Archive for May, 2010

New apparatus coming to Evanston

It’s been several years since the Evanston Fire Department has replaced apparatus and now with the help of a grant and a donation from Northwestern University they are getting a new engine and a new tractor-drawn aerial (TDA). The engine was ordered from Pierce on an Arrow XT chassis with a 1500 GPM 2-stage pump a 500-gallon water tank. This will go to Engine 23 on Central Avenue. Engine 23’s rig will replace Engine 325 as a reserve piece. The new engine which is due in early September is a donation from the university. In recognition of the donation, there will be a plaque on the pump panel and a ‘Wildcat’ (the NU mascot) painted on the grille.

Evanston received a grant for a new TDA and they are in the process of going to bid on a 100′ TDA with independent suspension for both the tractor and trailer. This will replace Truck 22. The fire department is also hoping to get the go-ahead from the city to purchase a new tractor for their other TDA, Truck 23.

The last of the new apparatus orders is for a new ambulance. Reported to be on an International chassis, the new ambulance will be built by Medtec.

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MABAS signs lease and moves to Wheeling

The Village of Wheeling and the Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) recently signed a lease agreement for the property at 175-233 W. Hintz Road in Wheeling. This property which formerly housed the Wheeling Public Works Department will be the new home of MABAS for the next 33 months with an option to extend the lease for an additional 36 months. MABAS will move their offices to this location and will use the facility to store a large amount of their physical resources including MABAS and Illinois Task Force One (IL-TF1) vehicles and trailers. Most of the mobile assets which have been stored to date at the Northeastern Illinois Public Safety Training Academy (NIPSTA) in Glenview have already been relocated to the Wheeling facility.

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Lansing is added to Division 24

The Lansing Fire Department with three stations in Division 24 has been added to the site thanks to Karl Klotz. Lansing has stations 2,3, and 4. They no longer actively use their station 1 which is currently being utilized for storage. Lansing recently took delivery of a Pierce 100′ aerial platform (PAP) on a Velocity chassis which was previously mentioned HERE. Their fleet is a mixture of apparatus from Pierce, 3D, KME, Osage, Horton and a large squad built on a KME chassis that is painted white and black.

Lansing FD Pierce Velocity tower ladder

Photo by Karl Klotz

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Glenwood is added to Division 24

Karl Klotz has been busy photographing departments in Division 24.  Thanks to Karl, The Glenwood Fire Department has been added to the site. Glenwood has two stations which include a pair of the first HME Ahrens Fox apparatus to have been sold in Illinois back in 2004.

Glenwood Fire Department HME Ahrens Fox quint

Photo by Karl Klotz

Glenwood FD HME Ahrens Fox warehouse fire

Photo by Larry Shapiro

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CFD fire house new construction update

The following information comes from Bill Post regarding new fire houses in Chicago.

While most Chicago Fire Fans out there already know that the City of Chicago will be building a new Fire Station for Engine 109 ,Truck 32 , Ambulance 34 and Battalion 14 at 2343 S Kedzie within the next year or so, as it is the last of 9 new fire stations and one new Heliport that was part of Chicago’s “Neighborhoods Alive” building program that was proposed in the year 2000 and started with the building of Engine 63, Truck 16’s, Ambulance 89’s and EMS field officer 458’s new station which officially opened in late 2003/early 2004 , a tenth new fire station is now being proposed by the City at 3901 N S Wabash for Engine 16 and Ambulance 35.
It’s official and the Public Building Commission was supposed to have held a meeting in the “Grand Boulevard”
neighborhood in March to discuss the proposal. While I don’t know if funding has been approved for the project yet, once funding is approved it should take a total of about 30 months to have it built which includes about 9 months to complete the design, 6 months to prepare the site and another 15 months to complete the construction. So assuming that funding is secured and the project is on schedule ( which is not always the case) the station probably won’t be opened before sometime during 2013 (if we are lucky).
The proposed site is a vacant lot. That’s about all the information I have so far.
Bill Post

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CFD gives engine to Dixmoor

The Chicago Fire Department gave a retired engine to The Dixmoor Fire Department in Division 22. The 1992 Spartan/Luverne 1500/500 was assigned to Engine 30 before going into the pool of spare engines.

