North Raleigh Today

The Raleigh Fire Department has introduced a new truck, Rehab 12, designed to help firefighters reduce their risk of exposure to cancer-causing chemicals. The vehicle features two hygiene stations and provides a space for firefighters to rest and recuperate.

“Our firefighters will often respond to several incidents per shift, increasing their exposure to carcinogens and making them more likely to eventually run out of energy,” explained Keith Wilder, commander of the department’s Health and Safety Division. “It is the department’s responsibility to take care of our firefighters’ physical, physiological, and mental health needs and this truck helps us do that.”

Cancer remains the leading risk for firefighters, with a near 75-percent mortality rate, including retirees. Following a fire scene exit, firefighters undergo a decontamination process that removes approximately 85 percent of toxins from their protective gear. However, as the gear is not fully encapsulating, contaminants can still penetrate and reach the firefighter's clothing and skin. The hygiene stations on Rehab 12 allow further decontamination by enabling firefighters to scrub their hands, arms, face, and neck.

The $260,000 truck is equipped for both hot and cold weather rehabilitation. It includes coffee machines, two microwaves, a cooler stocked with water, a freezer with ice, and various types of nonperishable nutrition. Additionally, it has a table and folding chairs. Outside the vehicle are two awnings providing shade—especially useful during highway incidents in summer. “Often there are no trees there. The awnings can make it feel 20 degrees cooler than the air temperature,” Wilder noted.

Rehab 12 is stationed at Raleigh Fire Station 12 on Poole Road and is dispatched to fires at the two-alarm level or greater or upon request by the shift’s division chief.

Raleigh Fire Chief Herbert Griffin advocated for acquiring Rehab 12 after experiencing a similar truck at the Houston Fire Department.

“We needed our own rehab station,” Wilder said. RFD collaborated with a local vendor to design the truck according to their specific needs. “For years we had to rely on other agencies such as Wake EMS to provide rehab facilities at incident scenes. We’re extremely grateful they were able to do that but we needed our own comprehensive rehab station.”

According to RFD officials, Rehab 12 is North Carolina's first truck of its kind. Other fire departments in North Carolina have shown interest in acquiring similar vehicles; notably, Charlotte plans to purchase two such trucks.