Concord Fire and Life Safety (North Carolina)

== Department Overview ==
The Concord Fire Department is an "All-Hazards" department, responding to fires, rescues, hazardous materials incidents and medical emergencies (as a First Responder) in the City of Concord. The department serves 87,696 residents in a 61.354 sq. mile area and responds to more than 12,000 emergency incidents a year. Concord Fire and Life Safety is an ISO Class 1 department.
==Department History==
On December 21, 1900, the City of Concord established fire protection as a function of the city government. At that time, the City of Concord was building a new city hall, which became the new home to the Concord Fire Department. The facility was a three-story masonry structure located at the corner of Union Street South & Barbrick Avenue (current site of the City Hall Annex building). Once completed, the building was home to the Concord Fire Department, the police department, tax collector, mayor’s office, an opera house and had a city jail located in the basement. The departments equipment and manpower consisted of one hose reel company with 24 men and one hook and ladder company with 30 men. Fire alarms were communicated by ringing the bell in the Cabarrus Courthouse.
In 1906, the population of Concord passed 11,000 residents and the area within the city had increased significantly. This growth required more fire companies and the addition of a second fire station. Station No. 2 was built at Kerr Street & Isabell Streets. In 1916 the City purchased its first motorized fire apparatus, a 1916 American LaFrance Type No. 10 Triple combination pumper at a cost of $8,000. By 1927, a third fire station had been built. Station No. 3 was located on Powder Street between present day Cabarrus Avenue and Corbin Avenue. 
By the end of the 1930’s, Concord’s Fire Department had outgrown its headquarters fire station. On October 6, 1941, the City opened Fire Station No. 1 at 31 Church Street and it stands today as the city’s oldest operating fire station. Once open, the recommendations of the South-Eastern Underwriters Association were used to determine staffing improvements. The recommendations were that a minimum of 5 full time paid firemen be on duty at the fire department at all times, in addition to the existing volunteer department arrangements of 4 volunteers sleeping in the fire station at night. As an alternative, if the volunteer personnel were not retained, a minimum of 10 full time paid firemen should be on duty at the fire department at all times.
In 1948 a Bond Referendum was struck for the purchase of a Fire Truck (not to exceed $30,000.00). This would be Concord’s first motorized ladder truck. The department ultimately purchased a Mack Truck Fire Apparatus quadruple combination unit. The truck was equipped with a pump capable of moving 750 gallons of water per minute and carried 216 feet of ladders. It came at a cost of $16,426.00.
In 1991, as the City continued to grow and annex unincorporated areas of the county, that annexation included much of the Pitts Volunteer Fire Department's district. In an agreement with the City, Pitts VFD disbanded and turned over their equipment and station to the City of Concord. Pitt VFD's station on Pitts School Road was remodeled to accommodate career firefighters and become Concord's Fire Station 5. 
In 1995, The City of Concord built and opened the Concord Regional Airport, just east of the City's Central Business District near the Mecklenburg County Line and the Charlotte Motor Speedway. The department opened a station on airport property, that housed both ARFF equipment and structural engine company (Engine 6). In 2010, CFD relocated Engine 6 to a new station, renaming it Engine 10, turning Station 6 into an ARFF station only. In April, 2018, the airport was renamed Concord-Padgett Regional Airport to honor longtime Mayor of Concord Scott Padgett. 
In 2021, the department added a third Battalion Chief (Battalion 3) and a Division Chief (Fire 9) to fire operations. 
In June 2024, a new ladder company, Ladder 10 was placed into service at Station 10. 
===Fire Stations===
Station	Address 	In Service	Notes
10 	4198 Darby Creek Drive	2011-2021 	Temporary Facility
==Apparatus Roster==
All pump/tank measurements are in US gallons.