Dixmoor IL engine 43 formerly Chicago Engine 30

Engine 43 in Dixmoor was formerly Engine 30 in Chicago. It is a 1992 Spartan/Luverne 1500/500. Photo by Karl Klotz

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Bensenville FPD is on the site

The Bensenville Fire Protection District has been added to the Division 20 portion of the website. Bensenville has two stations although they used to have a third station which has been closed and will be demolished in the near future as part of the O’Hare Airport Expansion and Modernization Project. All of Bensenville’s rigs are pained black over red with the exception of Engine 86 which is their reserve piece. The fleet used to sport a white over red color scheme. The tanker and the tower ladder were repainted to match the new rigs.

Tanker 92, a 1988/1989 Ford Darley, won’t be on the roster much longer as the district has put it up for sale. They expect it to be gone during the summer.

In other Bensenville news, as of May 1st they are being dispatched by NORCOMM and no longer by Bloomingdale. The new frequency is 154.370.

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Chicago Fire Commissioner Retires

Fire Commissioner Brooks today notified the Fire Department Pension Board that he was retiring … not the office of the mayor evidently.  The sexual harassment complaint against Brooks remains open as does an investigation into the handling of the complaint by then Office of Compliant’s Chief Anthony Boswell … who resigned. CBS Channel 2 has an in depth story HERE. WGN/Chicago Tribune have a brief article HERE.

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Traditional Wet Down in Buffalo Grove

The Buffalo Grove Fire Department brought a touch of what is considered by many as being an ‘East-Coast Volunteer Fire Company’ tradition to the Chicago area. This morning they had a wet-down ceremony to welcome the new Ferrara engine and Ferrara tower ladder to their new home. The event was attended by current and former Buffalo Grove fire department personnel, village officials and other invited guests. Chief Vavra made a brief opening statement which was followed by a hosing down of the rigs. Guests and firefighters then dried the rigs before ‘pushing’ them into station 26. Both rigs should be in service within the next month and a half. The engine is slated to be assigned to Station 27 and the tower will likely go into service at Station 26. The KME 75′ Quint now assigned to Station 27 would then be moved to Station 25.

Buffalo Grove is trading in the 1991 E-ONE 75′ Hush Quint and the 1989 Seagrave engine.

Buffalo Grove Fire Department Ferrara engine and tower ladder

The new Ferrara tower ladder and Ferrara engine at Station 26 in Buffalo Grove. Larry Shapiro photo

Buffalo Grove Fire Department wet down

A Buffalo Grove firefighter 'wetting down' the new tower ladder. Larry Shapiro photo

Buffalo Grove Fire Department wet down

Fire department personnel and guests wipe down the new Buffalo Grove Ferrara tower ladder. Photo by Larry Shapiro

Buffalo Grove Fire Department wet down

Buffalo Grove firefighters get help from a few friends to push the new tower ladder into the station for the first time. Photo by Larry Shapiro

Buffalo Grove Fire Department wet down

Buffalo Grove's new tower ladder is pushed into Station 26. The apparatus bay door was raised last year to accommodate the new rig. Larry Shapiro photo

Buffalo Grove Fire Department wet down

Buffalo Grove engine 217 which is slated to go into service on the north end of town at Station 27 is pushed into the headquarters station for the first time. Photo by Larry Shapiro

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Fire Museum of Greater Chicago

On Saturday, the Fire Museum of Greater Chicago opened it’s doors to allow a preview of the work that has been done to date. The museum is not yet open nor is it finished but a tremendous amount of effort has taken place. There were more than 70 visitors who had the opportunity to look at an Ahrens Fox pumper, several static displays including uniforms, buckets, helmets, scale models, an old fire alarm board, artwork and photographs. The building itself looks great and the red bay doors really dress up the exterior.

The 5-11 Club Canteen offered refreshments and there were homemade pastries for snacking. Steve Redick was on-hand with a camera and has offered a few photos.

Fire Museum of Greater Chicago

The exterior of the Fire Museum of Greater Chicago, which was once the quarters of Engine 123. Photo by Steve Redick

Fire Museum of Greater Chicago

Closeup of the exterior stonework on the building which houses the Fire Museum of Greater Chicago. Steve Redick photo

Fire Museum of Greater Chicago

Historical painting which is now part of the museum collection. Photo by Stve Redick

Fire Museum of Greater Chicago

A vintage status map from the Englewood Alarm Office. Photo by Steve Redick

Fire Museum of Greater Chicago

Steve Redick posing with the amplifier panel which he used while working at the Englewood Alarm Office . Photo by Larry Shapiro

Englewood FIre Alarm Office

Steve Redick circa 1980 with the then state-of-the-art amplifier panel at the Main Fire Englewood Alarm Office. Photo Courtesy of Steve Redick

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