Raleigh Fire Department Newsletter - Page 2

document the street address, hydrant make and year, and the hydrant thread type. They’ll lubricate the threads, as well as add “out of service” signs to any broken hydrants.

Companies will document their information using tablet com-puters being provided by Pub-lic Utilities for the duration of the project.

The blitz is expected to take six weeks, notes Spain.

Awareness of hydrants and their locations and conditions

has been raised since the implementation of a new water supply procedure last year.

First-arriving engine companies now lay their own supply lines at working fires, with second-arriving companies also connecting to the hydrant in case pressure boosting is needed.

Preventive maintenance of the city’s estimated 21,000 fire hydrants was transferred from the Fire Department to Public Utilities in 2008.

Chief Spain is the project chair. Other Hydrant Com-mittee members are Capt. Rob Mitchell, Capt. Mike Davidson, Lt. Stephen Welch, Lt. Terrent Wiggins, and Fire Systems Technology Manager Paul Roberts.

Haz-Mat Changes

Effective April 1, the fire department’s hazardous ma-terials personnel and equipment have been reconfig-ured. Four companies now comprise this specially equipped and special trained response team: Engine 2, Engine 8, Engine 27, and Ladder 5.

Engine 2 staffs Haz-Mat 1, a tractor-drawn haz-mat unit. They also operate SR 1, a support unit. Engine 8 staffs SR 2, a recon unit. Ladder 5 staffs SR 2, a de-contamination unit.

Engine 27 now staffs Haz-Mat 2, its crew formerly as-

continued from page 1 signed to Engine 15. That unit is also tractor-drawn, and operates as part of North Carolina Haz-Mat Regional Response Team 4. “We’ve moved Haz-Mat 2 to Station 27 because of call volume” says Haz-Mat Coordinator Capt. Ian Toms. “Engine 15 stays so busy with calls that it’s hard for the personnel to com-plete their haz-mat duties.”

Another change is the re- duction from five to four haz-mat companies, with Ladder 7 no longer designated as such.

The haz-mat team changes were recommended by a Special Operations Task Force, formed last year to assess and make recommendations regarding the fire department’s haz-mat and technical rescue capabilities.

The haz-mat unit was placed in service at Station 2 in 1984. One engine and one ladder were added as haz-mat companies in 1990. A second engine and ladder were added in 1992.

In 2004, Regional Response Team 4 was moved to Raleigh, from the Parkwood Fire Department in Durham County.

Fire Station 29 Update

Acquisition of two additional land parcels for Fire Station 29 was approved in March by the City Council’s Budget and Economic Development Committee. The fire department has been working with Williard Ferm Architects on the development of the site at 12113 Leesville Road.

During the design process, it was determined that the additional property would greatly reduce con-struction cost of the facility. The existing land for the fire station site was acquired in 2009.

Did you know that 37 fire station buildings have been erected or opened since 1912?

Raleigh Fire Department Newsletter - Page 3

large ($5) and small ($2). The proceeds are being

donated to Scott's children Cody and Gracie. Con-

tact Jason at Station 1 to get one.

Retiree Dress Uniform Guidelines Several retirees have recently inquired about wear-

ing their Raleigh Fire Department dress uniforms to

Fire Department events, such as promotional cere-

monies and retiree funerals. Retirees are permitted

and encouraged to wear their dress uniforms, pro-

vided that they follow the current grooming stand-

ards for active personnel.

In short, please refrain from wearing dress uniforms

if also wearing a beard, long hair, pony tail (if male),

or other violation of policy. In those cases, please

wear civilian clothing. These simple guidelines will

help convey the most appropriate appearance for all

members in uniform.

“Marine Walking” at Station 1

Retired Marine Mac McQuown spent the night at

Station 1 on February 10, after enjoying a meal with

“B” platoon members. He is staying at firehouses as

he walks across the United States to raise aware-

ness of Veterans causes. His goal is to visit the state

capitols of 48 states.

McQuown, age 50, started walking on September

11, 2011, at his home in Stafford, VA. He's logged

over 880 miles to date. His journey is expected to

take a number of years, and a mere 15,000 miles.

Learn more at www.projectfoot.org.

See more photos of recent events and incidents at www.raleighfirenews.org

Promotions and Appointments April 7

Capt. John P. Fanning to Battalion Chief

Lt. Richard L. Ketchie to Captain

Lt. Dominic O. Orlando to Captain

Firefighter Kent A. Davies to Lieutenant

Firefighter Timothy C. Houston to Lieutenant

April 3

Capt. A.C. Rich to Battalion Chief

Retirements

Battalion Chief Jerry Pace retired April 1 with 28.3 years of service.