===Fire Station 1 - 31 Church Street NE===
Built 1941
: Engine 1 - 2018 Pierce Enforcer 7000 (2000/750) (SN#32173)
: Ladder 1 - 2011 Pierce Arrow XT 6710 (2000/300/105' HSL rear-mount) (SN#24087)
: Brush 1 - 2008 Ford F-250 4x4
: Battalion 1 - 2019 Ford F-150 4x4
===Fire Station 2 - 42 Palaside Drive NE===
Built 1972
: Engine 2 - 2020 Pierce Enforcer 7000 (2000/750) (SN#34564)
=== Fire Station 3 (Headquarters) - 100 Warren C. Coleman Boulevard North===
Built 1986/1996
:Safety 1 - 2017 Ford F-150 4x4
:Engine 3 - 2019 Pierce Enforcer 7000 (2000/750) (SN#33726-01)
:Rescue 3 - 2009 Pierce Velocity 7010 walk-around (SN#21613)
:USAR 3 - 2005 Chevrolet C6500 / United Expressline tractor-drawn (Ex-USAR 5)
===Fire Station 4 - 1165 Warren C. Coleman Boulevard South===
Built 1989
:Engine 4 - 2010 Pierce Velocity 7010 (2000/900/100A) (SN#23102)
:Engine 92 (Reserve) - 2007 Pierce Dash (2000/900/100A) (SN#18820) (Ex-Engine 7)
===Fire Station 5 - 170 Pitts School Road===
:Engine 5 - 2015 Pierce Enforcer 7010 (1500/1000) (SN#28772)
:Engine 95 (Reserve) - 2006 Pierce Dash (2000/1000) (SN#18206-01) (Ex-Engine 3)
===Fire Station 6 - 9101-B Aviation Boulevard, Concord-Padgett Regional Airport===
Built 1995
:Blaze 1 - 2019 Oshkosh Striker 6x6 crash tender
:Blaze 2 - 1995 Ford F-450 4x4 / E-One R-100 TAU RIV (250F/150 lbs. DC)
:Blaze 3 - 1997 Oshkosh 6x6 crash tender (Ex-Oakland Fire Department (California))
===Fire Station 7 - 250 International Drive NW===
Built 2001
:Engine 7 - 2021 Pierce Enforcer (2000/750) (SN#35995-02)
:Ladder 7 - 2018 Pierce Arrow XT 6700 (1000/300/100' rear-mount platform) (SN#31243)
:Hazmat 7 - 2003 Freightliner FL 80 / Hackney tractor-drawn walk-around (Ex-Hazmat 9)
:Rescue 71 (Reserve) - 2002 Pierce Enforcer walk-around (SN#13048) (Ex-Odell Volunteer Fire Department)
===Fire Station 8 - 1485 Old Charlotte Road===
Built 2002
:Engine 8 - 2013 Pierce Saber (1500/1000) (SN#26241)
:Brush 8 - 2016 Ford F-250 4x4
:Engine 91 (Reserve) - 2009 Pierce Velocity 7010 (2000/900/100A) (SN#21527) (Ex-Engine 2)
:Air Unit - 2001 Freightliner / American LaFrance walk-around 
===Fire Station 9 - 1020 Ivey Cline Road===
Built 2008
: Battalion 2 - 2017 Ford F-150 4x4
:Engine 9 - 2008 Pierce Velocity 7010 (2000/900/100A) (SN#20317)
: Brush 9 - 2016 Ford F-250 4x4
: Ladder 82 (Reserve) - 2005 Pierce Dash 6x4 (1500/300/100' rear-mount platform) (SN#16519) (Ex-Ladder 7, ex-Ladder 3)
===Fire Station 10 - 9880 Poplar Tent Road===
Built 2021
: Engine 10 - 2024 Pierce Enforcer 7000 (2000/750) (SN#37753)
: Ladder 10 - 2017 Pierce Arrow XT Notched 6710 tandem (2000/300/105' HSL rear-mount) (SN#30084) (Ex-Ladder 11)
=== Fire Station 11 - 8955 Weddington Road NW ===
Built 2015
:Engine 11 - 2019 Pierce Enforcer 7000 (2000/750) (SN#33726-02)
:Truck 11 - 2024 Pierce Enforcer 7000 (-/-/107' Ascendant tractor-drawn) (SN#37754)
===Fire Station 12 - 3300 Roberta Road===
Opened 2022
:Battalion 3 - 2021 Ford F-150 4x4
:Engine 12 - 2021 Pierce Enforcer (2000/750) (SN#35995-01)
