Blue fire trucks connect UNC to the Town

Posted Oct 7, 2019
It was UNC's homecoming game in 1996. Mack Brown was the football coach, and the Tar Heels were 2-0. Before the team took the field to defeat Georgia Tech, fans and Chapel Hill residents were treated to a surprise that would change the community. It was at this game, Sept. 21, 1996, that the first Carolina blue fire truck was introduced to Chapel Hill. (Daily Tar Heel)

Related: Campus Connections

From UNC Student Reporter to Olympics Writer
An interview with a UNC student-reporter must have felt like looking in a mirror. Sean Cavanaugh ’17, a reporter for the Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS)...
Tue Mar 24, 2026

AI research at Carolina
From computer science to journalism, health sciences to social work, researchers are applying AI to the world’s problems. Carolina already boasts a deep knowledge of...
Sun Mar 22, 2026

From an indigo hue to Carolina Blue: the history behind UNC's school colors
Many students, fans and alums have proudly proclaimed that UNC is home to "the better blue." Carolina Blue became a widely used noun in the...
Sat Mar 21, 2026

Entrepreneur, UNC alum gives back, a bagel at a time
Alex Brandwein left UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School in May 2020 with two big accomplishments: an MBA and a lease for a bagel shop a few...
Tue Mar 17, 2026