Deputy Fire Marshal Capt. T. Mark Bethea retired April 1 with 25.5 years of service.

Capt. Daryl C. Strayhorn retired April 1 with 28.3 years of service.

Deaths

Retired Capt. Richard H. Gilbert passed away on Feb. 7, 2012. He re-tired in 1980 with 25.3 years of ser-vice.

Retired Lt. H. Ezzell Partin passed away on Jan. 28, 2012. He retired in 1977 with 27 years of service.

Scott Nipper Memorial Decals Jason Hall at Station 1 on

"B" platoon has designed a

decal to remember Capt.

Scott Nipper, who died on

December 21.

He has produced two sizes,

Raleigh Fire Department Newsletter - Page 4

Operations Incidents 36,273

Runs ▼ 52,420 Engine Companies Eng 1 2,018 Eng 2 1,440 Eng 3 2,574 Eng 4 1,137 Eng 5 1,454 Eng 6 1,302 Eng 7 1,871 Eng 8 1,764 Eng 9 1,504 Eng 10 1,418 Eng 11 2,213 Eng 12 2,442 Eng 13 1,240 Eng 14 1,454 Eng 15 1,919 Eng 16 1,706 Eng 17 1,178 Eng 18 1,087 Eng 19 1,901 Eng 20 1,299 Eng 21 1,202 Eng 22 1,287 Eng 23 856 Eng 24 805 Eng 25 603 Eng 26 981 Eng 27 571 Eng 28 531

Ladder Companies

L1 (Sta 4) 771 L2 (Sta 11) 1,540 L3 (Sta 17) 874 L4 (Sta 1) 1,838 L5 (Sta 22) 811 L6 (Sta 24) 331 L7 (Sta 20) 783 L8 (Sta 26) 456

Raleigh Fire Department Statistics

Overview Fire Chief John T. McGrath Stations 27

Budget $49,651,709 Engines 28

Personnel 575 Ladders 8

City Population 403,892 Rescues 3

City Size (sq. miles) 144.24 Battalions 4 

Training

A total of 2,627 hours of instruction were conducted at the Keeter Training Center in

2011 with over 8,368 students receiving 58,576 individual hours of instruction. Course

topics included Apparatus Operator, Educational Methodology, Fireground Procedures,

Fire Officer, Radio Procedures, and Water Supply Training. Members of other fire and

safety departments participated in three two-week schools: Haz-Mat Technical, Haz-Mat

Chemistry, and USAR Structural Collapse.

Public Education

Contacts to 26,950 children and adults and 335 organizations were documented in 2011,

with a total of 334 fire prevention activities. Seven episodes of FireWatch were also pro-

duced for the Raleigh Television Network. 

Information Technology Staff fielded 2,992 support questions in 2011, including 214 questions after 5:00 p.m.,

1,030 questions about the Firehouse records management system, 258 questions con-

cerning e-mail, and 320 general questions. The IT department supports all fire depart-

ment divisions as well as NC USAR Task Force 8.

Incident Types

The Raleigh Fire Department complies with the National Fire Incident Reporting Sys-

tem (NFIRS) version 5.0. Below are 2011 incidental totals in nine major categories:

False alarms, false calls 4,588 Overpressure, ruptures, explosion, overheating (no fire)

69

Fire 1,420

Good intent (Smoke investigation, wrong location, controlled burn, etc.)

3,851 Service call (Child locked in vehicle, water removal, assist police, etc.)

2,511

EMS and rescue 22,241 Severe weather or natural

disaster

47

Hazard conditions, no fire (Spills, leaks, power lines, etc.)

1,371 Special 34

Not classified 141

Total 36,273

Raleigh Fire Department Newsletter - Page 5

Rescue Units R1 (Sta 19) 640 R2 (Sta 7) 825 R3 (Sta 14) 715 Special Units Air 1 (Sta 8) 218HM1 (Sta 2) 81HM2 (Sta15) 79 Chief Officers B1 (Sta 15) 500B2 (Sta 12) 535B3 (Sta 8) 430B4 (Sta 23) 226C10 (Sta 8) 262 Busiest Engines

E3 2,574

E12 2,442

E11 2,213

E1 2,018

E15 1,919

E19 1,901

E7 1,871

E8 1,764

E16 1,706

E9 1,504

E5 1,454

E14 1,454

E2 1,440

E10 1,418

E6 1,302

E20 1,299

E22 1,287

E13 1,240

E21 1,202

E17 1,178

E4 1,137

E18 1,087

E26 981

E23 856

E24 805

E25 603

January 1 – December 31, 2011

Office of the Fire Marshal

New construction inspections: 4,428

New construction plans reviews: 3,502

Existing building inspections and related: 11,576 (below)

Existing building re-inspections: 1,615

The Platoon Fire Marshal (Car 40) responded to 303 calls for service and performed 2,104 inspections.