:Ladder 81 (Reserve) - 2003 Spartan / Smeal (2000/400/105' rear-mount) (Ex-Hemby Bridge Fire Department)
===Station/Assignment Unknown ===
:ATV 1 - Bobcat 4x4
:Engine 94 (Reserve) - 2006 Pierce Dash (2000/1000) (SN#18206-02) (Ex-Engine 1)
:Engine 9? (Reserve) - 2012 Pierce Saber pumper (1500/1000) (SN#25051) (Ex-Engine 10)
:202? Ford F-350 4x4
:Fire Safety House trailer
==On Order==
:2024 Oshkosh Striker 6x6 crash tender
:2025 Pierce Enforcer 7000 pumper (2000/750) (Engine 4)
:2025 Pierce Enforcer 7000 pumper (2000/750) (Engine 9)
:2025 Pierce Enforcer 7000 aerial (2000/200/107' Ascendant tractor-drawn) (T1 tentatively)
:2026 Pierce Enforcer 7000 pumper (2000/750) (New Company Engine 6)
:2026 Pierce Enforcer 7000 aerial (-/-/107' tractor-drawn) (T12 tentatively)
:2026 Pierce Enforcer 7024 23'8" walk-around hazmat (HazMat 7)
==Retired Apparatus==
:1996 Spartan Gladiator LFD / Saulsbury (2000/700/50A/50B/75' LTI rear-mount) (SN#296025) (Damaged by Fire)
:2004 Pierce Dash pumper (2000/1000) (SN#15213)
:2002 Pierce Saber walk-around rescue (SN#12711) (Ex-Rescue 71) (Ex-Beaver Lane Volunteer Fire & Rescue)
:1987 Oshkosh T-3000 6x6 crash tender (1000/3100/410F/450 lbs. PKP)
: 2001 American LaFrance Eagle 134 aerial (2000/700/50A/50B/75' LTI rear-mount) (SN#0001975) (Ex-Ladder 9) (Damaged in accident, sold to Mabank Volunteer Fire Department)
:1996 Spartan Gladiator LFD / Saulsbury aerial (2000/700/50A/50B/75' LTI rear-mount) (SN#296039)
:1995 Spartan / Saulsbury rescue
:1992 Pierce Dash pumper (1500/?) (SN#E7177)
:1989 Pierce (SN#E5253)
:1986 Pierce Arrow pumper (1500/500) (SN#E3227-01)
:1986 Pierce Arrow pumper (1500/500) (SN#E3227-02)
==Future Plans==
*The department had planned to construct Station 13 in the area of Cox Mill Road. However, after more research, the department has decided to not build a stand alone station in the that area, but instead, add an engine company to the airport fire station (Station 6). The City's Aviation department is planning to replace Fire Station 6 at the Concord-Padgett Regional Airport with a new facility in 2024 and the department will design the facility to accommodate the ARFF companies, as well as a new engine company that can respond off airport property as needed.
*In 2025, the department expects to add a fifth Ladder Company (tentatively planned to be located at Station 12).
* The City Fire, Police, and 911 Communications departments are exploring property options for a joint training facility, which would be constructed and operated by the City with the possibility of relocating the current 911 Communications Department (currently housed in Fire Station 3) to that new facility.
==External Links==
*Concord Fire and Life Safety
==Station Map==
Category:Cabarrus County
Category:Airport Fire Departments (North Carolina)
Category:North Carolina departments operating Pierce apparatus
Category:North Carolina departments operating American LaFrance apparatus
Category:North Carolina departments operating Hackney apparatus
Category:Former operators of Saulsbury apparatus