Raleigh Recruit Academies 50 (short) and 51 (long) started this week. Here are some historical facts ‘n’ figures about the recruit academies.

Largest graduating class – Academy 48 (2002) – 49 grads

Followed by #41 (2016) with 37 grads, #42 (2017) with 36 grads, #23 (1999) with 36 grads, etc.

Smallest graduating class – Academy 1 (1978) – 7 grads

Longest academy – Academy 51 (2023) and other recent years – 32 weeks

Shortest academy – Academy 49 (2022) – 4 weeks, first RFD lateral academy

First non-lateral short academy – Academy 22 (1998) – 7 weeks

Last non-lateral short academy – Academy 46 (2021) – Before then, was Academy 30 (2004)

First “blended” academy, with non-RFD recruits – Academy 16 (1992) – Included 10 from Wake County FDs and two from Wilson FD.

Last “blended” academy – Academy 18 (1994) – Included two from Wake County FDs.

First numbered academy – February 1978

First non-numbered “academy” – February 1971, perhaps. Had 15 or more new hires. How long was their training? TBD

Earlier clusters of new hires – They go back decades. Such a five hired October 7, 1970. Then four more hired October 26 and 28, 1970. Then one more hired November 2, 1970.

First academy that required EMT certification to graduate – March 1977 (academy not numbered)

First academy to receive diplomas – Academy 1 (1978)

First academy with women – Academy 2 (1978)

First academy conducted at newly completed Keeter Training Center – Academy 7 (1982)

First academy that required EMT certification to be maintained after graduation – Academy 10 (1985)

Academies conducted in conjunction with new stations and/or companies activated:

#6 (1981) – Third (aerial) ladder company
#9 (1983) – Sta 17
#10 (1985) – Fourth (aerial) ladder company
#11 (1986) – Sta 18
#12 (1988) – Sta 19
#13 (1989) – Sta 20, fifth ladder company
#21 (1997) – Sta 21, Sta 22
#24 (2000) – Sta 23
#26 (2000) – Sta 24, Sta 25
#29 (2002) – Sta 26, Sta 27
#30 (2004) – Sixth ladder company
#32 (2005) – Seventh ladder company
#33 (2006) – Sta 28
#35 (2008) – Eighth ladder company
#40 (2014) – Sta 29, ninth ladder company

More Reading

• Recruit Academies Summary
• Recruit Academy Graduates (PDF, needs updating)
• Recruit Academy Class Photos

More Photos

• Legeros fire photos (search on “ktc” or “recruits” or browse by year)
• Raleigh Fire Museum photo albums

The story is a familiar one. Members of a municipal-based fire department separate themselves into a second group to serve rural residents. A second organization fire department is formed. The resulting relationship between the two departments can be good or not so good. The latter was the case in Elon College in Alamance County in the mid- to late-1970s. Members of the volunteer Elon College Fire Department (ECFD) formed the separate, short-lived Boone Station Fire Department (BSFD) and a rivalry resulted.  

Here’s an narrative of the events, based on articles from the Burlington Times-News and Hose & Nozzle (H&N) magazine, plus a couple other sources.  

Years 1974 and 1975

June 24, 1974 –  Agreement signed between ECFD and town board, for money raised or to be raised for the purpose of buying a truck for responding to fires outside of town. Source: Times-News, Nov 17, 1975.

Summer 1975 –  ECFD members wanted to establish a fire district for the areas they served outside the town limits, to reduce fire insurance rates for property owners. By that summer, they had raised about $4,000 to buy a rural fire truck, when someone suggested that they split into two groups under one roof. ECFD members voted down the idea. The 16 or so members that favored the idea went to the town board and eventually formed their own fire department. Part of the reason for the split, said the BSFD attorney later, was that “the best fire-fighting equipment was reserved for the town” and that “interference by the town board” had been the biggest problem. Source: Times-News, February 20, 1977.

June 20, 1975 – The non-profit organization Elon Rural Fire District (ERFD) was incorporated by Ralph McIntyre and his brother Richard McIntyre, the board chairman. Richard McIntyre was a Fire Training Area Coordinator with the Fire Service Training Division of the state department of community colleges. The department was located on Highway 100, about a mile west of town. Sources:: State corporate records, Times-News, Nov 20, 1975; April 25, 1976. 

July 8, 1975 – Town board meeting included a report by Richard MyIntrye, chairmen of the rural department’s board of directors. He told them that that the rural department had been incorporated and asked for action on their proposals: that they split from ECFD, have their own chief and officers, be allowed to operate from the town fire station, and be allowed to use town communications equipment but purchase their own fire apparatus. Objections were expressed about turning over $3,783 to the town, which McIntrye said had been collected by ECFD members toward buying a rural fire truck. The town board met the following night and asked those ECFD members who did not want to serve under ECFD Fire Chief Fred Loy to withdraw from the department. Source: Times-News, Dec 9, 1976.

Times-News, May 6, 1976.

Continue reading ‘Elon College and a Tale of Two Fire Departments’ »