{"id":3898,"date":"2018-10-23T22:00:24","date_gmt":"2018-10-24T02:00:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/legeros.com\/blog\/?p=3898"},"modified":"2026-04-15T14:31:45","modified_gmt":"2026-04-15T18:31:45","slug":"one-hundred-milestones-of-the-chapel-hill-fire-department","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/legeros.com\/blog\/one-hundred-milestones-of-the-chapel-hill-fire-department\/","title":{"rendered":"One Hundred Milestones of the Chapel Hill Fire Department"},"content":{"rendered":"

Give or take a few, that is.<\/p>\n

This list was previously posted to the Chapel Hill Fire Department Retires & History<\/a>\u00a0page on Facebook.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Learn more CHFD history<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1893 to 1924<\/p>\n

1893 \u2013 First fire hydrants on campus. Twelve are installed.
\n1896 \u2013 Citizens petition town to create fire department. No action taken at time of petition.
\n1901 \u2013 First fire equipment authorized, \u201chook and ladder outfit.\u201d
\n1902 \u2013 First fire house authorized. For housing hook \u2018n\u2019 ladder and two reels to be supplied by UNC.
\n1902 \u2013 First Fire Chief elected, John O\u2019Daniel.
\n1902 \u2013 Fire Commission created. Three members, duties include approving building plans.
\n1903 \u2013 Fire limits created.
\n1903 \u2013 \u201cHook and ladder outfit\u201d purchased.
\n1903 \u2013 Fire Chief S. W. Andrews elected.
\n1903 \u2013 Fire company organized.
\n1905 \u2013 Fire Chief John M. Markham elected.
\n1906 \u2013 Fire district established.
\n1908 \u2013 Fire Chief Walter W. Pickard appointed.\u00a0
\n1909 \u2013 Fire Chief W. A. Lloyd appointed, after Chief Pickard dies off duty.
\n1910 \u2013 New fire station construction approved. Located on Main (Franklin) Street.
\n1910 \u2013 Fire Chief A. A. Pickard appointed.\u00a0
\n1911 \u2013 Fire Chief J. L. Foister appointed.\u00a0
\n1916 \u2013 First motor fire engine, 1914 Ford hose car. Chassis bought local, body built in Greensboro.
\n1920 \u2013 Fire alarm siren installed, replaces use of church bells.
\n1921 \u2013 New fire station erected. Two-story brick building in middle of Columbia Street.
\n1921 \u2013 First motor pumper, 1921 American LaFrance triple combination.<\/p>\n

1925 to 1959<\/p>\n

1925 \u2013 \u201cGas masks\u201d (for smoke protection) added.
\n1927 \u2013 Telephone alarm system added. Activates siren at fire station and rings telephones at homes of several firemen.
\n1928 \u2013 First full-time firemen, two hired.\u00a0
\n1928 \u2013 Fire alarm system installed, with fire horn announcing box numbers, mostly \u201cvirtual\u201d box locations.
\n1931 \u2013 First black fireman by this time, volunteer.
\n1933 \u2013 Fire Chief P. R. Perry appointed, after Chief Foister dies off duty.
\n1939 \u2013 New fire station opens, town hall building. Two bays for fire department.
\n1944 \u2013 Second motor pumper, 1944 Ford\/American LaFrance.
\n1944 \u2013 Third full-time firefighter hired.\u00a0
\n1953 \u2013 New pumper, 1953 American LaFrance.
\n1955 \u2013 First full-time Fire Chief appointed, John S. Boone.
\n1955 \u2013 CHFD reorganized, Chief changes to day-time hours, three full-time firemen working each day, plus 10 new \u201ccall men\u201d to supplement volunteers.
\n1955 \u2013 Greater Chapel Hill Fire District created, to fund fire protection for suburban residents.
\n1956 \u2013 Suburban fire district pumper delivered, 1956 Ford\/American LaFrance, operated by CHFD.
\n1959 \u2013 Four full-time firefighters hired. CHFD now has 13 career members.
\n1959 \u2013 First aerial ladder, 1959 American LaFrance mid-mount. Equipped with small booster pump and hose!
\n1959 \u2013 Station 2 opens on Hamilton Road, to protect newly annexed areas.\u00a0<\/p>\n

