Winston-Salem Fire Department
Operational area
Country United States
State North Carolina
CityWinston-Salem
Agency overview[1]
Established1913 (1913)
Employees343 (2014)
Annual budget$25,494,480 (2014)
StaffingCareer
Fire chiefTrey Mayo
IAFF682
Facilities and equipment[2]
Battalions4
Stations19
Engines18
Trucks5
Rescues1
HAZMAT1
Light and air1
Website
Official website
IAFF website

The Winston-Salem Fire Department (WSFD) provides fire protection to the city of Winston-Salem, North Carolina. In all the department is responsible for an area of 133 square miles (340 km2).[2] The history of the WSFD dates back to 1913 when the cities of Winston and Salem merged to form the city of Winston-Salem and gave birth to the Winston-Salem Fire Department.[3]

History

The earliest precursor to the Winston-Salem Fire Department was the Salem Fire Department, created after the construction of the Salem Church. In 1782, the fire inspection service was created to ensure that chimneys were properly being swept.[4] If an infraction was found, the fire inspector could issue fines of up to $1 per day until the owner fixed the issue. [4]

In 1951, the Winston-Salem Fire Department became the first integrated department in North Carolina. Eight total firefighters were hired to integrate the department.[5] By 1967, the department was fully integrated.

Incidents

On January 31, 2022, Weaver Fertilizer Plant caught fire in North Winston-Salem, prompting a major response from the department. Chief Mayo said that hundreds of personnel were involved in fighting the fire, and over 4 million gallons of water were used.[6] The plant had large stores of ammonium nitrate, which made the fire especially dangerous to fight. “At the beginning of this incident, there was enough ammonium nitrate on hand for this to be one of the worst explosions in U.S. history,” Winston-Salem Fire Chief Trey Mayo said two days after the fire began.[7] Records show that the amount of chemicals onsite were over 4.5 million pounds. [8] Fear of explosion caused the fire department and Winston-Salem Police Department to evacuate over 6,000 individuals, and close several businesses. [7] Because of the work of the fire department, the plant did not explode. The cause of the fire is still under investigation as of June 2022.[9]

Stations and apparatus

As of May 2019 this is the current list of stations and apparatus:

fire station number Address Engine Company Ladder Company Special Units Battalion Chief vehicle
1 651 N. Marshall St Engine 1 Ladder 1 Brush 1 Battalion Chief 1
2 405 Somerset Dr Engine 2 Ladder 2 Hazmat 1
3 2995 N. Liberty St Engine 3 Battalion Chief 3
4 290 Martin Luther King Jr. Dr Engine 4 Battalion Chief 2
5 771 Palmer Ln Engine 5 Ladder 5
6 1717 W. Academy St Engine 6 Battalion Chief 4
7 100 Arbor Rd Rescue 1

Water Rescue 1

8 2457 Reynolda Rd Engine 8 Rescue 3
9 4685 Ogburn Ave Engine 9
10 4700 Country Club Rd Engine 10 Rescue 2
11 2745 Waughtown St Engine 11
12 3620 New Walkertown Rd Engine 12
13 2110 Bethel Methodist Church Ln Engine 13 Air 1

Safety 7

14 5754 Shattalon Dr Engine 14 Ladder 14
15 4548 Shattalon Dr Engine 15
16 1701 Pope Rd Engine 16
17 4295 Old Greensboro Rd Engine 17
18 1505 N. Peacehaven Rd Engine 18 Ladder 18
19 4430 Glenn Hi Rd Engine 19
20 5991 Koger Ln Engine 20

References

  1. ^ "Budget" (PDF). Winston-Salem. Retrieved 25 April 2015.
  2. ^ a b "Stations". Winston-Salem Fire Department. Retrieved 27 April 2015.
  3. ^ "History". Winston-Salem Fire Department. Retrieved 27 April 2015.
  4. ^ a b "Digital Forsyth | History of Firefighting". www.digitalforsyth.org. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
  5. ^ Barnes, Blair (29 December 2021). "One of the first black firefighters with the Winston-Salem Fire Department died Wednesday". wfmynews2.com. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
  6. ^ Denyer, Lee Anne (10 February 2022). "State opens investigation into Winston Weaver fertilizer plant fire". WXII. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
  7. ^ a b DEEM, JOHN. "Winston Weaver faces more legal action over plant fire". Winston-Salem Journal. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
  8. ^ "Before the fire, Weaver Fertilizer plant was storing more than 4.5 million pounds of chemicals onsite". The Pulse. 4 March 2022. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
  9. ^ Doyle, Steve (9 February 2022). "State opens investigation into fire at Weaver Fertilizer". FOX8 WGHP. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
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