Vintage Photo of West Mecklenburg 1964 Ford Tanker… And Other Old Photos

Found for sale on eBay, a vintage photo scanned from a 35mm slide, of West Mecklenburg Fire Department’s old Tanker 3, which was a 1964 Ford F-700/Irvin’s Body Shop (!), 500/1000.

Originally served Moore’s Chapel FD, which merged with Wilkinson Boulevard FD in 1984. The new entity was named West Mecklenburg FD. Click to enlarge:

2016-11-03-wmfda

And tool over to the WMFD Facebook page. They have a photo album titled Remember When, where you’ll find a few other photos of old rigs. Click to enlarge:

2016-11-03-wmfd2aCourtesy West Mecklenburg Fire Department

Facebook Comments

Vintage Ad – Statesville’s Dodge/Oren

Found for sale on eBay, vintage magazine advertisement from 1944, of Stateville’s Dodge/Oren pumper.

Speaking of SFD, they have a bit of history on their official web site. See that page. Interesting bit: they sold their last fire horse to Morehead City in 1917.

Anyway, click to enlarge:

Facebook Comments

Matthew Memories – Wake County Engine Company Strike Team

On Thursday, October 13, 2016, a Wake County engine company strike team was dispatched to Bladen County, to assist with flood relief efforts and emergency responses in the wake of Hurricane Matthew.

Apex, Bay Leaf, Eastern Wake, Fairview, Knightdale, Stony Hill, and Wake Forest each sent a single engine plus members. Notes this News & Observer story[*] from that date, all of the deployed firefighters had been trained to assist in flood in relief.

[*] Link now broken, http://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/counties/wake-county/article108069237.html

Hurricane Matthew deluged the central and eastern parts of state and produced historic flooding. Bladen County was one of thirty-one in the state that was eligible for federal assistance, in response to the storm damage.

The eighteen volunteers from Wake County had a range of responsibilities, based on the immediate needs of where they were deployed. They ranged from fire suppression to flood rescue to checking on people in flooded areas. They were deployed for four days to Elizabethtown.�

On their Facebook page, the Stony Hill Rural Fire Department posted these photos and updates. Visit their page to see more.

October 13:
Members from Stony Hill, Wake Forest, Bay Leaf, Apex, Eastern Wake, and Fairview fire departments pose for a quick photo before deploying to Bladen County to assist with hurricane Matthew relief efforts. The crews will be deployed for 96 hours and we wish them the best!

October 14:
Day one is in the books. The flooding down here is significant. Crews spent the day doing welfare checks and offering evacuation services for any residents wishing to leave. Day two looks to be more of the same as flood waters continue to rise and fall in various areas of the county.


Fuel stop before arriving in Bladen County.


Stony Hill Pumper 395 and Apex Engine 22 staging with five-ton vehicles. The fire apparatus is dedicated for structural responses only. All other activities require the five-ton trucks.


View from the rear of a five-ton truck driving through flood waters that were about four- or five-feet high.


Note the woman on the porch. She told firefighters that she was fine, and had no desire to leave.

October 17:
In addition to assisting with locating residents in need of evacuation, our other roles were to assist with receiving and distributing donated relief items & assisting with debris removal. Crews were demobilized over the weekend and everyone is home now with no injuries reported. Thanks to all members that went down to assist! Please keep our friends down east in your thoughts as they still face a long road to recovery.


Command post, dining facility, and donation center at Centerville Baptist Church in Kenly.


Stony Hill members having breakfast at the church on Day 2.


Stony Hill and Apex members assisting with removing a large tree that had fallen on a residential structure in Kenly.


Members of Stony Hill, Bay Leaf, Fairview, and Apex in Kenly, before being released by the state.

Facebook Comments

Restaurant Burns During Busy Night at NC State Fair, October 1964

On Tuesday night, October 13, 1964, a restaurant building at the fairgrounds was destroyed during a busy night at the North Carolina State Fair. Thousands were attending the fair, and watched with rapt attention as “portable” restaurant was consumed by flames. The $100,000 structure was a loss, and the blaze likely inspired the creation of the on-site State Fair Fire Brigade. Here’s that tale:

Raleigh Times, October 14, 1964

$100,000 Restaurant Destroyed at State Fair – Crowds Orderly During Blaze

By Carol Colvard, Times Staff Writer

Part of a record N.C. State Fair crowd witnessed an unplanned attraction last night when a portable restaurant burned to the ground.

Located between the Arena and the Red Cross lounge, the restaurant was approximately 50 by 100 feet and held a maximum of about 250 people.

Fred Lyerly, who was cooking in the building when the fire started, estimated that about 70 people were present when the fire started. He told reporters he heard a man say, “Hey, fella, you got a fire.”

Lyerly then saw a ball of flame cover over the top of the stove and he immediately grabbed one of the two fire extinguishers on hand.

He was unable to control the blaze, even with the use of another extinguisher.

Men from nearby booths began to remove the tables and chairs from the restaurant, as the patrons formed orderly lines to the exit. “There were lots of women and children,” said Lyerly, “but nobody panicked.”

He said he did not know the cause of the fire.

