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pre-history |
Since 1959, Bay Leaf community members serve as volunteer firemen with Stony Hill. Need grows for a separate fire department on "this side of the river." bfdh
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1960-1969 |
1961, meeting called of all residents of community at Bay Leaf Recreation Club, some 120 families, to organize volunteer fire department. Stony Hill Fire Chief Owen Ray and offer's his department's support. Agreements are made to draw new boundaries with Bay Leaf taking over some of the Stony Hill's area. The river is designating as the line. Members of the Steering Committee volunteer to make preliminary plans and meet again on July 25. (July 18, 1961)bfdh
1961, frequent meetings held through the fall. Boundaries are established, officers are elected, and fire equipment is listedbfdh
1961, first fire engine is borrowed from Stony Hill. bfdh
1961, first fire station is a single bay in multi-bay building at 11717 (?) Six Forks Road owned by Ollie Holliday, present site of vegetable stand next to Fire Station Onebfdh
1961, incorporated by the first Board of Directors as Bayleaf Volunteer Fire Department, Incorporated on August 4, 1961. Later renamed Bay Leaf Volunteer Fire Department, Incorporated. sos, bfdh
Board of Director members:
with first officers subsequently named:
Membership dues established as $10.00 per household per year. Wake County Board of Commissioners appropriates $100.00 a month in support. Most of the initial funds are spent in September to purchase a fire horn. bfdh
Beginning a tradition that has continued to present day, an addition is added to the annual bazaar which has supported the Bay Leaf Recreation Club for years. A portion of the proceeds go to support the fire department. A profit of $944.00 is realized from the sale of raffle tickets for a 1956 Plymouth automobile at Christmas.bfdh
First fire truck is built. Used truck is purchased and rebuilt as pumper. This every-night-of-the-week work of the firefighters results in the formation of another club to support the needs of the fire department, the WOLF Club, Widows of Living Money. Club members raise money through such efforts as collecting trash for radio contests and selling household cleaners, cards, candy, and even fresh fish.bfdh
1967, special fire tax established within district. Fire department no longer operates on membership fees.bfdh
1967, first fire station constructed at 11617 Six Forks Road, at the intersection of Six Forks and Norwood roads. Department borrows $6,970 for same, increasing operating budget from below $5,000 a year to over $10,000 a year.bfdh
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1970-1979 |
In the early 1970s, a pumper and a tanker are purchased. Fire department borrows money from the Farm Home Administration.
During the decade, apparatus includes:
Apparatus deliveries:
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1980-1989 |
1980, land for new fire station at 11713 Six Forks Road donated by Ollie Holiday, one of the original Directors, and his wife. Money again borrowed from Farm Home Administration. Department budget now over $60,000 a year. (August 18, 1980).bfdh, ncsos
1983, fire station dedication ceremony held at Fire Station One. Event begins at 3:00 p.m. (October 9, 1983)fdr
1983, Fire Chief is Hal Atkinson (October 9, 1983)fdr
Apparatus deliveries:
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1990-1999 |
1993, Fire Station Two dedicated at 13116 Norwood Road fdws
Apparatus deliveries:
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2000-present |
2002, Six Forks Fire Department merges into Bay Leaf Fire Department. (July 1, 2002)
2002, Station 3 opens at 1431 Lynn Road, former Six Forks fire station. (July 1, 2002)
2002, apparatus delivery: 2002 American LaFrance Eagle pumper/tanker, lettered for Six Forks Fire Department. Placed in service at Station #3 as Unit 121 (August 2002)
2011 - Tim Pope hired as Fire Chief in November, with outgoing Fire Chief Ron Roof retiring at the end of December.
2012 - Construction starts on new Station 1. Temporary quarters are erected at the station site, including a metal building for housing two pumper-tankers. The remaining apparatus are moved to Station 2 and Station 3. The boats are housed at Durham Highway Fire Department. (Circa September 2012, with temp station occupied in October.)
2013 - New staffing plan for department. Now has a twenty four-hour crew at Station 1, with part-time members on weekdays, and volunteer duty-crew members on nights and weekends. Station 2 has a four-person career crew from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Nights and weekends are staffed with a volunteer duty-crew. Station 3 is volunteer with no staffing. The new staffing plan utilizes the same number of employees, with no new positions. It starts September 3, 2013.
2013 - New Station 1 opens, week of September 11, 2013. Open house is October 20.
Apparatus deliveries:
2016 - Apparatus delivery: 2017 Pierce Impel heavy-rescue, walk-around. Lettered for Northern Wake FD, with new logo and new colors. (April 2017)
2017 - Consolidation with Stony Hill FD completed. Begins operation as Northern Wake FD. (July 1, 2017)
| Fire Chiefs |
See Wake County Fire Chiefs (pdf).
| Vehicles |
See Wake County apparatus register (pdf).
| Photos |
Raleigh Fire Museum photo albums.
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Sources |
Copyright 2023 by Michael J. Legeros