North Carolina State Firefighters' Association History

Fire College & Drill School

Last updated August 9, 2019

Contents

  • Dates and Locations
  • College History

Dates and Locations

Fire College Pump School
Year # City Dates Notes # City
1929 1 Asheville Apr 30, May 1, 2
1930 2 Wilmington Apr 23, 23, 24
1931 3 Durham Apr 14, 15, 16
1932 4 Asheville Apr 26+
1933 5 Wilmington May
1934 6 Durham May 8, 9, 10
1935 7 Asheville May 8, 9, 10
1936 8 Wilmington Apr 21, 22, 23
1937 9 Durham Apr 27, 28, 29
1938 10 Asheville May 17, 18, 19 First pump operators class
1939 11 Wilmington May 16, 17, 18
1940 12 Charlotte May 14, 15, 16
1941 13 Durham May 7, 8, 9
1942 14 Asheville Jun 2, 3, 4
1943 15 Charlotte May
1944 16 Charlotte May 23, 24, 25
1945 17 Cancelled?
1946 18 Charlotte May 21, 22, 23
1947 19 Durham Jun 17, 18, 19
1948 20 Durham Jun 16, 17, 18  
1949 21 Charlotte May 4, 5, 6
1950 22 Charlotte May 8, 9, 10, 11
1951 23 Charlotte May 21, 22, 23, 24
1952 24 Charlotte May 19, 20, 21, 22  
1953 25 Charlotte May 25, 26, 27, 28 1st Charlotte
1954 26 Charlotte May 3, 4, 5, 6 2nd Charlotte
1955 27 Charlotte May 23, 24, 25, 26 3rd Charlotte
1956 28 Charlotte May 7, 8, 9, 10 4th Charlotte
1957 29 Charlotte May 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 5th Charlotte
1958 30 Charlotte May 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 6th Charlotte
1959 31 Charlotte May 25, 26, 27, 28, 29 7th Charlotte
1960 32 Charlotte May 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 8th Charlotte
1961 33 Charlotte May 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 9th Charlotte
1962 34 Charlotte May 14, 15, 15, 17, 18 10th Charlotte
1963 35 Charlotte May 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 11th Charlotte
1964 36 Charlotte May 25, 26, 27, 28, 29 12th Charlotte
1965 37 Winston-Salem May 24, 25, 26, 27, 28 13th Greensboro
1966 38 Winston-Salem May 23, 24, 25, 26, 27 14th Raleigh
1967 39 Durham May 29, 30, 31, Jun 1, 2 <no more separate schools>
1968 40 Wilmington May 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
1969 41 Salisbury May 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
1970 42 Wilson Jun 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
1971 43 Charlotte May 31, Jun 1, 2, 3, 4
1972 44 Asheville May 29 - Jun 2
1973 45 Shelby Jun 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
1974 46 Shelby Jun 10, 11, 12, 13
1975 47 Rocky Mount Jun 9, 10, 11, 12
1976 48 Rocky Mount Jun 14, 15, 16, 17
1977 49 Wilson Jun 20, 21, 22, 23
1978 50 Rocky Mount Jun 19, 20, 21, 22
1979 51 Wilmington May 28, 29, 30, 31
1980 52 Rocky Mount June 16, 17, 18, 19  
1981 53 Rocky Mount Jun 22, 23, 24, 25  
1982 54 Shelby Jun 14, 15, 16, 17  
1983 55 Goldsboro Jun 20, 21, 22, 23  
1984 56 Rockingham Jun 18, 19, 20, 21  
1985 57 Charlotte Jun 17, 18, 19, 20  
1986 58 Greenville May 26, 27, 28, 39  
1987 59 Asheville Jun 22, 23, 24, 25  
1988 60 Wilson Jul 27, 28, 29, 30  
1989 61 Charlotte June 19, 20, 21, 22  
1990 62 Wilson Jun 25, 26, 27, 28  
1991 63 Burlington Jun 20, 21, 22, 23
1992 64 Asheville Jun 18, 19, 20, 21
1993 65 Fayetteville Jun 17, 18, 19, 20
1994 66 Greensboro Jun 2, 3, 4, 5
1995 67 Gastonia Jun 8, 9, 10, 11
1996 68 Fayetteville May 30, 31, Jun 1, 2
1997 69 Greensboro Jun 11, 12, 13, 14, 15
1998 70 Asheville Jun 15, 16, 17, 18
1999 71 Smithfield Jun 10, 11, 12, 13
2000 72 Dallas Jun 8, 9, 10, 11
2001 73 Raleigh Jun 7, 8, 9, 10
2002 74 Rocky Mount May 16, 17, 18, 19 Last one?