It was about 6:20 p.m. when the milling crowds around the arena and the head of the Midway noticed orange flames against the twilight sky. There was a general, but leisurely movement toward the area.

The arrival of a fire truck at 6:32 [p.m.] brought thoughts of additional spectators. Officials of the sheriff’s department, the police department, the military and the Fair itself joined arms to restrain the crowd. The entire restaurant was in flames, and wiring directly overhead had begun to smoke.

Robert W. Shoffner, fair manager, worked his way through the crowd, and he requested orderly behavior. He later praised the orderliness of the spectators. A sound truck which had arrived behind the first fire truck kept up a stream of instructions as the danger from the wiring increased.

The frame of the building collapsed at 6:45 p.m. while firemen were extinguishing flickering remains of the building. As the firemen left, maintenance crews moved dump trucks into the area and began sorting the stainless steel and the glass into junk heaps.

By 7 p.m. lights were restored to nearby concessions including two owned by Lou Kane, who also owned the destroyed restaurant. Kane, who had operated eating places at the Fir for the past 25 years, had let his fire insurance lapse only three days before he unducted [sic]. The loss was estimated at $100,000.

News & Observer – October 14, 1964

$100,000 Fire Hits Fair – Portable Restaurant Destroyed

By Bob Lynch

A portable restaurant valued at $100,000 was destroyed in a spectacular fire on the N.C. State Fairgrounds Tuesday night. Thousands of spectators crowded around the scene.

Fred Lyerly, chief in the Char-Broiler Steaks, the cafe that was burned, said it was a “miracle” no one was hurt. There were about 150 patrons in the structure, including many women and children, when the fire started.

Eyerly said the patrons got in line, and filed out, in an orderly manner. The blaze was thought to have started from grease on the back of a grill.

Firemen from three rural fire departments and one Raleigh station had to fight their way through spectators who packed in around the burning structure to watch it burn. The Highway Patrol estimated 150,000 attended the Fair during the day. Fair officials called it the largest crowd in the Fair’s history.

The fire began at 6:15 p.m. and was reported shortly thereafter. However, it was 6:32 p.m. before the first fire fighter units arrived at the scene.

The building was owned by Mr. and Mrs. Lou Kane of Allen, PA, and was chief constructed of stainless steel walls and glass. It was covered with a canvas roof.

Kane said the structure was not insured. He dropped the insurance only three days ago, he said.

The building, one of the largest eating establishments on the fairgrounds, measured 50 by 100 feet [and] could seat 250 people.

The cook grabbed his small fire extinguisher and tried to snuff out the blaze, and then grabbed a large extinguisher and continued to fight the fire.

The man who discovered the fire and helped to get the customers out of the restaurant was later identified as Charles “Bunky” Boger, who is with the rodeo at the Fair.

The Kanes, who have been operating eating establishments at state fairs here for [illegible].

[Illegible paragraph about the fair’s public information officer saying that the police had to something about the crowd, so firemen could fight the fire.]

Firemen from the Fairgrounds Rural Fire Department, and rural fire departments from Cary and Apex, along with one Raleigh [fire] station, responded to the alarm.

Lamm said that a fist fight started in the crowd when a police officer tried to get a man to move out of the way of fire fighters. As a result of this incident, Alexk Ralph Reed, 20, of 905 Peace Terr. was dragged away by police and taken to the Wake County Jail, where he was charged with failing to obey an officer in an emergency and resisting arrest.

Proprietors of adjoining restaurants and concessions poured water on tents and building tops to keep the fire from spreading to their facilities.

[ Remainder of story describes that day’s attendance and activities at the fair. Thousands of school children, a Marine band concert, warm temperatures and sunny skies, toddlers tagged at each gate with names, addresses, and telephone numbers (a new feature to reduce the searches for lost children), bumper-to-bumper traffic and the Highway Patrol moving them through, a grandstand show with George Hamid including the famous Royal Mounted Police “Musical Ride,” and highlights of the coming day’s schedule. ]

Remembering the Fire

One person who remembers the fire is retired Raleigh Fire Department Captain Terry Partin. His parents, Maurice and Josephine Partin, also had a small restaurant at the State Fair that they operated with Biff and Charlotte Abbott. The restaurant was located where the entrance to the Midway is today.

Biff Abbott was also Fire Chief of the nearby Fairgrounds Fire Department. The chief was also working in the restaurant when the fire happened. Partin was at the fair that day, and saw the fire, and ran down to the restaurant to tell Biff.

This was an era before all the volunteer firemen had personal pages. The chief, however, had a very large pager about the size of a large transistor radio, which would alert him to fire calls. Partin doesn’t remember him having it with him that day.

Partin remembers being so out of breath from running, and so excited about the fire, that he could hardly tell Chief Abbott what was happening. He remembers the building was an open-tent type of restaurant and it burned in no time.

The fair was extremely crowded that day, he recalls, and it took some time for the fire department to arrive.

They had to respond from their fire station, which was located on Blue Ridge Road just south of the present Westchase Boulevard. And heavy traffic likely impacted both the arrival of the volunteers, and the fire trucks arriving at the fairgrounds.

Enter the State Fair Brigade

This fire and the comparatively long response time was the likely reason (or one of two likely reasons, see below) for the creation of the State Fair Fire Brigade.

