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Fayetteville, Cumberland County

Fayetteville: FTCC lists trench-rescue class this week; CBS 17 reports a two-day drill

The college calendar shows Trench Series FRC1213 through Saturday at the fire-rescue center. CBS 17, independently, described firefighters from Apex and Wilmington on site.

ConfirmedThe main facts are confirmed by official or first-hand sources.

By Triangle Local Staff · Published

The Market House on Hay Street in downtown Fayetteville

File photo: Epicjeff (CC BY-SA 3.0), via Wikimedia Commons.

What we know

Confirmed

  • Fayetteville Technical Community College's fire-training calendar, fetched Friday night, Oct. 30, 2026, lists Trench Series FRC1213 on Oct. 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, and 31 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at FRTC, the Fire & Rescue Training Center at 775 Tom Starling Road.Confirmed by FTCC Corporate and Continuing Education fire-training page, fetched Oct. 30, 2026
  • That same page says the Tom Starling Road complex includes an area for trench-collapse training and other confined-space training, and that fire-related courses require affiliation with a recognized fire department, a training verification letter, and protective equipment.Confirmed by FTCC fire-training page, fetched Oct. 30, 2026
  • CBS 17, posted 8:28 p.m. Friday, wrote that dozens of firefighters from across the state, including Apex and Wilmington, gathered in Fayetteville for two days of specialized trench-rescue training at the college.Confirmed by CBS 17 only (Oct. 30, 2026, 8:28 p.m. ET)
  • That station said the twice-a-year session brings together the college, the Fayetteville Fire Department, and North Carolina Urban Search and Rescue Task Force 9, and that firefighters can earn a state certification or refresh skills.Confirmed by CBS 17 only (Oct. 30, 2026)
  • CBS 17 wrote that during one exercise, crews practiced freeing a simulated utility worker trapped under a heavy pipe, then lifting that person out.Confirmed by CBS 17 only (Oct. 30, 2026)
  • The station quoted Lt. Joshua Hargrove of the Fayetteville Fire Department saying city and state agencies share equipment and resources for the work, and that it "just keeps us going forward with the advancements in technology."Confirmed by Fayetteville Fire Department, as reported by CBS 17 only (Oct. 30, 2026)
  • CBS 17 also quoted Bob Bowers, an FTCC fire and rescue instructor, calling trench work "a low frequency, very high risk" and saying skills fade if they are not used. That page said he described a statewide network of specialized teams.Confirmed by FTCC instructor, as reported by CBS 17 only (Oct. 30, 2026)
  • The college calendar lists six daytime dates. CBS 17 called the gathering two days. Those clocks do not match, so this file does not pick one length.Confirmed by Comparison of the FTCC calendar and CBS 17 (Oct. 30, 2026)

Still unknown

  • Which two days, if any, CBS 17 watched
  • How many firefighters attended, beyond the station's "dozens"
  • A written Fayetteville Fire Department or Task Force 9 notice we can read ourselves

What this means for you

Public safety
This story is not an official or emergency notice. If someone is trapped or in danger, call 911.

Instructions from FTCC fire-training page, fetched Oct. 30, 2026

This site is not FTCC or the Fayetteville Fire Department. For the class list, use the college fire-training page or 910-486-7470. If anyone is in danger, call 911.

What happened

In Fayetteville, Fayetteville Technical Community College lists a Trench Series class this week at its fire-rescue center on Tom Starling Road.

The college page we read Friday night shows FRC1213 on Oct. 26 through 31, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., at FRTC, 775 Tom Starling Rd. That listing also says the complex has a trench-collapse and confined-space pad, and that students must belong to a recognized department, bring a verification letter, and wear protective gear.

CBS 17, posted at 8:28 p.m., is the only newsroom account we have. It wrote that dozens of firefighters, including crews from Apex and Wilmington, spent two days on specialized work at the college, and that the session runs twice a year with the Fayetteville Fire Department and North Carolina Urban Search and Rescue Task Force Nine.

The station described one drill in which crews lifted a heavy pipe off a simulated utility worker, then moved that person out. It quoted Lt. Joshua Hargrove of the city department on shared equipment and newer tools. It also quoted Bob Bowers, a college instructor, calling the calls rare and high-risk and saying unused skills fade.

The calendar's six daytime dates are not the station's two-day line. This file does not choose a length.

This site is not the college or the fire department. If anyone is in danger, call 911.

What we don't know yet

Which days CBS 17 watched, a headcount beyond "dozens," and a written city or urban-search notice.

Photos

Text-only. No station or campus photographs are used here.

Why it matters

Underground utility work can collapse a trench in seconds. People in Cumberland County need the college's posted class dates and that CBS 17's two-day, Apex-and-Wilmington account is the station's, not a second official roster.

Updates

  1. Oct 30, 2026, 10:08 PM

    FTCC lists Trench Series FRC1213 Oct. 26-31 at the Tom Starling Road center. CBS 17, independently, reported a two-day gathering that included Apex and Wilmington firefighters and quoted the Fayetteville Fire Department and an FTCC instructor.

Sources

  1. Fire Training (Fayetteville Technical Community College Corporate and Continuing Education, fetched Oct. 30, 2026: 775 Tom Starling Rd., Fayetteville, NC 28306; 910-486-7470; Trench Series FRC1213 on Oct. 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., location FRTC; complex includes an area for trench collapse training and other confined space training; affiliation with a recognized fire department, training verification letter, and protective equipment required. Text-only; no college photos used.)

    Official sourcePublished by Fayetteville Technical Community College · Checked Oct 30, 2026, 10:07 PM

  2. As construction booms across NC, firefighters train for dangerous trench rescues in Fayetteville (CBS 17 / WNCN, posted Oct. 30, 2026, 8:28 p.m. ET: dozens of firefighters from across the state, including Apex and Wilmington; two days of specialized training at Fayetteville Technical Community College; twice a year; FTCC, Fayetteville Fire Department, and North Carolina Urban Search and Rescue Task Force 9; state certification or refresh; simulated utility worker under a heavy pipe; Lt. Joshua Hargrove on shared equipment and technology; Bob Bowers, FTCC instructor, low frequency very high risk, if you don't use it you lose it; statewide network. Read via the station's public WordPress JSON because the HTML page returned 403 here. Text-only; no CBS 17 photos used.)

    Published by CBS 17 · Checked Oct 30, 2026, 10:07 PM

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