1960 to 1989<\/p>\n

1962 \u2013 Fire Chief James H. Stewart appointed, after Chief Boone steps down, to allow more qualified member to take over. Boone becomes Asst. Chief.
\n1963 \u2013 New Station 1 opens on Airport Road.\u00a0
\n1965 \u2013 Fire Chief Gaston S. Baldwin appointed.
\n1968 \u2013 First black career FF hired. Albert Simms Williams.
\n1968 \u2013 Fire Chief Everett L. Lloyd appointed.
\n1968 \u2013 Working hours reduced from 84 to 72 hours for firefighters.
\n1969 \u2013 SCBA starts being used for structural firefighting.
\n1969 \u2013 Station 3 opens on Elliott Road.
\n1971 \u2013 First training center established on old landfill site on Plant Road.
\n1972 \u2013 Full-time mechanic added, Billy Terry.
\n1973 \u2013 Fire Alert Safety Van (FAST) program started, using 1974-75 Dodge van at Station 1.
\n1974 \u2013 Working hours reduced from 66 to 60 hours for firefighters, then to 54 hours in 1975.
\n1975 \u2013 New aerial apparatus, 1975 Ford\/ALF telesqurt.
\n1976 \u2013 PSO program starts.
\n1976 \u2013 Eight-hour shifts replace 24-hour shifts.
\n1976 \u2013 Emergency telephone call boxes added on town and campus.
\n1976 \u2013 South Orange Rescue Squad ambulance added at Station 3.
\n1977 \u2013 IAFF Local 2580 chartered.
\n1978 \u2013 Construction starts on new training center.\u00a0
\n1981 \u2013 UNC burn center opens.
\n1982 \u2013 Station 4 opens on Weaver Dairy Road.
\n1989 \u2013 Line of duty death, Captain Grover Brinkley.
\n1989 \u2013 Public Safety Director Hired, Cal Horton.<\/p>\n

1990 to 1999<\/p>\n

1990 \u2013 Fire Chief Dan Jones appointed.
\n1992 \u2013 First career female FF hired. Mary Blevins Seelbinder.
\n1992 \u2013 First aerial platform, 1992 Simon-Duplex-LTI.
\n1993 \u2013 PSO program ends.
\n1994 \u2013 PSO response to fire incidents ends.
\n1994 \u2013 Fire reservist program starts.\u00a0
\n1994 \u2013 Twenty-four hour shifts reinstated.
\n1994 \u2013 Personal Accountability System added for firefighters.\u00a0
\n1994 \u2013 Large-diameter supply hose added.
\n1994 \u2013 Engine 33 removed from service, Tower 71 begins responding as quint at Station 3.
\n1995 \u2013 First responder services started.
\n1996 \u2013 First Carolina blue truck, 1996 Ferrara\/Spartan.
\n1996 \u2013 Phi Gamma Delta fire, five killed, spurs numerous local and national outcomes.
\n1997? \u2013 First extrication equipment added.
\n1998 \u2013 Bike team started.\u00a0
\n1998 \u2013 Two-in, two-out started.
\n1998 \u2013 AEDs added on all four fire units.
\n1998\u00a0\u2013 Child Safety Seat program starts.
\n1999 \u2013 First annual Camp Celebrate parade.
\n1999 \u2013 EOC opens at Station 1. One of many remodeled spaces on the first floor, over the decades.\u00a0<\/p>\n

2000 to 2018<\/p>\n

2000 \u2013 Attack 33, later Squad 33, placed in service. Unit answers EMS and other calls instead of quint at Station 3.
\n2001 \u2013 First thermal imaging cameras.
\n2001 \u2013 New aerial ladder, 2001 Ferrara\/HME, which operates as engine.
\n2001 \u2013 Temporary Station 5 opens on Culbreth Road.
\n2001 \u2013 Local 2580 re-chartered.
\n2002 \u2013 Station 5 opens on Bennett Road.
\n2002 \u2013 First meeting of Fire Chiefs for regional special ops team that becomes USAR Task Force 8.
\n2002 \u2013 Child Safety Trailer delivered, bought by OCFA.
\n2002 \u2013 Honor guard debuts.
\n2003 \u2013 NC USAR Task Force 8 operational, with CHFD as partner agency.
\n2005 \u2013 CAFS foam\/mini-pumper added, 2003 KME.
\n2006 \u2013 New aerial platform, 2006 KME.\u00a0
\n2007 \u2013 Chapel Hill Museum fire exhibit opens.
\n2009 \u2013 New radio system, VIPER.
\n2014 \u2013 Last red apparatus retired.
\n2014 \u2013 New aerial ladder, 2014 Sutphen.
\n2015 \u2013 Chief Sullivan appointed interim.
\n2016 \u2013 Chief Sullivan appointed.\u00a0
\n2016 \u2013 Temporary Station 2 opens on Finley Golf Course Road.\u00a0
\n2016 \u2013 Station 2 closes, to be rebuilt.
\n2018 \u2013 Rebuilt Station 2 opens.
\n2018 \u2013 Second ladder company activated at Station 4.<\/p>\n