Raleigh Fire Department Publishes Strategic Plan, 2015-2010

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We covered the future plans (prospective or otherwise) of Cary and Apex in their respective prior postings. Let's look at the city and see what they're cooking for the next five years...

The Raleigh Fire Department recently produced a five-year strategic planning document. A copy has been posted to the RFD newsletter site and accompanies an article about the plan in the fall 2015 issue. The plan was created by a thirty-two member planning committee during a series of meetings this summer. It was developed with inputs gathered from a stakeholder survey in May 2015.

Five goals are outlined in the Strategic Plan: promoting workforce excellence, adjusting operational and support staffing levels, strengthening functionality and condition of infrastructure, automating business systems, and enhancing public communication. The thirty-four page document concludes with appendix materials.

Read the strategic plan(PDF)

Let's look closely at staffing, apparatus, and facility objectives through 2020:

Staffing

  • Hiring 20 firefighters per year, from F17 to F21, to optimize supplemental staffing levels.
  • Expand Operations with second Division, e.g. Three Division Chiefs, three Aides, and three Battalion Chiefs
  • Expand Services with a Division Chief, a Battalion Chief, an Emergency Fleet Parts Coordinator, and a Fire Equipment Inventory Coordinator
  • Expand Training with an Asst. Career Development Coordinator (Lieutenant), and a Fire Academy Training Officer (Lieutenant).
  • Expand Office of Fire Marshal with a Division Chief, a Public Information Officer (PIO), three Fire Educators, four Deputy Fire Marshals, and a Training Officer.

Apparatus

  • Implement multi-year replacement schedule, as part of fleet management program.

Facilities

  • Renovate legacy fire stations to improve them. Planned schedule:
    • Station 5 (FY16)
    • Station 2 (FY16, FY17)
    • Station 10, Station 15 (FY17, FY18)
    • Station 8, Station 16 (FY18, FY19)
    • Station 9, Station 17 (FY19, FY20)
    • Station 18, Station 19 (FY20, FY21)
    • Station 4, Station 20 (FY21, FY22)
    • Station 21, Station 22 (FY22, FY23?)
  • Relocate two legacy facilities:
    • Headquarters (Office of Fire Chief, Office of Fire Marshal, etc.) and Station 1 (as joint facility)
    • Station 3
    • Station 23
  • Add additional fire station:
    • Station 30 (see page 10 for map of city growth areas. Includes both in-fill and expansion areas.)
  • Develop a [new] training center that includes an emergency vehicle driving course.
  • Improve (e.g., likely expand) Services facilities.

Technology

  • Move from legacy mobile data terminals (MDTs) to hybrid tablet and cloud-based systems.
  • Move to new computer-aided dispatch (CAD) system.

Notes

  • What would six battalions look like? Page 32 has a prospective map:
    • West Division
      • Station 1, 2, 3, 10, 26
      • Station 4, 9, 15, 16
      • Station 5, 6, 8, 14, 20
    • East Division
      • Station 7, 11, 12, 21, 27
      • Station 19, 22, 25, 28
      • Station 17, 18, 23, 24, 29

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Meet the New Blog

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Welcome to the new version of Legeros Fire Blog. Effective January 1, 2016, the original blog site has been retired. It will remain active as an archives location. This new blog has some neat new features, including Facebook comments available per posting. Thanks your patience as deployment is concluded, and any remaining construction items are completed. Please update your bookmarks and web links to the new address: www.legeros.com/blog.

Orange Pierce Platform Ordered For Buies Creek

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The Buies Creek Fire Department has ordered an black-over-orange Pierce Arrow XT (though the drawing shows a Velocity) aerial platform, notes this Facebook posting from Atlantic Emergency Solutions. The truck will equipped with a 1500 GPM pump, 300 gallon water tank, and 100-foot platform. The colors are those of the Campbell University Fighting Camels. This is the first truck in the department’s history to be painted in the University’s colors. Very cool and you know the next question. What other orange fire engines are operating in the Carolinas? It’ll replace a 1987 Pierce Arrow rear-mount platform, formerly operated by the town of Cary.

