Harrisburg Fire Department (North Carolina)

==Department Overview==
The Town of Harrisburg Fire Department is a career department that provides protection to the Town of Harrisburg and the surrounding unincorporated areas of Cabarrus county. The department’s district is approximately 32 square miles with more than 27,000 residents and is located between the City of Concord (Cabarrus County) and City of Charlotte (Mecklenburg County).  The department provides fire suppression, emergency medical responses, heavy rescue services, as well as public and life safety education.  
The department operates with an automatic aid agreement with the Cities of Concord and Kannapolis Fire Departments, Flowes Store Volunteer Fire Department and Allen Volunteer Fire Department in Cabarrus County.  They also have mutual aid agreements with the Charlotte Fire Department and Robinson Volunteer Fire Department in Mecklenburg County.  The department responds to more 2,700 calls a year.
The department currently has 46 full time FFs assigned to operations, plus administrative, training and support positions.  The department is overseen by an Advisory Board which acts as a liaison between the Fire Department and Town Council. The Advisory Board consists of residents that reside within the town and the county areas of the fire district.
==Department History==
In January of 1954, a civic committee was formed to begin laying the groundwork to form the Harrisburg Volunteer Fire Department.  The Harrisburg VFD was incorporated and began construction of their first 2 bay station.  In 1955, the department purchased its first truck, a “G.I.” fire truck for $1,500.  
The Harrisburg VFD district is bisected by a busy railroad corridor and originally, all the road crossings in the district were grade crossings.  Concerns about delayed response times to emergencies due to railroad traffic prompted the department to build a “substation” to cover the southern section of the district in 1978.  
The department continued to operate as an all-volunteer agency until 1996 when, due to tremendous growth in the Harrisburg area, the HVFD Board of Directors hired a paid Fire Chief and began using part-time personnel during daylight hours.
In July of 1999, the HVFD Board of Directors approved the creation of 10 full-time positions to allow for 24/7 coverage and began the process of becoming a career department.   
In 2006 the Harrisburg Volunteer Fire Department officially merged with the Town of Harrisburg, becoming a Municipal department (versus a nonprofit fire protection organization).  
In 2011, the Jackson Park VFD disbanded. Their station, located at 36 Green Street SW in Concord was originally built on land that was donated with restrictions that the property had to be used as a fire station.  Those restrictions limited the options for the Jackson Park VFD and the property and building was ultimately turned over to the Town of Harrisburg Fire Department. The Harrisburg Fire Department uses it as a logistics station, for reserve apparatus and storage. The station is not in Harrisburg's Service area and no apparatus responds from this station.
In 2016, the department built and placed into service Station 3 and added an engine company to cover the growing eastern end of the district.
In 2019, replacement for Station 2 was built and went into service. 
In 2021, the department transitioned from being dispatched by the county over to being dispatched by the City of Concord Emergency Communications. The department now operates on Concord Fire's radio talkgroups. That transition necessitated the changing of Harrisburg's station and company numbers to avoid conflict with Concord's stations and companies. 
In 2022, the department built and opened the first phase of their training facility, located to rear rear of Station 32. 
===Fire Stations===
Station 	Address 	In Service	Notes
Fire Station 	4430 NC Highway 49, Harrisburg 	1954-1986 	Sold in 1987, became an electrical repair shop.  
Substation (Station 2)	9045 Rocky River Road, Harrisburg	1977-2019 	Currently for Sale by the Town
===Line of Duty Deaths===
====Josh B. Early====
On Monday, March 4th, 2002, Harrisburg Fire Department responded a report of a house fire at 10334 Harrisburg Road. Upon arrival, the house had heavy fire and smoke showing with people possibly trapped. A crew entered the side door and got about five feet into the doorway when they decided to back out because the floor was "spongy" feeling. When Captain Brad Christopher reached to Firefighter Josh B. Earley to turn around and exit the building, the floor collapsed into the basement. Captain Christopher was able to grab the threshold of the door to pull himself out. He was then joined by other Firefighters and pulled FF Earley out of the basement. FF Earley was airlifted to Carolinas Medical Center with burns that covered over 80% of his body. He was evaluated and then airlifted to the burn center in Chapel Hill where he remained in critical condition until March 6th when he succumbed to his injuries.