Fire Investigation

The Fire Investigation Unit responded to 319 calls for service in 2011. They investi-

gated 192 accidental fires, 69 intentional fires, and 13 naturally caused fires. The

causes of the accidental fires:

Available Combustibles 18 9% Heating Equipment 3 2%

Candle/Incense 4 2% Improper Storage 14 7%

Chimney 3 2% Mechanical Failure 25 13%

Cooking 50 26% Open Flame 4 2%

Dryer Fires 9 5% Other/Unspecified Heat Source 5 3%

Electrical 21 11% Smoking Materials 26 14%

Fireworks 3 2% Spontaneous Combustion 7 4%

Total 192 100%

Cardiac Saves The Raleigh Fire Department helped revive 32 people from cardiac arrest in 2011. The-

se were people in cardiac arrest when they arrived, and were discharged from the hos-

pital with good neurological function. Firefighters assessed, treated, or assisted EMS

with 15,868 patients last year. The top complaints were General Illness (2,363), Chest

Pain (1,624), Trauma (925), and Respiratory Distress (913). All engine, ladder, and res-

cue company personnel are licensed Emergency Medical Technicians.

Milestones and Major Incidents Raleigh Fire Department milestones and major incidents and events in 2011 included:

Haz-Mat Regional Response Team assists at major fire in Warrenton, Feb. 2.

Four alarm brush fire at Wakefield Plantation Golf Course, Feb. 19.

Two alarms at apartment fire on Hoyle Drive, Feb. 23.

Tornado strikes Raleigh, Apr. 16.

Two alarms at apartment fire on Edwards Mill Road, Apr 1.

New water supply procedure starts, May 1.

Two alarms at apartment fire on Hensley Drive, May 23.

Emergency Fire Dispatch starts, Jun 8.

Raleigh Fire Museum grand opening, Jun 14.

City code revised for fire prevention and protection regulations, June.

Two alarms at apartment fire on Avent Ferry Road, Jul 19.

USAR Task Force 8 deployed ahead of Hurricane Irene, Aug 26.

Two alarms at a house fire on South Blount Street, Oct. 27.

Response changes for fire calls, Dec. 16.

Two alarms at apartment fire on New Hope Church Road, Dec. 25.

Recruit Academy 37 starts, Dec. 30.

Raleigh Fire Department Newsletter - Page 6

Engine 7 personnel extinguish the remains of an out-

building on Brighton Road on February 18.

Haz-mat personnel practice emergency floatation

techniques at Pullen Pool on January 10.

Wake County Area Fire Marshals

On the third Thursday of each month, the Greater

Wake County Area Fire Marshals meet at Lake

Wheeler Park. On March 15, they celebrated the

pending retirement of Deputy Fire Marshal Capt.

Mark Bethea. To learn more about the monthly meet-

ings, contact Asst. Fire Marshal Jeff Johnson at the Office of the Fire Marshal.

Photo Gallery

Over 160 retirees enjoyed a chicken and rice luncheon

at the training center on Tuesday, April 10. See more

photos at www.raleighfirenews.org.

Engine 13 follows Morrisville Engine 2 and area fire-

fighters marching in the St. Patrick’s Day parade on

Fayetteville Street on March 17.

Recruit Academy 9 members on “C” platoon pose with

retiring classmates Battalion Chief Jerry Pace (far left)

and Capt. Daryl Strayhorn (second from right) on March

11, before a dinner at Station 6.

Raleigh Fire Department Newsletter - Page 7

Centennial Yearbook To help celebrate our 100th anniversary, the Raleigh Fire Department and Strawbridge Studios have partnered to produce a centennial history book.

This limited edition book is now available for pre-ordering. The cost is $60 through December 1.

The book will be a large 9 x 12 inch coffee-table size with a deluxe hardbound cover. It will contain 260 full-color pages printed on high-gloss, acid-free paper for superior photo reproduction.

