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Redwood’s New Tanker
The Redwood Fire Department in Durham County recently received this 2016 Kenworth T-800/U.S. Tanker Patriot elliptical tanker, capacity 3000 gallons, plus pump. Designated Tanker 715. See more photos from Lee Wilson.
Lee Wilson photo
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Updated – Details on Renovations of Fire Station 5
December 7
Project updates:
- Station 5 re-opened on November 10.
- Station 5 closed on April 11. Engine 5 was relocated to Station 6, as temporary quarters.
March 6
The Raleigh Public Record on Friday posted a story by James Borden, with a detailed look at the Fire Station 5 renovation project.
The $950,000 renovation was solicited for bids in January, and awarded to Engineered Construction in February, and permits issued by the end of the month. As the author notes, the city’s “certainly not wasting any time!”
Built in 1961, this is the second engine house at the corner of Oberlin Road and Park Drive. The original Station 5 was a two-story, single-bay structure that opened in 1926. It was located in the southeast corner of the station site.
Left to right, top to bottom: North Carolina State Archives photo, Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from 1950, News & Observer photo, Lee Wilson photo
Starting Soon
Construction should start in April, we’re told. Engine 5 will relocate to Station 6 for the duration of the project, which should be completed in six months. The companies will later swap locations, and Engine 6 will move to Station 5, for the rebuilding of Station 6, which is planned to start in 2017.
Here’s a summary of the renovations as noted in Borden’s story, from the original bid invitation:
Complete renovation of approximately 4,700 square feet located within an existing fire station. Work will include demolition and renovation of interior spaces, including casework and finishes, interior and exterior door replacement, exterior paint, exterior wall tuck-point, patch and penetration repair, new fire sprinkler, new fire alarm system, update to electrical and telecom systems, new mechanical systems, domestic water and sanitary sewer replacement, lighting replacement, and new security camera systems.
What’s all-new in these specs? Security camera systems, which are a first for a Raleigh fire station.
The author also tracked down the plans for the project, as posted on the web site of Riggs Harrod Builders. See those documents in this folder [no longer available, as of March 10, 2016].
Floor Plans
Here’s an annotated floor plan from myself. Yours Truly has intimate knowledge of Station 5, as he worked there on “A” platoon for a year-and-a-half, during his short stint as a Raleigh firefighter from 1989 to 1991. My “cube” was right under the buzzer. Click to enlarge:
And here’s the existing floor plan, for comparison. Click to enlarge:
Future Station Renovations
This is the first of a multi-year project to renovate numerous “legacy” fire stations in the city. The planned schedule appeared in the recently published Raleigh Fire Department 2015-2020 Strategic Plan (PDF):
| Fiscal Year | Design | Construction |
| FY16 | Sta 2, Sta 5 | Sta 5 |
| FY17 | Sta 10, Sta 15 | Sta 2 |
| FY18 | Sta 8, Sta 16 | Sta 10, Sta 15 |
| FY19 | Sta 9, Sta 17 | Sta 8, Sta 16 |
| FY20 | Sta 18, Sta 19 | Sta 9, Sta 17 |
| FY21 | Sta 4, Sta 20 | Sta 18, Sta 19 |
| FY22 | Sta 21, Sta 22 | Sta 4, Sta 20 |
| FY23 | � | Sta 21, Sta 22 |
How old are these fire stations? See this (outdated) fire station facility survey of mine. How about photos and histories? But of course. See my fire stations history page.
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Vintage Image of Greensboro’s Power Truck
Found on eBay, vintage image of Greensboro’s lighting unit, which appeared in a 1954 ad for Onan.
Notes the accompanying ad copy, “built to the specifications of the [department], this power unit incorporates many new ideas. Both sides of the truc, for instance, hold identical equipment. Located in the many steel compartments are four 500-watt floodlights, five 150-watt hand lights, electric saws, suction fans, electric drills, two 300-feet reels of light cord, an acetylene cutting and welding outfit, and dozens of other items.”
Also, “Four more 500-watt floodlights are mounted on top of the truck on standards which can be raised to 4 1/2 feet above the truck roof.” And “power for all electrical equipment is supplied by an Onan heavy-duty, 10,000-watt, water-cooled electric plant. Its dimension allow it to be plced across the truck body behind the cab. The plant is started electrically.”
The truck chassis is a Dodge. Maybe readers know the model. Presuming 1954 model year. How long did the truck serve? Unsure. Might’ve had a chassis upgrade in the 1970s or 1980s. Recall a cab-over truck with a similar body.
Also, GFD operated a salvage unit beginning in the 1955. Here’s a blog archives article about that truck.