Organized in the mid-1960s, these were a group of off-duty city firemen hired to stay on site during the operation of the State Fair. Both during set-up and for a few days after closing.

They borrowed their first fire engine from Garner, and would later operated loaned apparatus from local dealers. They later operated golf carts, used for their pre-opening safety checks, EMS responses, and more.

The brigade operated until 2005, when Western Wake Fire-Rescue took over contracted fire protection at the State Fair. They had been co-located with the brigade since 1998.

In their later decades, the brigade was located on the west side of the fairgrounds, near the Village of Yesterday.

The members bunked in a mobile home also loaned for their use. The firemen cooked three meals daily, and also fed the deputies and troopers also working the event. The quarters provided a nice place for them to meet, and rest, and use the rest room.

The “State Fair fire station” was a popular destination for off-duty Raleigh firefighters and their family members, as well as visiting firefighters from around the state. Many have great memories of the fellowship with the brigade during that time.

Yours Truly is digging deeper into their history, and will have more to report.


State Fair Fire Brigade, 1979

Fires at the Fair

Earlier fires at the State Fair, both during and before “fair week” have included:

October 15, 1946 – The 5:06 a.m. alarm is reported by telephone to the Raleigh Fire Department, which responds. Two lines and 1,110 feet of hose are used. Will get more details.

October 10, 1958 – Flames sweep tin cattle barn. Western Boulevard Fire Department and Raleigh Fire Department respond. Workers preparing for the opening of State Fair assist the firemen Fueled by 1,500 bales of straw inside the building, the blaze takes two hours to control.

October 10, 1958 – Courtesy (Raleigh) News & Observer

September 22, 1962 – Three rows of display booths burn inside the exhibition building. Worker at Red Star Oil Company discover the blaze. The Fairgrounds Fire Department, and two Raleigh engine companies, bring the blaze under control in less than 20 minutes.

September 29, 1965 – Concession stands burn. The 4 a.m. fire alarm sweeps through 315-stretch of stands. The public address system tower is also gutted. Damage to stands is about $25,000. Three units and 22 volunteer firefighters battle blaze. Raleigh Fire Department also responds with five men and a pumper.

Note: Thinking that the brigade was created after 1965, after both this fire and the one the year before.

September 29, 1965 – Courtesy (Raleigh) News & Observer.

Sources

They include:

Facebook Comments

Car Strikes Durham Fire Station, Fire Captain Narrowly Escapes Injury or Worse

How’s that for a dramatic headline? Dateline Durham on Monday about 4:15 p.m., where Capt. Andrew Johnson had been sitting on a bed at Fire Station 14 on Umstead Road. Thirty seconds later, a car crashed through the wall and struck the very spot where’d been sitting, reported the Herald-Sun.

Herald-Sun photo

The four-door sedan was driving on Bivins Road, and approaching it’s end at Umstead Road. The female driver was “startled by something”, reported WNCN news, crossed the intersection, and struck the fire station. She suffered minor injuries, but declined medical treatment, reported DFD officials.

Her vehicle entered the structure, crashing through the brick wall and “several posts.” A bedroom and a bathroom were severely damaged. And that’s far more damage than Raleigh Fire Station 7 suffered in August, when an SUV crashed into the apparatus bay. See those photos by Legeros.

The response to Monday’s incident included Durham EMS and a technical rescue response from Durham FD, which included the collapse rescue unit from Station 2.


WNCN / Michael Hyland photo

Sources:

Aerial Photo:

WTVD video still

Map:

Facebook Comments

Matthew in Raleigh – Firefighters, Water Rescues, and Rescued Rescuers

Contents

  • Part I – Hurricane Matthew
  • Part II – Old Stage Road
  • Part III – Rose Lane
  • Part IV – Numbers
  • Part V – Wake County Water Rescues
  • Part VI – Sources

Part I – Hurricane Matthew

On Saturday, October 8, heavy rain and winds pelted Raleigh and Wake County as Hurricane Matthew passed along the eastern edge of the state. At the airport, they observed 6.45 inches that day, a new record for that date. Heavy rains started in Raleigh after 10:30 a.m. and continued until about 6:00 p.m. The wind started rising in the 8:00 a.m. hour and continued strong until about midnight. Max speed was 32 mph, with gusts of 47 mph.

During that twenty-four hour period (0800 to 0800 hours), the fire department answered 437 calls. The peak volume was around 3:00 p.m., though the call volume stayed strong for a number of hours. There was widespread flooding through the city, and numerous calls for assistance from drivers who stranded themselves. Or from those who spotted cars in flood waters, and were unsure if they were occupied.

(Yours Truly was in Emmitsburg all weekend, and thus no photos from him.)

Thirty Water Rescue Calls

Raleigh Fire Department units answered 30 water rescue calls, and rescued or removed at least 21 people. That included three responses into the county, and whose departments answered another double-dozen such calls. Raleigh also contributed personnel and equipment for NC USAR Task Force 8 (swift water rescue teams deployed to eastern North Carolina) and NC Haz-Mat RRT 44 (decon unit deployed to Kinston); and helicopter rescue technicians for NCHART missions.