====Rhett Gulledge====
On Sunday, June 17th, 1973 at approximately 1320 hours, the Harrisburg Fire Department responded to a possible house fire in the Roberta Road/Melissa Drive area. Firefighter Gulledge responded as the Officer in Charge. The fire was contained to the room of origin. FF Gulledge was assigned the task of performing a search in the attic and check for fire extension. Shortly after the call was terminated, FF Gulledge began to experience chest pains and was transported to Cabarrus Memorial Hospital (now CMC Northeast) by Harrisburg Rescue Squad where he passed away on Monday, June 18th, 1973 from a massive acute heart attack caused from heat stress and overexertion.
==Apparatus Roster==
*All pump/tank measurements are in US gallons.
*In February 2021, all fire stations and companies were assigned 30-series numbers.
===Fire Administration - 6462 Morehead Road===
:Car 1 (Chief) - 2019 Dodge Charger
:Car 2 (Deputy Chief Operations) - 2021 Chevrolet Suburban 4x4
:Car 3 (Deputy Chief Administration) - 2015 Chevrolet Silverado 4x4
:Car 4 (Training Chief) - 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 4x4
:Car 6 (Fire Marshall) - 2017 Chevrolet Tahoe 4x4
:Car 7 (Logistics Captain) - 2013 Chevrolet Silverado 4x4
:Car 61 (Fire Investigator) -
===Fire Station 31 - 6450 Morehead Road===
Opened 1986
:Engine 31 - 2006 Spartan Gladiator Classic MFD / Smeal (2000/750/30F) (Ex-Engine 98)
:Ladder 31 - 2023 Spartan Gladiator Classic MFD / Smeal (2000/500/107' Smart Reach rear-mount) (SO#S5244)
:Battalion 31 - 2022 Chevrolet 2500 4x4 w/ ARE canopy
:Squad 3 - 1999 Daihatsu Hijet S210P
===Fire Station 32 - 9331 Rocky River Road===
Opened 2019
:Engine 32 - 2020 Spartan Metro Star MFD / Smeal (2000/750/30F) (Ex-Engine 2)
:Ladder 32 (Reserve) - 2005 Spartan Gladiator Classic MFD / Smeal (2000/370/30F/105' rear-mount) (Ex-Ladder 31, ex-Ladder 1)
:Rescue 32 - 2008 Spartan Gladiator Classic LTD / SVI walk-in
:Engine 38 (Reserve) - 2013 Spartan Gladiator Classic MFD / Smeal (2000/750) (Ex-Engine 97, ex-Engine 2)
:SRT Truck - Unit 1591 - 199? Ford F-350 4x4
===Fire Station 33 - 8045 Rocky River Road===
Opened 2016
: Engine 33 - 2017 Spartan Metro Star MFD / Smeal (2000/750/30F) (Ex-Engine 3)
:Brush 33 - 2007 Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD 4x4 / Quesco (150/250)
===Station/Assignment Unknown===
:Battalion 32 (Reserve) - 2015 Chevrolet Silverado 4x4 w/ ARE canopy
:2007 Chevrolet Tahoe 4x4
: 2008 Ford Crown Victoria
:Ford C / American pumper (1250/1250) (Ex-Engine 4)
==Retired Apparatus ==
:2002 Spartan / Luverne pumper (1500/1000/40F) (SN#11175)
: 1999 Ford E-450 / Excellance walk-in (Ex-Ambulance)
:1964 Autocar / 1952 Heil tanker (-/5500 tractor-drawn)
:Ford C / American pumper (1250/1000) (Sold to Mt. Mitchell Fire Department)
==Future Plans==
Fire Station 1 built in 1986 as a volunteer station is nearing the end of its usable service life.  The Department hopes to begin the process to plan and build a replacement station in 2028.  That facility would include the department’s administrative offices.
The Town has acquired land for a fourth station to serve the southern section of the town as it continues to develop. The station is currently scheduled for construction in 2032.
==Station Map==
 
==External Links==
*Harrisburg Fire Department 
Category:Cabarrus County
Category:Departments operating American apparatus
Category:North Carolina departments operating Smeal apparatus
Category:North Carolina departments operating SVI apparatus
Category:Former operators of Luverne apparatus