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Vintage Photos of Camp Lejeune Engines
March 6
Updated with picture of Camp Lejeune Engine 3, also posted to the aforementioned Facebook group. 1973 Chevrolet/Ward LaFrance, 750/300. Photo credit again Raoul K. Denton Collection.
Raoul K. Kenton Collection via Fire Trucks at War on Facebook
March 4
Here’s a vintage photo of Camp Lejeune Engine 2, as posted to the excellent Fire Trucks at War Facebook group. Cited as a 750 GPM with 300 gallons of water. Looks like a 1970s Chevy chassis. Body by FTI, per reader comment below. Photo credit is Raoul K. Denton Collection.
Raoul K. Kenton Collection via Fire Trucks at War on Facebook
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New Deliveries in Lee, Harnett, Johnston Counties
The Sanford Fire Department in Lee County is the latest local (er, area) department to place a new Rosenbauer in service. Their new Engine 204 at Station 1 is a 2016 model, 1500/500/50. Was placed in service on February 26. Lee Wilson photographed the new truck on Monday. See his pictures.
Lee Wilson photo
Meanwhile in Harnett County, Angier Black River has a new Spartan/Smeal, a 2016 pumper-tanker, 1500/100, that Lee photographed on Sunday. See those pics of Engine 944.
Lee Wilson photo
And in Johnston County, the Brogdon Fire Department has received their new Truck 2. It’s a 2016 E-One Typhoon pumper-tanker, 1500/750, that replaces an equipment truck and a front-mounted pumper-tanker. (Does that make it a rescue-pumper-tanker?) See Lee’s photos, also from Friday.
Lee Wilson photo
Who else has new trucks in the central Piedmont area?
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Special Called Wake County Fire Commission Meeting – March 3, 2016
A special-called meeting and work session of the Wake County Fire Commission has been scheduled for Thursday, March 3, at the Wake County Public Safety Center, Conference Room C-170, 330 S. Salisbury Street. Entry via the Wake County Sheriff’s Office. The meeting starts at 7:00 p.m.
Agenda is below. View the meeting documents.
- Meeting Called to Order: Chairman Lucius Jones
- Invocation
- Roll of Members Present
- Items of Business
- Approval of Agenda
- Regular Agenda
- Presentation on the FY 2016 Fire Services & Fire Commission Labor Market Study and Wake County Fire Services Compression Study Data
- Staffing and Compensation Committee presentation of the revised Wake County Fire Compensation Administrative Guidelines
- Fire Commission appointment of Citizen / Consumers for Fire Commission Budget Sub-Committee
- Fire Commission Appointment of Equipment Sub-Committee Chair
- Fire Commission appointment of South Region Representatives for Fire Commission Equipment and Facility Sub-Committees
- Information Agenda
- FY 2017 Fire Tax Budget Submission Fire Department Expansion Request
- Other Business
- Public Comments
- Comments from the public will be received at the time appointed by the Chairman of the Fire Commission for 30 minutes maximum time allotted, with a maximum of 3 minutes per person. A signup sheet for those who wish to speak during the public comments section of the meeting is located at the entrance of the meeting room.
- Adjournment
- Next Meeting March 17, 2016
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Kinston’s Former Firehouses
Recently updated my web page about Kinston former firehouses. Added information about old Station 1 on King Street, old Station 3 on Hull Road, old Station 4 on Plaza Boulevard, and the original Station 3 at Knott’s Warehouse.
Here’s the list of buildings still standing:
| Old Sta 1 | 118 S. Queen St. | 1895 to 1937 |
| Old Sta 1 | 106-110 W. King St. | 1937 to 1962 |
| Old Sta 1 | 203 E. King St. | 1962 to 2008 |
| Old Sta 2 | 104 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd | circa 1930 to 1993 |
| Old Sta 3 | 1916 W. Vernon Ave. | 1961 to 1998 |
| Old Sta 3 | 2207 Hull Rd. | 1998 to 2012 |
| Old Sta 4 | 202 Plaza Blvd. | 1961 to 2012 |
Learn more about these buildings, in a posting that first appeared on FireNews.net in 2006. Ten years ago! Or see more photos in my Flickr album.
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Wake County EMS Unveils Commemorative Ambulance
This is the second in a series of blog postings about Wake County EMS, and their celebration this year of their 40th anniversary. Read the first posting.
Update: See third posting.
Wake County EMS last week unveiled a special “retro ambulance,” with green over white colors and vintage graphics to commemorate their 40th anniversary. The ambulance was unveiled on Thursday morning, in a special ceremony at Station 1.
