{"id":10852,"date":"2026-08-01T06:50:15","date_gmt":"2026-08-01T10:50:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/legeros.com\/blog\/?p=10852"},"modified":"2026-08-01T06:50:29","modified_gmt":"2026-08-01T10:50:29","slug":"durham-changes-january-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/legeros.com\/blog\/durham-changes-january-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Durham Fire Department Changes – January 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

This is a blog version of a Facebook posting<\/a> from December 29, 2025.<\/em><\/p>\n

Effective January 2, 2026, the Durham Fire Department made a number of of operational changes, including activating a new engine company, changing a quint company to a ladder company, and relocating three ladder companies along with other units.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Summary<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. New fire company activated, Engine 7. First new DFD company added since 2019. It replaces Quint 7.<\/li>\n
  2. New ladder company activated, Ladder 7, formerly Quint 7. The quint company will be redesignated as a ladder company.<\/li>\n
  3. Squad 7 deactivated. Its personnel will be assigned to Engine 7. it will be reactivated at a TBD location in the future, after the current academy graduates.<\/li>\n
  4. Three ladder companies moved:
    \nLadder 6 (at FS6) now Ladder 18 (at FS18)
    \nLadder 12 (at FS12) now Ladder 4 (at FS4)
    \nLadder 17 (at FS17) now Ladder 13 (at FS13)<\/li>\n
  5. Other company moves:
    \nQuint 19 (at FS19) now Quint 8 (at FS8)
    \nEngine 8 (at FS8) now Engine 19 (at FS19)
    \nSquad 4 relocated from FS4 to FS12. No unit number change.
    \nHaz-Mat 13 relocated from FS13 to FS17. No unit number change.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    About the Changes<\/strong><\/p>\n

    As noted in a press conference on December 29, 2025, the changes were in response to the city’s ever-changing landscape. The goal of the changes was to reduce response time and improve the DFD service delivery in a number of ways.<\/p>\n

    First, it would improve their effective response force (ERF). Second, it would provide better specialized service coverage, by optimizing ladder company locations. It would equalize their workload with a better distribution of responses across their companies and units.<\/p>\n

    Shown are before\/after ladder locations overlaid with heatmaps of incident locations.\u00a0<\/p>\n

    Department Snapshot<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Effective January 2, 2026:<\/p>\n

    17 engine companies
    \n6 ladder companies
    \n2 quint companies
    \n2 squad companies
    \n1 rescue company
    \n2 tankers (one FF) (correct?)
    \n1 mobile support unit (one FF)
    \n4 battalion chiefs<\/p>\n

    Cross-staffed special units, including:
    \nWater Rescue 8
    \nUSAR 80
    \nHaz-Mat 13
    \nHaz-Mat 16
    \nBrush 15
    \nBrush 18
    \nTechnical Rescue 2\u00a0<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

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