2015-12-17-bcfd

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Cary’s New Station 2, New Engine 9, and Looking Ahead

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The town of Cary opened a new fire station on Monday. The personnel of Engine 2 and Rescue 2 reported for duty at the newly completed Station 2 at 601 E. Chatham Street. They were transported to old Station 2 at 875 SE Maynard Road, and brought the apparatus to the new facility. Those are a 2006 Pierce Dash pumper and a 2012 Pierce Velocity walk-around heavy rescue. The 13,395 square-foot facility is a two-story structure and the town's second fire station with a pole. Or poles, plural. It's also their second station with accordion-style (also called bi-parting) bay doors. (They open fast. Within seconds.) Including land, design, and construction, the new fire station cost about $5.5M. A dedication ceremony is planned for Friday, December 18, at 11:30 a.m. [Read the press release.]

Upon the relocation of Engine 2 and Rescue 2 yesterday morning, old Station 2 became Station 9. The legacy facility will house Engine 9 until a permanent home is constructed at 1427 Walnut Street. The property is located at the corner of Walnut Street and Nottingham Drive. There's an abandoned church on the site, which the fire department has been using for occasional training. There's been $750,000 funded for the project thus far. Engine 9 was placed in service with Engine 6, relocated from Station 6 at 3609 Ten-Ten Road. Same is a 2003 Pierce Dash pumper that will be re-lettered when new decals arrive. Also yesterday morning, Ladder 6 was renamed Engine 6. They'll operating as a quint company with their 2008 Pierce Velocity aerial ladder. Additionally, Rescue 4 was moved to Station 6. Now Rescue 6, they operate the town's second 2012 Pierce Velocity rescue, which is identical to Rescue 2. What's the status of future fire facilities and apparatus in Cary? Good question! Looking at the town's budget documents, there's a ten-year CIP listing from a year ago. It's available on this page. Highlights include:

  • Numerous pumper and ladder replacements.
  • Requested new ladder in FY16, as added ladder company (which wasn't approved).
  • Construction funds for Station 9 on Walnut Street in FY16 (which wasn't approved).
  • Station 10 (?) in northwestern Cary in FY17
  • Station 11 (?) in West Lake area Middle Creek in FY21
  • Station 12 (?) in southwestern Cary in FY23.

What's their current status? We'll ask around on Friday, at the dedication ceremony. Readers may have inputs as well. Also need a check on the makes/models/years of the apparatus listed above. See photos from Mike Legeros and Lee Wilson. Read prior blog postings about Station 2:

2015-10-15-cfda

2015-10-15-cfd

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How Many New Fire Stations Have Opened in Raleigh and Wake County?

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The opening of Cary’s new fire station this week gets me thinking. How many newly constructed fire stations have opened in Raleigh and Wake County? Let’s take a look…

Criteria:

  • Purpose-built as a fire station, or
  • Purpose-built to house a fire department. Thus can include town hall buildings or other combination structures

Answer:

At least 122.

Details below. See Mike’s Wake County station register(PDF) for more information.

Apex

4
  1. N. Salem St. , Sta 1 (1956)
  2. New Hill Holleman Rd., Sta 2 (1997)
  3. Hunter St. , Sta 3 (2002)
  4. E. Williams Street, Sta 4 (2009)

Excludes 1927 municipal building, not purpose-built with fire station space.

Bay Leaf

4
  1. Six Forks Rd. #1 (1967)
  2. Six Forks Rd. #2 (1983)
  3. Six Forks Rd. #3, rebuild of 1983 structure (2014)
  4. Norwood Rd. (1993)

Excludes Lynn Rd., not built for BLFD

Excludes original station on Six Forks Rd., space inside commercial structure.

Cary

13
  1. Downtown (1923)   Prefab garage
  2. W. Chatham St. (1953)
  3. N. Academy St. (1965)
  4. E. Cedar St. , Old Sta 2 (1953)
  5. SE Maynard Rd., Old Sta 2, (now Sta 9 (1976)
  6. N. Harrison Ave., Sta 1 (1992)
  7. E. Chatham St., Sta 2 (2015)
  8. Kildare Farm Rd., Sta 3 (1987)
  9. Old Apex Rd., Sta 4 (1988)
  10. High House Rd., Sta 5 (1996)
  11. Ten Ten Rd., Sta 6 (2001)
  12. Carpenter-Fire Station Rd., Sta 7 (2007)
  13. Mills Park Drive (2014)

Excludes other earlier facilities likely not purpose-built, such as Public Utilities building used in 1960s for temporary housing of original service ladder truck.

