Extreme Performance

The first volunteer fire department started in Philadelphia in 1736, born out of necessity and frustration. Fires were tearing through the city’s tightly packed wooden buildings, and there was no organized response. Just neighbors scrambling with buckets while homes burned. Benjamin Franklin helped change that by organizing the Union Fire Company, a group of everyday citizens who agreed that when the bells rang, they would respond.

These weren’t paid firefighters. They were shopkeepers, tradesmen, and neighbors who supplied their own leather fire buckets, ladders, and linen salvage bags, and even inspected one another’s homes for fire risks, an early form of fire prevention.

What made it revolutionary was the structure: elected officers, regular training, coordinated bucket brigades, and hand-pumped engines. They focused on saving lives and property. That Philadelphia built system spread through the colonies and became the foundation of modern firefighting.

📱 The Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) system allows people who own compatible mobile devices to receive geographically targeted, text-like messages alerting them of imminent threats to safety in their area.

🌪️ These alerts warn the public about dangerous weather, missing children, and other critical situations. Reading these alerts when they come through is a great way to stay informed. To learn about other ways to stay informed, visit ReadyNC.gov.

We will be open and operate under normal hours today!