On Saturday, Raleigh’s two squad companies were expanded into two-piece companies, each operating their mini-pumper and boat trailer as a separate unit. Mini 2 was staffed with four firefighters from Squad 7, and Mini 3 was staffed with two from Squad 14. Each squad was then filled from Engine 17 and Ladder 3, also Special Operations Command companies. (Raleigh’s water rescue unit, USAR 801, was out of the city, deployed as part of Task Force 8.)

Mini 2 and Mini 3 responded exclusively to water rescue calls, though were often cancelled en route, as engine and ladder companies handled the incidents. Or as crews found subjects already out of vehicles, or already evacuated to dry land.

The locations of the calls including many of the usual suspects:

  • Anderson & Oxford
  • Atlantic & Hodges
  • Bailey Drive, 500 block
  • Calumet Drive, 3200 block – Flooded apartments
  • Claremont Road, 2900 block
  • Garner Road, 1800 block
  • Glenwood & Creedmoor
  • Gorman & Avent Ferry
  • Hawes Court, 700 block – Flooded apartments
  • Lake Wheeler & I-440
  • Lake Woodard & Timberlake
  • Lumley & Brier Creek
  • Rose Lane & Maplewood
  • S. Saunders Street, 2300 block
  • Southgate & Proctor
  • Sunnybrook & Middle Branch
  • Wade Avenue & I-40
  • Wake Forest & Hodges
  • Wake Forest & McNeil
  • Wake Town Drive, 1000 block
  • Wilmington & City Farm

Plus three calls in the county, where Raleigh also responded:

  • Barwell & Shirley with Eastern Wake
  • Old Stage & Eric with Garner
  • NC 97 & Little River with Wendell and Zebulon.

Some of the Stories

On Gorman Street near Avent Ferry Road [dispatched 4:57 p.m.], Engine 20 and Ladder 7 rescued a Wake County sheriff’s deputy from a flooded patrol car. They deployed their ladder, which they used to reach the victim, and then walked the subject out of the water. On Hawes Court [dispatched 5:30 p.m.], Engine 6 arrived and found chest-high water at a two-story apartment building, with several people stranded inside. Ladder 2, Rescue 1, and Mini 2 floated out nine people, three cats, and two dogs.

Raleigh police reported a woman trapped in a tree by Walnut Creek, along the Walnut Creek Trail in southeast Raleigh. Engine 20 and Ladder 2 responded, dispatched to 1100 Sunnybrook Road at 8:00 p.m., and rescued the woman. She was not injured. In the 2400 block of Wake Forest Road [dispatched 12:14 a.m. on Sunday], Mini 2 removed a person stranded by flood waters. He had attempted to cross the flooded road, was caught in the current, and came ashore beside a business. Crews paddled in their raft from McNeil street.

Also early Sunday morning, Raleigh (E26, B2, M2) and Eastern Wake units (P4, P2, C1, Boat 1) responded to Barwell Road and Shirley Street [dispatched 1:07 a.m.]. A woman drove her vehicle past barricades, spun entirely around, and was washed downstream. The call was reported by Wake SO. Arriving units found her standing on a tree limb and hanging onto branches above her head. Raleigh arrived ahead of Eastern Wake, and began rescue operations. Mini 2 pulled up to the water’s edge, attached a rope to the front of the mini-pumper, attached the rope to their raft, and rescued the woman. She was not injured.

Later Sunday morning [dispatched 6:56 p.m.], Zebulon and Wendell fire departments responded to NC 97 and Little River, for a vehicle in flood waters. They found a woman stranded atop her car about 50 to 75 yards from the edge of water, and about 25 yards off the road. Similar to the Rose Lane call, the water on the roadway was smooth, but became turbulent passing over a guardrail.

Raleigh was requested for swift water assistance, and Squad 7 and Mini 2 responded. ZFD walked into the water and floated a lift vest to the victim. RFD deployed a raft and used a rope and pulley system to perform the rescue. It was also broadcast live by a WRAL news helicopter, which was overhead.

WRAL

Rescuers Required Rescue

Two of the incidents resulted in the rescuers becoming stranded. Squad 7 and Mini 2 were assisting the Garner Fire Department on Old Stage Road, and had completed the rescue of three occupants of a vehicle, when their boat became stuck against a tree. The four-hour incident brought a water rescue team from the Apex Fire Department to assist.

About a half-hour later, members of Squad 14–who were operating Mini 3–became stranded when their rescue boat struck a sign. They were operating on Rose Lane, attempting to rescue a male subject standing on a tree above flood waters. The seven-hour operation brought mutual aid assets from the airport fire department (!), Chapel Hill Fire Department and South Orange Rescue Squad, and the Apex Fire Department, after they cleared from Garner.

Part II – Old Stage Road

At 6:10 p.m., the Garner Fire Department was dispatched to a stranded vehicle at Old Stage Road at Eric Street. Engine 2, Rescue 1, and Battalion 3 (off-duty Battalion Chief) responded. Three adult males in a pick-up truck, in high water just north of intersection. After their own rescue attempts, Garner requested Raleigh for assistance. Squad 7 and Mini 3 were dispatched at 6:57 p.m.

