Today’s Agenda 05:00 – Meet the presenter 75:00 – Presentation Centennial History of the 10:00 – Questions and Answers Raleigh Fire Department Presented by Mike Legeros August 2012 About These Slides Presenter Information • Software company as day job, web project manager • Former Raleigh firefighter • Official historian • Incident photographer • Author • Buff Green slides Blue slides • mikey@legeros.com about about • www.legeros.com Raleigh North Carolina Milestones Raleigh Fire Museum www.raleighfiremuseum.org 1792 City of Raleigh created. 1816 First fire engine and fire company. 1852 Fire department organization created. 1912 Fully-paid fire department created. 1
Going Back in Time Early North Carolina • 1705, 1710, 1722 – First towns, Bath, New Bern, Edenton • 1729 – North Carolina becomes English colony • 1735 – Salisbury largest city in western North Carolina • 1766 – Construction starts on Salem • 1770 – First Capitol completed in New Bern, Tryon Palace • 1789 – North Carolina becomes 12 th state • 1792, 1794 – Raleigh created, Capitol moved • 1799 – Cities and towns – Some growing, Washington, Elizabeth City 1900s – Some still small, Charlotte, Fayetteville, Wilmington 1800s – Some not yet created, Winston 1700s Cities and Towns How Things Started • Collective responsibility for firefighting • Buckets, ladders, axes, hand engines • Laws compel prevention, participation • Fire companies organize • Fire department created • 1710 – New Bern • 1768 – Charlotte • 1722 – Edenton • 1776 – Washington • 1734 – Wilmington • 1792 – Raleigh • 1739 – Fayetteville • 1793 – Elizabeth City • 1755 – Salisbury • 1794 – Asheville • 1766 – Salem • 1808 – Greensboro 1792 1792 • Planners design wide streets , to help prevent fires from spreading block to block. • Many trees are left intact, also for fire protection. Demographics • Early regulation prohibits wooden structures added to building fronts that would enable fires to One square mile spread across streets. 699 residents by 1803 2
1802 1802 1802 1816 Nozzle that swivels • First major fire • June 11, 1816 Handles for • Dozens of volunteers pumping • Bucket brigade • 51 buildings destroyed • Controlled by blasting • Fire engine ordered • Water system attempted Water poured into pump (1818) using chain of buckets (bucket brigade) First Fire Companies 1819 A very complete Fire-Engine from Philadelphia, with a Supply Pump, a sufficient length of Hose, Fire-Hooks, Chain, &c • 1773 – New Bern (authorized to create) • 1785 – Salem • 1791 – Fayetteville (chartered) First Fire Company • 1791 – Washington • Joseph Gales, President • 1819 – Raleigh • Beverly Daniel, Vice President • Jacob Lash, Captain • 1845 – Charlotte • John T. C. Wiatt, Lieutenant • William F. Clark, Lieutenant • 1846 – Wilmington • Thomas Cobbs, Lieutenant • 1849 – Greensboro • Thomas Henderson, Lieutenant • John Dunn, Treasurer • John Bell, Secretary New Bern – Raleigh Charlotte 3
1851 1819-1843 1819 • December 15, 1851 First hand engine delivered, first fire company formed in Raleigh. • Over 17 structures 1821 Law exempts fire company members from military duty. • Ordinances adopted 1826 • Better wells and pumps City granted power to draft citizens if too few volunteer for fire company. • Cisterns for fire water 1831 • More fire equipment State House in Union Square burns. Stone and brick soon used in government buildings. • Repair fire engines 1838 • Engine house built City adopts building regulations for fire protection. • Fire Chief appointed 1843 • Fire Dept. reorganized Second hand engine purchased, second fire company formed. Before the Civil War After the Civil War 1819, 1873 Apparatus Philadelphia-Style Hand Engine (left) Rumsey Hand Engine (right) 4
