6A
NEWS^ Clarlatte
Thursday, December 22, 2005
lirefigliier douses second career at 66
Continued from page 1A
could During that time, he
applied for the firefighter job
after seeing an ad for the
position He eventually
went to work for Southern
National Bank (later a part
of BB&T), as a lead operator,
sorting checks, even thou^
he had not seen a check sort
ing machine ]:»ior to coming
to the bank.
“All I needed was an oppor
tunity,” Bailey said. “If you
open a door, you don’t have
to tell me to come in. I’ll walk
While at Southern
National, Bailey received a
phone call in reference to his
application he had submit
ted to the fire department It
had been five years since he
had submitted his applica
tion. The Equal
Employment Opportunity
Commission was investigat
ing age discrimination at the
fire department, and was
reviewing the ^plications of
those over the age of 35 who
had applied for firefighter
positions Bailey was 42 at
the time he applied, and the
cutoff age was 35. By the
time he was called about the
application, he was 47
Bailey decided he was
going to give firefighting a
try “I had good genes Fve
been in excellent physical
condition all my life,” he
said which he attributed to
his upbringing on a farm, as
well as his experience as a
paratrooper for the U.S.
Army while serving in
Vietnam He was the oldest
* person to complete the fire
academy training program
“When we graduated, I
was leading the pack in run
ning,” Bailey said He joined
Station No. 14, near the
intersection of Sharon Amity
Road and Randolph Road,
and after receiving satisfac
tory ratings in performance
for one year, the age restric
tion was lifted, allowing any
one who can meet the physi
cal requirements of the job to
be qualified as a firefighter.
Bailey demonstrated his
physical prowess further by
participating in the North
Carolina Police and Fire
Games, winning 12 gold and
three silver medals in track
and field events.
Bailey reflected on his
years as a firefighter one
recent rainy afternoon, after
going on three calls during
the first five hours of a 24-
hour shift.
“I enjoy doing what I do
because I met some nice peo
ple. Fve been able to minis
ter to them,” said Bailey, an
ordained minister “I look at
my time here as a success.
Age is not a determining fac
tor.” Bailey said he has
encouraged others to become
firefighters, and has even
acted as spokesperson for
the fire department in the
chiefs absence. He believes
it is an excellent career for a
person who is not going to
college, and a way to get an
education even for those who
are college-bound.
“You don’t look for a pat on
the back. You’ve gotta want
to do the job, because you
don’t always get thanks for
the things you do.”
Shortly after, a woman vis
ited the station with cookies
and other holiday treats, as a
show of appreciation to the
fire station for rescuing her
cat Bailey smiled and said
“This is what I’m going to
miss.”
Bailey talked about his
sharecropper father, who
despite having a second-
grade education, opened his
own business. “Everything
he said I listened to,” Bailey
said. “There is nothing but
success. I don’t know any
other way”
For Captain Jim RudisiU,
y^^RlQIT^
PHOTO/CALVIN FERGUSON
Carl Bailey, who retired from the Charlotte Fire Depart this week, is turning to his third career
as an entrepreneur. He owns an office services company.
oflficer-in-charge at Station
No.. 14, Bailey is one of a
kind T would like to have
10 more like him,” RudisiU
said. “No matter what
assignment he was given, he
did his job with no com
plaints, which made my job a
whole lot easier.” He
referred to Bailey’s work in
the community in his spare
time, and said, “We can’t go
anywhere without meeting
someone who knows Carl or
who has been affected by
him.”
Bailey says he wiU contin
ue to be active. He wUl con
tinue to operate his busi
ness, Bailey’s (Dffice Service,
for his client, Wachovia,
teach Sunday School and
serve on the deacon board at
his church, Ebenezer
Baptist. He wiU maintain
contact with his firefighting
coUeagues while serving as
associate chaplain for the
Christian Fire Fighters
Association. 'Ihe father of
three and grandfather of two
also said the year 2006 is
already fuU because he wUl
be “spoiling my grandchil
dren.’’
‘Tve done what I came to
do,” Bailey said “Now it’s
time to sit back and enjoy”
Raleigh lead
ers are join
ing forces to
preserve and
renovate St
Agnes
Hospital
Community rallies to save hospital
By Cynthia Dean
THE TRIANGLE TRIBUNE
PHOTO/ST, AUGUSTINE'S COUEQE
RALEIGH ■ Members of a board organized to
restore an old hospital building on the campus
of Saint Augustine’s College plan to preserve
history as well as make history with the pro
ject.
In October, a special •committee was formed
to look into refurbishing St. Agnes Hospital on
Oakwood Street, Dr. Charles Cook of Raleigh
became interested in the building when he first
came to North Carolina and was introduced to
the college in the 1980s.
Cook refers to St. Agnes Hospital as one of
the “trophies of the community”
After receiving professional training in
Boston, with a focus in hypertension and other
cardiovascular diseases, Cook wrote a project
to work with St. Aug’s nurses and other allied
heall^ pi^grams.
“Tlie hospital was of particular interest to
me,” he said
Cook is not interested in refurbishing an old
building just for the sake of preserving history.
He wants it to be used as a means to serve the
Afiican- American community in southeast
Raleigh
Please see HISTORIC/7A
www.fittogethernc.org
>go
^together
Linking North Carolinians to tools for
healthier weight and lifestyles.
North Carolina,
it’s time to get
Fit Together
Log on to FitTogetherNC.org today.
Fit Together brings together people and proven ideas
to help individuals and communities across North Carolina
achieve healthy weight and healthier lifestyles.
At FitTogetherNC.org, you’ll find tools to help you, your family
and your community get fit and stay fit. You can also learn
about success stories in other communities.
FitTogetherNC.org also features an easy way to assess your
health and your family's. Plus, you can find local resources
such as fitness programs, exercise facilities, and counseling on
nutrition and healthcare.
New Hanover County
Robeson County
The Triangle
Asheville
Salisbury
Physical education
is a priority again in
public schools.
Church groups are
helping people shop
smart and eat right.
Workplace wellness
programs benefit both
employers and employees.
The Farmers Market
offers fresh and healthy
eating choices.
New sidewalks promote
more physical activity in
everyday life.
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