College History

In 1929 at the insistence of Mr. A. M. Schoen, an Engineer of the National Board and who had always been very cooperative with the North Carolina [Department of Insurance] Training Program [for firemen], Chief A. L. Duckett, then President of the North Carolina Firemen's Association (later President Emeritus until his death) and the Director of the North Carolina Fire Department Training Program, with the approval of the Executive Committee of the North Carolina Firemen's Association, arranged for an annual statewide meeting of the Fire Departments as an addition to the regular Training Program in force.

A Fire College and Drill School Committee consisting of Sherwood Brockwell, Chairman, J. L. Croom, and J. C. Fitzgerald, was appointed by the North Carolina State Firemen's Association and these three are still active though in a limited capacity.

This first statewide meeting was conducted in Asheville in and on the new Fire Tower during the last week of April 1929. It was well attended and designated as the North Carolina Fire College and Drill School. Among the guest speakers at this 1929 session were Chief John Evans of New Orleans, then President of the International Association of Fire Chiefs, and Chief Ross B. Davis, of Philadelphia, ex-president of the International Association of Fire Chiefs.

The 1930 Session was held in Wilmington and the 1931 Session in Durham and for the next decade alternated between these three cities, each having a regulation drill tower and located so as to serve Fire Departments in the West, East, and Central portions of the State. This plan worked well and each year saw increased attendance.

As the attendance grew additions to the Fire College and Drill School Committee were necessary. The following graduates of the North Carolina Fire College and Drill School were, during this first decade, added: Charles L. Burkett of Salisbury, later President of the North Carolina Firemen's Association and the North Carolina Fire Chiefs' Association; J. R. Thomas of Rocky Mount, later Chief of Rocky Mount Police Department; and A. Y. Cottrell, later superintendent of the Lenoir Fire Alarm System. Chief Thomas, deceased, upon leaving the Fire Service, was succeeded on the Fire College and Drill School Committee by E. M. Sally of Enka, now general manager of the Enka Corporation.

The Charlotte Fire Department (Palmer Memorial) Drill Yard, Auditorium and Drill Tower, the largest and most complete unit in the United States for Fire School purposes only, was completed in 1939. The 1940 Session of the Fire College and Drill School was conducted there. The guest speakers were Chief Samuel J. Pope of Boston; D. W. Brosnan of Albany, Ga.; R. B. Rice, State College, Raleigh, N. C.; and George D. Richardson of Washington, D. C.

During the 1943 Session of the Fire College and Drill School the President of the International Association, the Secretary of the International Association, two Directors of the International Association, the Technical Advisor of the International Association, two Ex-Presidents of the International Association and the President of the Southeastern Association were on the platform at one time, forming a Committee to answer questions in the quiz period of the School. This, I believe, has never been duplicated in any other Fire College and Drill School.

From 1929 through 1945, the North Carolina Fire College and Drill School had as guest speakers Chief Officers of all the outstanding Fire Departments in the Eastern part of the United states, these including Chief Officers from Boston; New York; Philadelphia; Baltimore; Washington; Annapolis, Md; Columbia, South Carolina; Albany, Georgia; and New Orleans.

Beginning in 1942, the School made its facilities available to the personnel of the Fire Departments of the several military posts in the State, many from municipal Fire Departments in the State. During the years of World War II, guest speakers included Captain Scotty Caldwell and Captain Sherwood Brockwell, Jr., officers from the United States Army Post at Aberdeen, Maryland.

Several graduates of the North Carolina Fire College and Drill School, including Chief W. E. Holland and Chief C. L. Cox, accepted positions as Chief Officers in the Military Posts Fire Departments while Capt. (now Asst. Chief) Munday, of the Charlotte Fire Department, was called into service to specialize in Fire Department Training in the Army. He was promoted to Major before he left this work and returned to the Charlotte Fire Department. Many graduates of the School, upon entering the Military Service, took over Fire Department duties.

Excepted from Official Souvenir Program, 65th Annual Convention, North Carolina State Firemen's Association conference program, August 4, 5, 6, and 7, 1952, Greensboro, North Carolina.


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