1873 1870 Suction hose dropped into well or cistern. Nozzle, connects to hose. Outlet, connects to hose. Gould Steamer and Hose Reel 1870 1878, 1881 Lantern Pump Boiler Nozzles Coal Tray Champion Chemical Engines Intakes/Outlets Hand Engines, Steam Engines 1852-1890 • Morehead City • Fayetteville Hand Engines • Plymouth • Goldsboro • Beaufort • Raleigh (5) • Greensboro (2) • Belhaven • Salem (2) • Greenville • Charlotte (3) • Salisbury (2) • Kinston • Clayton • Smithfield • Monroe • Elizabeth City • Tarboro • New Bern (4) • Enfield • Warrenton • Raleigh (2) • Fayetteville • Washington (2) • Reidsville • Graham • Wilmington (2) • Rocky Mount • Greensboro (2) • Winston • Salem (2) • Greenville • Salisbury • Henderson • Washington Steam Engines • Hickory • Wilmington (8) • Laurinburg • Charlotte (3) • Winston (3) • Lenoir • Durham (3) • Winston-Salem • Milton • Elizabeth City (2) Hook and Ladder Trucks 5
Fire Horses • First horses – 1879, Raleigh – 1883, Asheville Water Supply – 1887, Charlotte – 1890, Durham • Stabled at stations, other places • Some shared with other city depts • Replaced after several years • Transported by rail for mutual aid • Retired starting 1910s Salem - Burlington Water Systems 1852-1887 • Early waterworks – 1778, Salem – 1820, Fayetteville • Underground cisterns – 1848, Greensboro – 1852, Raleigh • Modern waterworks – 1882, Charlotte – 1887, Raleigh – 1888, Durham – 1892, Wilson – 1893, Fayetteville – 1895, Lumberton Raleigh – 1899, Statesville Fire Cisterns 1852-1887 1852-1887 6
1887 1903 Hydrant Map Fire Hydrants 1887 1890 Hose Wagons Hand Hose Reels 1870 Facilities Metropolitan Hall Fayetteville Street 7
1870 1870 Clock tower bell used for fire alarms Fireman’s room upstairs Fire engine rooms in rear Metropolitan Hall Rescue Company Engine House Fayetteville Street Fayetteville Street 1870 1887 Capital Hose Company House West Morgan Street 1887 1896 Water tower base Fireman’s meeting room upstairs Garage for Water hand hose reel company office Headquarters West Morgan Street Capital Hose Company House West Morgan Street 8
1897 1898 Victor Company Engine House Burns South Salisbury / West Davie Streets Victor Company Engine House East Hargett Street 1888 Fire Alarm System Street Box > Alarm Bell Fire Alarm Systems 1888 • 1888 – Raleigh – 10 boxes, initially locked – Inside and outside fire district – 36 boxes in 1906 – 120 boxes in 1930 – 274 boxes in 1965 – Last box alarm sent in 1973 • 1878 – Wilmington (telephone) • 1883 – New Bern • 1887 – Charlotte • 1891 – Durham • 1910 – Rocky Mount • 1912 – Salisbury • 1925 – Lexington 9
Fire Alarm Systems 1870-1890 • First steam engine. (1870) • First chemical engine. (1878) • First fire horses. (1879) Alerting and Recording • First fire hydrants, first hose companies. (1887) • Fire alarm system installed. (1888) Dispatching • Last hand-drawn apparatus. (1890) Mechanical 1900 1905 Demographics 1.8 square miles 13,643 residents Three fire stations 90 members New American LaFrance Steamer Delivered New Steam Engine Fire Company Fire Departments in 1910 1910 • Asheville • Edenton • Lenoir • Salem • Benson • Elizabeth City • Lexington • Salisbury • Biltmore • Fayetteville • Louisburg • Sanford (Asheville) • Freemont • Monroe • Southern • Burlington • Gastonia • Morganton Pines Demographics • Chapel Hill • Goldsboro • Mount Airy • Spencer 4.0 square miles • Charlotte • Graham • New Berne • Statesville 19,218 residents • Clinton • Greensboro • Oxford • Tarboro • Chestnut Hill • Greenville • Raleigh • Warrenton Three fire stations (Salisbury) • Henderson • Red Springs • Washington 127 members • Concord • Hickory • Reidsville • Wilmington • Durham • High Point • Rockingham • Wilson • Dunn • Kinston • Rocky Mount • Winston As recorded as members of North Carolina State’s Firemen Association 10
1912 1912 Fully-Paid Fire Department Fire Chief Sherwood Brockwell First Full-Time Firefighters 1912 1912 Station 1 Station 2 Station 3 1913 1914 American LaFrance Hose Wagons Station 2 – South Salisbury Street 11
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