It will feature a text history of the Raleigh Fire Depart-

ment, 100 years of historical photos, fire station histo-

ries, apparatus photos, personnel portraits, and more.

Order yours at www.RFD100.com.

Portrait Schedule Portraits for the Centennial History Book are being

taken at the Keeter Training Center. Please arrive be-

tween 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. Retirees can also have

make-up photos taken on any of these dates. Monday April 9 Admin. and recruits

Tuesday April 10 Retirees

Friday April 13 Admin. and “B” platoon

Saturday April 14 “C” platoon

Saturday April 28 “A” platoon

Saturday May 5 “A” platoon

Sunday May 6 “B” platoon

Sunday May 20 “C” platoon

Saturday June 9 Family portraits if desired

Sunday June 10 Family portraits if desired

Please register in advance for family portraits. Contact

Kathy Boone at the training center, 919-831-6735.

A B O U T T H I S N E W S L E T T E R THE RALEIGH FIRE DEPARTMENT NEWSLETTER IS A QUARTERLY

PUBLICATION FOR PERSONNEL, RETIREES, AND CITIZENS. THE

EDITOR IS HISTORIAN MIKE LEGEROS. BACK ISSUES ARE AVAILABLE

AT www.RALEIGHFIRENEWS.org. TO LEARN ABOUT THE

RALEIGH FIRE DEPARTMENT, VISIT www.raleigh-nc.org/fire.

Birthday Party on June 16

Two months until the birthday celebration in downtown Raleigh on Saturday, June 16. The Raleigh Fire De-partment is celebrating 100 years as a career fire de-partment.

The all-day event will include a parade, an apparatus muster including antique pumping demonstrations, a firefighter challenge competition, and a kid’s zone.

Most activities will be located in the parking lots in front of the Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts.

Invitations are being extended to fire departments and antique apparatus owners throughout the southeast.

More info at RFD100.com Learn more about the fire department’s centennial and

other planned events at www.RFD100.com.

Historical Society Now Raleigh Fire Museum In February, the Raleigh Fire Department Historical So-

ciety changed its name to the Raleigh Fire Museum.

The new name will help eliminate confusion between

the private 501(c)(3) charitable organization and the

City of Raleigh fire department.

New Mailing address The fire museum also has a new mailing address:

Raleigh Fire Museum PO Box 31084 Raleigh, NC, 27622

Raleigh Fire Department

310 West Martin Street, Suite 200

Raleigh, NC 27602

PRSRT STD

US POSTAGE

PAID

RALEIGH, NC

PERMIT #813

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

C A L E N D A R O F E V E N T S

SEVENTH ANNUAL NC FALLEN FIREFIGHTERS MEMORIAL NASH SQUARE, 227 W. MARTIN STREET SATURDAY, MAY 5 10:00 A.M. (PARADE), 1:00 P.M. (SERVICE)

SIXTH ANNUAL NATIONAL FALLEN FIREFIGHTERS GOLF

TOURNAMENT BENTWINDS COUNTRY CLUB, FUQUAY-VARINA - NEW LOCATION! MONDAY, JUNE 11 TEE TIME IS 10:00 A.M.

RALEIGH FIRE DEPARTMENT BIRTHDAY PARTY DOWNTOWN RALEIGH

SATURDAY, JUNE 16, 10:00 A.M. TO 5:00 P.M.

RALEIGH FIRE DEPARTMENT MUSEUM 105 KEETER CENTER DRIVE

SECOND SATURDAY OF EACH MONTH, 10:00 A.M. TO 2:00 P.M.

MONTHLY RETIREE BREAKFAST PAM'S RESTAURANT, 5111 WESTERN BOULEVARD, 7:30 A.M.

SECOND TUESDAY OF EACH MONTH (C.A. LLOYD ORGANIZER)

FOURTH TUESDAY OF EACH MONTH (G. M. DAVIS ORGANIZER)

Saving Old Engine 1

The Raleigh Fire Museum is raising money to purchase

one of the city’s two former 1961 American LaFrance

900 Series pumpers. The open-cab engine served as

Engine 1 and Engine 8. It later served the Stem Fire

Department in Granville County, and lately has lived on

a farm in Alamance County.

The museum hopes to raise enough money above the

purchase price of $4,500 to also fund some paint shop

and gold leaf work. Raleigh firefighters and retired

members have contributed $3600 to date. You can help with a donation at www.raleighfirehistory.org.