Durham Highway

3
  1. Davis Cir. (1965)
  2. Pinecrest Rd. (1976)
  3. Norwood Rd. (1992)

Eastern Wake

  

See Knightdale.

 

Fairgrounds

2
  1. Blue Ridge Rd. (1961)
  2. District Dr. (1992)

Fairview

3
  1. Ten-Ten Rd. #1 (1963)
  2. Ten-Ten Rd. #2 (1990)
  3. Ten-Ten Rd. #3, rebuild of 1963 structure (1999)

Falls

  

Station excluded from list, community building not purpose-built as fire station.

Fuquay-Varina

5
  1. S. Fuquay Ave. #1, municipal building (1951)
  2. Fuquay Ave., rural station (1965)
  3. S. Fuquay Ave. #2, Sta 1 (1978)
  4. Hilltop Rd., Sta 2 (1991)
  5. Bud Lipscomb Rd., Sta 3 (2003)

Possibly another earlier purpose-built FVFD or Fuquay Springs FD structure(s) or two.

Garner

5
  1. Pearl St. (1953)
  2. Main St. (1970), Sta 1
  3. Sauls Rd. (1976), Sta 2
  4. Timber Dr. (1999), Sta 3
  5. Spaceway Ct. (2010), Sta 4

Exclude original station on Garner Rd., former used-car garage.

Holly Springs

4
  1. Avent Ferry Rd. #1 (1971)
  2. Main St. (1995) (half purpose-built, half adapted)
  3. Flint Point Lane, Sta 1 (2006)
  4. Avent Ferry Rd. #2 (2012), rebuild, Sta 2

Excludes temporary station on Thomasmill Rd., space in commercial building.

Exclude Sta 3 on Friendship Rd., rented house.

Hopkins

1

Fowler Rd. (1977?)

Knightdale

2
  1. Hester St. (1956)
  2. Clifton Rd. (1995), now Eastern Wake Sta 1

Excludes:

  • Original station at Public Works on Robinson St., not purpose-built for fire department.
  • Public Safety Center on Steeple Square Ct., not purpose-built for fire department. Remodeled commercial building.

Morrisville

4
  1. Morrisville-Carpenter Rd. (1960)
  2. Carpenter-Fire Station Rd., Sta 2 (1975)
  3. Chapel Hill Rd., Sta 2 (1999)
  4. Town Hall Dr., Sta 1 (2012)

Excludes:

  • Original station, which was probably not purpose-built for fire department (but correct me if wrong!)
  • Sta 3 on Carpenter-Fire Station Rd., which is co-located with Cary Sta 7, see Cary FD

New Hope

2
  1. New Hope Rd., now St. James Church Rd., Sta 1 (1958)
  2. Watkins Rd., Sta 2 (1988)

Exclude original station on New Hope Rd., rented space inside existing structure.