They arrived at 7:32 p.m., and found three people sitting on the roof of the submerged vehicle. The water was at mid-window level, and they were about 150 to 200 yards from safe ground. The water in the creek was moving slowly, but gained speed in the roadway, and then grew turbulent after cresting over the guard rail and into the ditch.

Mini 2 was staffed with four people. They deployed their boat (Zodiac-style, 30HP motor), with three firefighters aboard. Took just a couple minutes to reach the victims–who were wearing suits, as they were headed to a wedding!–and transport them to the far side of the flooded road. The firefighters turned out, and headed back. Within a minute, the boat was caught in a turbulent spot or small wave. The back of the boat was jerked down, and the bow was lifted. It started floating backwards, and became pinned perpendicular against a tree.

The firefighter operating the motor had it throttled wide open, to keep the boat in its position, and from moving with the current. The three assessed their situation. Going with the flow wasn’t an option, as the current would take them into dangerous ground with “strainers and sweepers.” Instead, they attempted to move forward. While trying that action, the boat hit a tree. It became wedged against the tree, and half of the boat sank. The boat rested at about a 45 degree angle, the bow upward, and the water about halfway up the boat. The three firefighters were stranded at the boat, against the tree.

Though their loose items were lost–ropes, floats, paddles, etc.–the firefighters had their radios and flashlights attached to their PPE. They had contact with shore, and advised that they were stranded but injured. Command communicated that their firefighters were stranded about 7:45 p.m.

Another water rescue team was requested. Raleigh’s other water team was on Rose Lane, and had become stranded themselves. The Apex Fire Department was subsequently dispatched at 7:57 p.m. They responded with Rescue 1, Rescue 2, and Boat 2.

Apex arrived at 9:18 p.m. They deployed a boat with three firefighters, and tried to back into the location of stranded firefighters. They struck the same spot that caught the Raleigh boat. They had a more powerful boat motor (55HP versus 30HP) and were able to get away. The Apex boat’s efforts also generated some waves that uprighted the Raleigh boat. The Apex team discontinued that rescue attempt, as they couldn’t safely “park” their boat beside the Raleigh boat for rescue.

Meanwhile, the Raleigh firefighters moved their position. Their boat was now floating, and they moved into a more stable area, an eddy. The Apex team began a second attempt. With their boat they extended a 600 foot line close to the Raleigh boat. Then they tossed a throw bag with a rope, and used the current to float the bag to the location of the Raleigh crew.

The Raleigh firefighters attached the bag line to the main line, and slowly worked the boat out of its position, maneuvering around trees. A mechanical advantage was used on the line, and attached to the front of the mini-pumper. Once the nose of the boat was through the trees, the system was reset for maximum pull, and the boat was pulled to safety faster. The second and successful operation took 25 to 30 minutes to complete.

Though EMS was also on scene, the three firefighters didn’t require any examination or treatment. They returned to Raleigh, and later returned to service, though without their boat. The motor was damaged. They used their raft for the remaining rescue calls that they responded to.

Run Card

  • GFD – E2, R1, B3 (off-duty Battalion Chief).
  • RFD Sq7 and M2 + boat trailer (M2 with four FFs)
  • AFD R1, R2 + trailer w/Boat 1

Times

06:10 p.m. Dispatched for GFD
06:57 p.m. Dispatched for RFD
07:32 p.m. RFD arrived
07:40 p.m., about RFD rescues victims (three males on car in water)
07:40 p.m., about RFD gets stranded*
07:57 p.m. AFD dispatched
08:18 p.m. AFD arrives
09:30 p.m., about RFD rescued
10:27 p.m. GFD cleared
03:00 a.m. RFD Squad 7, Mini 3 back in service

*RFD on Rose Lane got stranded at 7:35 p.m., for those noting that these happened about the same time. AFD subsequently responded to that incident, after clearing this one.

Part III – Rose Lane

At 6:58 p.m., Engine 12 and Ladder 8 were dispatched to Rose Lane and Maplewood Lane. That’s the dead end, just south of the bridge over Walnut Creek. Reported as a male subject hanging onto a tree branch in the middle of the creek. Mini 2 heard the call, and added themselves. They were on Western Boulevard near Pullen.

Engine 12 and EMS Chief 101 were first on scene. They approached the end of Rose Lane from the north, and found the roadway was flooded at the creek. The victim was on the east side of the flooded road, above moving water that appeared waist deep. He was about 75 yards from the edge of the water. Engine 10 also arrived, having responded to another and apparent duplicate call at their location. They cancelled Ladder 8.

They later learned that the victim had been out walking, and no vehicle was involved. They also later determined that the middle of the flooded area contained a band of fast-moving current, which would impact rescue efforts.

The two firefighters from Mini 3 donned their PPE and PFD, and attempted to reach the victim on foot, with a shallow water cross. They got about halfway, but the current was too strong. They then deployed their powered boat, another Zodiac-style craft with a 30 HP motor. They headed toward the victim, on the right side of the flooded road, and hugging the tree line, which was close to the edge of the road.

With the current moving in a diagonal direction forward and left, the boat was pulled away from the victim. It started rotating right, with the bow pointing toward the victim, as the boat floated toward the opposite side of the flooded road. The crews later realized that the motor wasn’t strong enough to beat the current. Just as they floated past the victim, the boat struck a submerged traffic sign. The boat was impacted on its port (left) side, and “rode up the sign” at about a 60 degree angle.

