, and conclude with a question and answer session.

Learn More

Facebook Comments

From 2008, Evaluating and Applying Closure Criteria to Western Wake Station 2

Posted by Mike Legeros on 27 March 2018, 9:30 pm

Found this the other week: Western Wake Fire Station #2 – Evaluation and Application of Fire Commission’s Closure Criteria.

From 2008 or abouts. (It’s undated.) View the document (22MB, PDF).

2018-03-26-ww

The document detailed the recommendation to close Western Wake Fire Station #2, to reduce cost and improve service through contracted fire protection with the town of Cary. And it was approved by both the county fire commission and Board of Commissioners.

Funding was discontinued and the station ceased operation on June 30, 2008. Though the fire department retained ownership of the property, the station’s units were no longer dispatched for responses to the station’s now-former district.

The building at 325 E. Durham Road was subsequently vacated and sold to a private owner on June 25, 2010.

Back Story

In January 2004, the Wake County Fire Commission received results of a fire and EMS facilities and equipment study. Among its recommendations were closures of some fire stations, with fire protection contracted from neighboring departments.

“The study’s consultants observed that the stations identified for closure evaluation serve unincorporated areas that have been largely annexed by municipalities, and the fire department’s units from those stations often must travel past municipal fire stations to serve relatively small unincorporated areas.”

Though the entirety of the study was rejected by the commission—they voted not to share with county commissioners—the recommendations for fire station closures remained an action item.

The fire commission and county staff began working on long-range facility and equipment planning, which was later combined with developing a Long Range Business Plan for the “fire tax service district.”

In July 2004, the fire commission approved a list of criteria to evaluate fire stations for closure. In February 2005, county commissioners received the Long Range Business Plan, the criteria for evaluating station closure, and a list of stations recommended for evaluation: Eastern Wake #2, Wake New Hope Station #1, and Western Wake Stations #1 and #2.

Western Wake Station #2 was the first station evaluated using the criteria. On June 16, 2008, county commissions approved the recommendation for closure. They voted to discontinue funding of the fire station, and to begin contract service with the Cary Fire Department. As noted above, the station ceased operation on June 30, 2008.

The county continued the process of evaluating other fire stations for closure. This caused concerns among members of the fire commission. In January 2010, they voted to suspend the process. No subsequent actions have been taken in that direction.