Raleigh

41
  1. Market Square (1853)
  2. Fayetteville St. #1, Metropolitan Hall (1870)
  3. Fayetteville St. #2, later Sta 2 (1870)
  4. Wilmington St. (1881)
  5. Morgan St. #1 (1887)
  6. Morgan St. #2 (1889)
  7. Morgan St. #3 (1890)
  8. Morgan St. #4, later Sta 1 (1896)
  9. Hargett St. , later Sta 3 (1898)
  10. Salisbury St. , Sta 2, later Sta 1 (1912)
  11. Jefferson St. , Sta 4 (1926)
  12. Park Dr., Sta 5 (1926)
  13. Fayetteville St. #3, Sta 2 (1932)
  14. Oberlin Rd. #1, Sta 6 (1949)
  15. East St. , Sta 3 (1951)
  16. Dawson St. , Sta 1 (1953)
  17. Glascock St. , Sta 7 (1959)
  18. Oberlin Rd. #2, Sta 5 (1961) (Same site as Park Dr. Sta 5)
  19. Wake Forest Rd., Sta 4 (1963)
  20. Western Boulevard, Sta 8 (1963)
  21. Six Forks Rd., Sta 9 (1963)
  22. Pecan St. , Sta 2 (1969)
  23. Sanderford Rd., Sta 10 (1971)
  24. Glenridge Rd., Sta 11 (1971)
  25. Poole Rd., Sta 12 (1974)
  26. Lake Boone Trail, Sta 14 (1974)
  27. Spring Forest Rd. #1, Sta 15 (1974)
  28. Lead Mine Rd., Sta 16 (1979)
  29. Pleasant Valley Rd., Sta 17 (1984)
  30. Morgans Way, Sta 18 (1987)
  31. Spring Forest Rd. #2, Sta 19 (1988)
  32. Trailwoods Dr., Sta 20 (1989)
  33. Northway Ct., Sta 4 (1993)
  34. Southall Rd., Sta 21 (1998)
  35. Durant Rd., Sta 22 (1998)
  36. Fossil Creek Ct., Sta 24 (2001)
  37. Wakefield Crossing Dr., Sta 25 (2001)
  38. Barwell Rd., Sta 26 (2003)
  39. Buffaloe Rd., Sta 27 (2003)
  40. Forestville Rd., Sta 28 (2007)
  41. Leesville Rd., Sta 29 (2015)

Excludes:

  • Original Station 6 on Fairview Rd., rented commercial structure
  • Original Station 8 on Method Rd., rented house
  • Station 23 on Pinecrest Rd., see Durham Highway FD.

RDU

3
  1. Rescue Ct. (1986)
  2. Multipurpose Building #3 (1980)
  3. Earlier fire station, 1960s-1980.

Excludes Multipurpose Building #3 used in 1980s, presuming not-purpose built to include fire department (but correct me if wrong).

Rolesville

2
  1. S. Main St. (1960)
  2. E. Young St. (1980)

Excludes original station on S. Main St., part of service station.

Six Forks

3
  1. Six Forks Rd. #1 (circa 1960)   Tin shed
  2. Six Forks Rd. #2 (1962)
  3. Lynn Rd. (1974)

Exclude original station on Six Forks Rd., converted barn.

Stony Hill

4
  1. Durham Rd. (1958)   Tin shed
  2. Stony Hill Rd. #1 (1963)
  3. New Light Rd., Sta 2 (1997)
  4. Stony Hill Rd. #2, Sta 1 (2003)

Swift Creek

2
  1. Tryon Rd. (1961)   Tin shed
  2. Holly Springs Rd. #1 (1961)
  3. Holly Springs Rd. #2 (1983-84)

Wake Forest

7
  1. White St. (1920s)
  2. Owen & Brooks   Town Hall (1930)
  3. S. White St.   Rural FD (1966)
  4. E. Elm St. , Sta 1 (1986)
  5. Ligon Mill Rd., Sta 2 (2001)
  6. Forestville Rd., Sta 3 (201_)
  7. Jenkins Rd. (2015) , nearly complete

Excludes:

  • S. White St. station for town department in 1973, which was leased (and remodeled) service station.
  • Original Sta 3 on Forestville Rd., rented house.
  • Sta 5, not built for WFFD, see Falls FD.

Wake Forest #2

1

N. Taylor St.

Presuming purpose-built for fire department.

Wendell

4
  1. Fourth St. (1952)
  2. Pine St.   Municipal Building (1963)
  3. Wendell Boulevard, Sta 1 (1984)
  4. Bethany Church Rd., Sta 2 (1988)

Plus three hoses houses, circa 1920s. Unsure if purpose-built or adapted. One of these may have served as the fire station through the 1950s.

Excludes Hollybrook Rd., where Fourth Street station was relocated brick-by-brick in early 1960s.

Western Boulevard

  

Both original structures excluded, as neither was purpose-built for fire department. First was space in service station, second was loaned  chicken shack.

Western Wake

  

See Fairgrounds.

Yrac

1

E. Durham Rd. (1966)

Excludes original structure, which was rented structure not purpose-built for fire department.

Zebulon

2
  1. Vance St. #1 – Town Hall (1951)
  2. Vance St. #2 (1974)

Plus three hose houses circa early 1920s. Unsure if purpose-built or adapted. One of these was likely expanded into the fire station that served through the 1950s.
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