The two firefighters were spilled into the water. The time of capsize was 7:35 p.m. Command immediately requested additional rescue resources, and Engine 3, Ladder 8, Rescue 1, and Battalion 2 were dispatched. Two additional EMS units were also added to the call.


WNCN  / Eric Dillard video stills showing the boat being rotated by the current

After spilling into the water, the two firefighters grabbed onto their boat. With their boat, they floated into the nearby tree, and became lodged in the trees. Vines also entangled the boat, and prevented any more movement with the current. The two firefighters were lodged against the trees, and with the boat beside them. They pulled a rope from the boat, and tied the craft to the tree. One firefighter then “bear hugged” the tree, and was used as a ladder by the other, to climb into the boat beside them. He pulled the first firefighter into the boat.

Once in the boat, they determined that they were uninjured. However, they couldn’t really see any of the fire units or their activities. They would observe other firefighters trying to reach them on foot, walking around their location, and trying to approach from the back side.

About this time, Battalion 2 arrived at 7:50 p.m., along with the Assistant Chief of Training (Car 5). By 8:30 p.m., they were joined by the USAR and Special Operations Command leader (Car 5) and Special Operations Command company Ladder 3. The latter was en route to the shop, with a nail in the tire. They were diverted to the scene.

Rescue 1 and the others discussed their options to rescue the two firefighters. They rejected a four-person “diamond pattern” approach, as the current was too strong. They then tried to access by foot through the wooded area, but the current was again too strong.

Meanwhile, EMS Chief 101 contacted the Wake County Emergency Operations Center (EOC), to request a high-profile vehicle from the NC Air National Guard. The closest asset was three hours away. Instead, a crash truck from the airport was requested, along with Chapel Hill’s Tac 52, a five-ton former military transport.


Chapel Hill Fire Department – Tac 52 in January 2015

Command inquired about a helicopter, but the NCHART assets were not flying due to the wind. They also learned that Raleigh’s other water team (on Mini 2) was also unavailable, as their members were also stranded Old Stage Road in Garner. They then requested swift water rescue teams from Chapel Hill and Apex.

While command was considering their options for next steps, Battalion 2 requested relief for Engines 12 and 10. Crews from both had been in the water, and needed to dry out. Engine 5 and Ladder 6 were dispatched, at 8:42 p.m. and 8:47 p.m., respectively. The two engines cleared about 9:00 p.m. Engine 5 arrived at 8:55 p.m., and Ladder 6 arrived at 9:12 p.m.

About the same time, say around 9:00 p.m., the crash truck from the airport arrived. CFR 2, an Oshkosh T-1500 4×4, was driven into the water, toward the original victim. The water was still too deep, and its progress was stopped about halfway. The Chapel Hill truck arrived about this time. With the water too deep for vehicle approaches, they discussed next steps. The stranded firefighters, meanwhile, had communicated that they were safe and secure, and recommended focusing rescue efforts on the original victim.

WNCN video stills showing CFR 2 at the water’s edge, along with personnel atop the vehicle

They then directed Ladder 6, which had just arrived, to back down to the water’s edge. The 105-foot aerial ladder was extended, and a rope bag was repeatedly tossed toward the victim. But it kept falling about 20 feet short. After about 45 minutes of trying this technique, they repositioned the ladder. The water was receding, and the ladder was lowered back to the bed, and the truck was moved closer to the victim. On the second set of attempts, the rope bag reached the victim. He was pulled to the tip of the ladder, and removed.

He was rescued and taken to awaiting EMS crews, where he was placed on a stretcher just before 11:00 p.m., noted a news story. He was transported to WakeMed.

EMS resources on scene by this time were EMS 31, EMS 38, EMS 63, EMS 19 (four ambulances), District 9, Chief 101, MD 1 (Medical Director). Two additional Assistant Fire Chiefs had also arrived, Car 2 (Operations) and Car (Services). By this time, the water rescue teams from Apex and Chapel Hill had arrived. The latter were comprised of Chapel Hill Fire Department and South Orange Rescue Squad members. (The two agencies each had members deployed or responding elsewhere, and they combined their remaining personnel and equipment into a single entity.)

 

WNCN video stills

The crews resumed their attempts to rescue the two firefighters. They tried again to reach them on foot, by entering the water and going through the woods. The trees and brush were too thick for a four-person patten, and the rescuers had to deploy individually. The current was again still too strong. They made two tries and then pulled out.

Their next and final attempt used a “high line” to pull the stranded boat to safety. They ran a rope line down to the stranded firefighters, parallel to the flooded road, on the victim s side, and tied the rope to a tree and the bridge. They added a mechanical advantage, to provide pulling power. Five rescuers entered the water, using a diamond pattern, and hooked into the guard rail. They then sent a float with rope down to the boat, which was used to pull the boat to safety.

The boat easily came free, and was soon being walked out, with the two firefighters at its side. The two later determined that they had been stranded in deeper water, as their location was below the grade of the road. After being stranded, they were in about 12 feet of water. When rescued, the level had dropped to about eight feet.

