RFD Connections

🥎📸 The photos are up!🥎

Thank you! 🙌 to everyone who played, volunteered, and cheered us on during Saturday's Round Robin Softball Tournament.

Even with temps pushing 95°, the competition was fierce, the refreshments were cold, and the camaraderie was strong.

Congrats to Raleigh Fire for taking the win! 🏆
Check out the full Flickr album at the link in our bio!

🥎 GAME DAY! 🥎 Softball Saturday is officially underway!

Raleigh Fire, Raleigh Police, and the Department of Adult Correction are battling it out in today's Round Robin Tournament.

The weather's hot, the competition is hotter, and the bragging rights are on the line. 🔥
Come and cheer on your favorite team!

Join us today at 1:00 PM as we celebrate the latest promotion of our Raleigh Fire Department members.

We are proud to recognize these outstanding individuals for their hard work, dedication, and commitment to serving our department and our community.

📍 Providence Church
6339 Glenwood Avenue, Raleigh, NC
🕐 1:00 PM

We are hoping to livestream the ceremony and will share the viewing link as soon as it becomes available, likely around the start of the ceremony.

Please help us congratulate our promoted members! 🔥

🥎 SOFTBALL SATURDAY!

Come cheer on Fire, Police & DAC this Saturday, June 6 at Millbrook Exchange Park!

⏰ Games start at 9 AM
🏆 Championship game at 4 PM
🎟️ $FREE
🪑 Bring a chair and hang out with us for the day!

Bring the family, support your favorite team, and come ready for a fun day at the ball field!

🎓 Academy 56 Graduation photos are up!

Today was a proud day for the newest members of the Raleigh Fire Department as they officially crossed the stage and began their journey of service to our community. Congratulations again to Academy 56! 🚒🔥

View and download photos at www.rfdconnections.com or scan the QR code.

Welcome to the family, Academy 56. Now go make us proud… and try not to break anything expensive on Day 1. 😉

Join us for the Academy 56 graduation via Livestream

Raleigh Fire Department Academy 56 Graduation Ceremony - May 22nd, 2026 Raleigh Fire Department holds a graduation ceremony for its 56th Fire Academy on May 22, 2026. Congratulations to all graduates!

You go on a fire. You breathe in some junk. You go home. Maybe you get cancer, maybe not. Nothing to it, right? You are a firefighter... that's what is expected. When I hear that logic, it literally stops me in my tracks.

Ever wonder what the exposure to chemicals and heavy metals from those calls do to your body? How do they impact and increase cancer risks? Are there certain levels in your blood that you should be aware of?

Lucky for you, there is a study that actually LOOKS at the blood of firefighters to evaluate how those exposures impact them... there is actually more than one of them. I have the honor of serving on the board for the North Carolina Firefighter Cancer Cohort Study, led by Dr. Heather Stapleton and Dr. Bryan Ormond. The NC FFCCS utilizes researchers from the Duke University Nicholas School of the Environment, the Duke Cancer Institute, and the NC State University Wilson College of Textiles to tackle the issues of cancer risk among firefighters based on their exposures to harmful chemicals and what role their gear plays in that. This study partners with the National Firefighter Cancer Cohort Study and gives the fire community a much larger picture of what is happening within fire services. The goal is to set new standards for safety and health in the fire service while fostering a future where every firefighter can serve with confidence knowing their well-being is prioritized.

If you would like to participate in this study, it is open to all firefighters, volunteer and paid, old and new, male and female. Everyone matters. And participation is simple- complete a survey, provide a blood and urine sample, maybe wear a silicone wristband, and then be open for follow up every 18-24 months. One of the perks? You get your bloodwork results sent directly to you so you can track your personal exposures and advocate for your own health with your healthcare team. Umm, yes please.

This research is life changing and is planting seeds for shade later for those in the fire service. You can visit the websites of both the NC study and the national study (or look up your state and see if they are participating) for more information.

*If you are centrally located in NC, there will be an enrollment event tonight, May 6, and on Tuesday, May 12, at the South Sailsbury Fire Department.

https://www.ffccs.org/north-carolina
https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/firefighters/registry/index.html

For those who are unable to attend in person, the funeral service for Senior Firefighter Joshua M. Lull will be livestreamed.

📅 Monday, April 27, 2026

🕚 11:00 AM

📍 Summit Church – Blue Ridge Campus

🔗 Livestream link: https://youtube.com/live/Hkv40Uq4GmE?feature=share

We are grateful to be able to come together in support of Josh and his loved ones, wherever we may be.