Among the speakers was original Director Russell Capps. He was also the county Director of Emergency Preparedness and the Fire Marshal in 1976, when he was told to create a new ambulance service for Raleigh. And to have the thing in service in ninety days.
“We didn’t quite make that,” Capps said on Thursday, as recounted in this News and Observer story[*] about the event, which was attended by Wake County EMS members both old and new. And photographed by Lee Wilson. See those pictures. But we’ll come back to that history. Let’s look at the new ambulance.
[*] Link now broken, http://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/counties/wake-county/article61069492.html
Lee Wilson photo
About The Ambulance
The 2016 Chevrolet/Trauma Hawk ambulance was built by American Emergency Vehicles, which is located in Ashe County. The ambulance cost about $230,000, which includes supplies, equipment, computers, and radios. It’ll be placed in service in about two months.
The truck is one of seven that’s being delivered over the next few weeks. They’re part of the county’s regular purchase cycle to replacing aging units. How many ambulances are purchased each year? An average of eight. What’s new and improved in these newest ambulances, over those in recent years? Let’s look closely…
Says Chief of Community Outreach Jeff Hammerstein, they reflect advancements in safety and efficient lighting. “Cabinets are designed to better contain equipment in the event of a crash, yet still offer easy access. The seat to the patient’s right is enlarged, with easier access for treatment actions. Lighting is all LED, which provides bright, even lighting at cooler temperatures, longer bulb life, and much less power draw on the system.”
Other improvements? “Fixtures like radio heads and switch panels are better integrated into padded consoles, which increases safety during regular use and/or in the event of a crash,” he adds. “Plus remote locking systems that allow crews to easily secure the entire vehicle.”
The commemorative design will remain for the life of the truck. They were applied at the same cost as other units, and feature the same reflective rear chevrons and side striping as required for safety. The truck will have a service life of four year, during which it will answer an expected 8,000 EMS calls.
Lee Wilson photo
About Their Colors, About The Fleet
Wake County EMS adopted their current blue over white design in 2001. Additional blue and yellow checkered Battenberg markings were added in 200_, for the new Advanced Practice Paramedic units and later for command staff vehicles. The county also has some white ambulances in their fleet, acquired from Six Forks EMS, and blue ambulances, acquired from Garner Rescue & EMS.
Wake County EMS has thirty ambulances in their fleet, plus an additional eight spares. The larger Wake County EMS system has many more, as operated by Apex EMS, Cary EMS, and Eastern Wake EMS.
The county ambulances are typically operated by two people, either two paramedics or a paramedic and an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT).
Twenty-two ambulances are twenty-four hour trucks, while eight are twelve-hour units which operated during peak load times. The spare ambulances are used as temporary replacements, during repair periods, and for special events, when additional ambulances are needed.
Wake County EMS also operates six District Chief units, five Advance Practice Paramedic (APP) units, and a Major Operations Support Unit. Special equipment and teams includes a medical ambulance bus (Evac 1), two electric carts, bike teams, venue (foot) teams, and a USAR support team.
Mike Legeros photos
Celebrating Their Anniversary
Save the date for August 4, 2016, at Fletcher Hall at the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts. A special anniversary program is planned for that night.
Wake County EMS is also planning numerous small events and activities, from special displays to parade appearances by the retro ambulance.
Notes Chief Hammerstein, this truck is dedicated to the community it serves, the people who ran calls in its likeness in the early days, the men and women taking care of their community today, and finally the men and women that we will need to come work with us as our growth skyrockets. He adds, “federal numbers project EMS to grow by 24% in the next ten years.”
Learn More History
Read the first article in this blog series: A Brief History of Wake County EMS.
After that, visit these two web sites:
- www.facebook.com/wakeemsHistory -Historical photos
- www.legeros.com/history/ems -Historical information
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Vintage Photo of Charlotte Snorkels
Here’s something neat. Picture of a picture of Charlotte’s three Snorkels in profile, with a wee bit of digital perspective correction. Posted to the Snorkel Aerial Fire Trucks group on Facebook, and cited as found on the Interstate Emergency Vehicles Inc. web site.
Shown left to right are:
- Ladder 18 – 1986 Pierce Arrow, 1000/200/85′
- Ladder 16 – 1986 Pierce Arrow, 1000/200/85′
- Ladder 1 – 1984 Duplex/Grumman, 100/300/80′
Source for apparatus information is my Charlotte FD fleet listing, from www.legeros.com/history/fleets. Wonder when they were each retired?
Who else operated snorkels in our state? See this blog posting from 2013, Snorkels in North Carolina.
Click to slightly enlarge:
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