EMS checked the two firefighters. After being rescued, they realized they were cold and despite their dry suits. Their core temperatures were tested and found low. They were warmed with blankets. Mini 3 was removed from service, and they returned to Station 14, to tend to their equipment and recuperate. They didn t answer any more calls that night.

Site of the rescue on Friday afternoon. Victim was located on the lower right, at the red tape. The boat capsized after striking the sign on the left. The boat and the firefighters floated left, out of the picture’s frame.

Run Card

  • RFD E12, E10, E5, E13, L8, L3, L6, B2, M3 + boat trailer (staffed by Squad 14 members x 2), Car 51 (USAR/tech. rescue commander), Car 2, 4, 5
  • EMS EMS 31, EMS 38, EMS 63, EMS 19, D9, Chief 101, MD 1
  • RDU CFR 2
  • CHFD Tac 52
  • Chapel Hill water rescue team, comprised of combined CHFD and South Orange Rescue Squad resources
  • AFD R1, R2 + Boat 2

Times

6:58 p.m. E12, L8 dispatched, Rose Lane & Maplewood
6:57 p.m. M3 added
? M3 arrives
? E10 arrived. Was already in area for another call. Stayed to help.
7:30 p.m., about Boat deployed
7:35 p.m. Boat capsizes
7:36 p.m. E3, L8, R1, B2 dispatched, 759 Rose Lane
7:42 p.m. E3, R1 arrived
7:43 p.m. L8 arrived
7:50 p.m. B2 arrived
8:17 p.m. Car 51 dispatched
8:23 p.m. CFR 2 dispatched
8:29 p.m. Car 51 arrived
8:30 p.m. L3 arrived, added to call, while en route to shop.
8:42 p.m. E5 dispatched, relief for E12 and E10.
8:47 p.m. L6 dispatched, relief for E12 and E10.
8:55 p.m. E5 arrived
9:00 p.m., around E12, E10 cleared
9:00 p.m., maybe CFR 2 arrived
9:12 p.m. L6 arrived
9:15 p.m. CHFD Tac 52 leaves Chapel Hill.
10:30 p.m. CHFD/OCRS swift water team leaves Chapel Hill.
10:48 p.m. Apex swift water team dispatched, after clearing scene on Old Stage Road with GFD and three stranded RFD firefighters.
11:00 p.m., just before Victim rescued
11:28 p.m. CFR 2 cleared
11:30-11:45 p.m., maybe? Chapel Hill and Apex teams arrived
11:53 p.m. E13 dispatched
11:58 p.m. E13 arrived
12:02 a.m. L3 cleared
12:27 a.m. E5 cleared
12:49 a.m. E3 cleared
1:43 a.m. L8 cleared
2:21 a.m. E13 cleared
2:30 a.m. R1 cleared
2:32 a.m. Car 51 cleared
2:33 a.m. E10, L6, M3 cleared

Part IV – Numbers and Lists

Call Volume

From 0800 hours Saturday until 0800 hours Sunday, the Raleigh Fire Department answered 437 calls. The peak volume was around 3:00 p.m. The incidents included:

  • 10 – Working structure fires
  • 11 – Trees on or into buildings, including four with occupants trapped or unable to evacuate their structures
  • 30 – Water rescue calls, mostly involving vehicles stranded in water. Many required the rescue of occupants.
  • 56 – Power lines down.

Company Runs

There were 866 total runs during that period, including these unit totals:

E1  29       E20 31       R1  19
E2  30   E21 20   B1 9
E3  26   E22 17   B2 14
E4  17   E23 6   B3 11
E5  29   E24 8   B4 4
E6  33   E25 5   B5 18
SQ7 29   E26 12      
E8  29   E27 9      
E9  33   E28 9      
E10 20   E29 5      
E11 30   L1  14      
E12 33   L2  34      
E13 19   L3  19      
SQ14 26   L4  29      
E15 24   L5  10      
E16 26   L6  3      
E17 14   L7  19      
E18 6   L8  12      
E19 21   L9  1      

Part V – Wake County Water Rescues

District Address Time Notes
CFD 100 Macalyson Court 11:39 a.m.  
EWFD Barwell & Shirley 9:42 p.m. Single vehicle, no rescue needed. Plus RFD.
P4, P2, C1, Boat 1, RFD E26
EWFD Barwell & Shirley 1:07 a.m., Sunday Single vehicle, one person rescued. Plus RFD
P4, P2, C1, Boat 1, RFD E26, B2, M2.
FFD 6700 Fayetteville Road   Cars in water. Plus RFD.
FFD Holly Springs & Penny 4:19 p.m. E1, R1, C2.
FFD Johnson Pond & Bells Lake 7:27 p.m.  
FVFD 9701 Lake Wheeler Road   Cars in flood water, several on top of their vehicles, after driving into water.
FVFD NC 42 and Mt. Pleasant Roads 7:25 p.m. Car in flood water. Plus CFD Rescue 2 for swift water team.
GFD Old Stage & Eric 6:10 p.m. Plus RFD, AFD.
See above.
FVFD Old Stage & Panther Lake 9:16 p.m. Plus AFD.
GFD 7218 Gentle Valley 9:53 p.m. E3, B1.
GFD NC 42 & Barber Bridge 3:27 p.m. E2, R2.
GFD NC 42 & Sauls Road 4:38 p.m.  
GFD Old Stage & Vandora Springs   Car in water.
GFD Old Stage & Eric, reported as Old Stage & Banks 2:36 a.m., Sunday Two subjects hanging on a tree after car was swept away.
E2, R1, B1, +Lewisville FD swift water team.
HFD 4089 Country Club Road,
also as Dukes Lake & Country Club
4:22 p.m. Plus WFD
R9, Boat 22, Wendell R110
HSFD Cass Holt & Rex 3:48 p.m. Sq1, B1.
HSFD Green Oaks & New Hill 4:58 p.m. Car stranded in water, two people rescued. Plus AFD for swift water team.
SCFD Lake Wheeler and Penny   Cars stuck in flood waters. Plus FFD.
R1, Fairview E3, C1
WFD NC 97 at Little River 6:56 a.m. One vehicle in water, one person rescued by boat. Plus ZFD, RFD.
WFFD Harris & West Oak 6:21 p.m.  
ZFD US 64 & Arendell 3:35 p.m. Cars stuck in high flood water.
P91, R9, C1.
ZFD US 64 & US 264 5:01 p.m. P92, C2.
ZFD W. Gannon & Water Plant ~12:09 a.m., Sunday P91, R9, C1

Part VI – Sources

Facebook Comments

Water Rescue Teams Operating in North Carolina After Hurricane Matthew

Let’s start a list of the swift-water rescue teams operating in North Carolina since Saturday and the arrival of Hurricane Matthew:

Apex FD
ARR-MAC (Arrington FD, Mar-Mac FD)
Asheville FD (as TF2)
Cary FD
Carolina Beach FD
Chapel Hill FD (+ as TF8)
Charlotte FD (as TF3 and NCHART)
Clayton FD
Cumberland County SO (as TF?)
Davie County
Fayetteville FD (as TF9)
FEMA Task Force 1 – Includes MO TF 1
Goldsboro FD
Greensboro FD (as TF6)
Guilford County EMS
Henderson County
Lewisville FD
Lincoln County
NCHART – RFD, SHP, CFD, NCANG
NC Task Force 2 – AFD
NC Task Force 3 – CFD, split into two independent teams
NC Task Force 6 – GFD
NC Task Force 8 – RFD, DFD, CHFD
NC Task Force 9 – FFD
Etc.
(Are all NC task forces operating?)
NJ Task Force 1
NY Task Force 1 – FDNY, NYPD
OH Task Force 1
Onslow County
Princeton FD
Raleigh FD (as TF8 & NCHART)
Rockingham County
Rocky Mount FD/SERT
Salisbury FD
Smithfield FD
South Orange RS
US Coast Guard
Vance County RS
Wilson County
Winston-Salem FD

Facebook Comments

Burlington Opens Sixth Fire Station

The Burlington Fire Department recently opened a sixth fire station. Located on 3644 Bonnar Bridge Parkway, Station 6 was activated on Thursday, September 29. It houses Engine 6, Truck 2, and Battalion 2.

Engine 6 is a 2008 Spartan Gladiator/Smeal pumper, 1500/750. Truck 2 is a 2010 Spartan Gladiator/Smeal rear-mounted aerial ladder, 2000/350/105-foot. Battalion 2 is a 2015 Ford, and it was newly activated on the same day.

The city now has two battalions. Battalion 1 is comprised of Stations 1 , 2, and 3, in the eastern part of town. Battalion 2 covers Stations 4, 5, and 6, which is predominately the western side. The fire station cost $3.1 million, and fifteen people were hired to staff the new station.

Photos are from Lee Wilson, who visited the station a bit after their open house finished on October 6. Click to enlarge:

Facebook Comments

NC USAR Task Force 8 Deploys to New Bern From Raleigh

This afternoon, Thursday, October 6, North Carolina Urban Search & Rescue (USAR) Task Force 8 deployed a Type II Water Rescue team to New Bern, NC, to be on standby for Hurricane Matthew.

The fourteen members and their four vehicles departed from the Raleigh Fire Department Keeter Training Center at 1:15 p.m. They deployed a two swift-water rescue units with boat trailers, a logistics and support unit, and a command vehicle.

NC USAR Task Force 8 is comprised of members from the Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill fire departments, and Wake County EMS. They’re one of seven task force teams in the state. See this DPS site for more information:

Story and photo credits from NC Task Force 8, via their Facebook page. Click to enlarge:

Facebook Comments

Raleigh’s New Shop Truck

The Raleigh Fire Department recently received a new shop truck, a 2016 Ford F-450/Khapheide utility truck.

Designated Car 321, it’s used by Fleet Services for the on-call mechanic. It was placed in service on Wednesday, September 21.

It replaces a 2005 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 pick-up truck. And it supplements Car 320, which is the department’s “mobile shop,” a 2000 Freightliner FL60/American LaFrance/MedicMaster retired rescue truck.

Fleet Services is located at the department’s Support Services Center at 4120 New Bern Avenue.

Lee Wilson photos

Facebook Comments