Archive for July 16th, 2010

Richmond FPD is posted

Richmond FPD patchAlong the Illinois/Wisconsin border in McHenry County is the town of Richmond and the Richmond Fire Protection District. They are in Division 5 covering roughly 28 square miles from one fire station which is packed with apparatus. The design of the Richmond fire station is sightly unique in that all of the apparatus bays are in the rear of the ‘L-shaped’ building.


Richmond Fire Protection District Fire Station

The Richmond FPD station was designed in an 'L-shape' with the apparatus bays around the back of the building. Larry Shapiro photo

The department has a full-time chief and is staffed by 40 part-time firefighters. They run two engines, a truck, a tanker, two ambulances, a brush unit, two AWD ATVs and a pickup which doubles as a chase vehicle for medical runs and a take-home vehicle for the night-time shift commanders. Additionally, they have two beautiful antique engines.

Richmond FPD antique Pirsch

Several years ago, Richmond purchased a 1984 E-ONE, 110′, rear mount, single axle straight truck from Franklin Park. This was an early custom cab/chassis unit from E-ONE with the square cab. Richmond updated the emergency lighting, repainted the black roof white and did various other work to the unit before putting it in service.

Richmond FPD EONE E-ONE 110' truck X-Franklin Park

One of Richmond’s engines built in 1999 by US Tank with an enclosed top-mount pump panel has a twin unit in neighboring Spring Grove. Both feature the HME 1871 super command cab.

Richmond FPD HME US Tank pumper/tanker

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New pumper/tanker in Spring Grove

Spring Grove FPD HME Toyne pumper tanker

Engine 1844 is a 2010 HME 1871 Spectr/Toyne 1500/3000 pumper tanker. The hydraulic rack seen on this side stores the portable tank. Larry Shapiro photo

The Spring Grove FPD in McHenry County recently took an early delivery of their new pumper/tanker from Toyne out of Breda, IA. Engine 1844 features an HME 1871 Spectr cab and tandem axle chassis with a large extension and raised roof to house the enclosed, top-mount pump panel. This unit is reportedly going to replace a 1985 Ford C-Series Pierce 1250/1000 engine and a 1980 GMC 7000/US Tanker 2,200 gallon tanker.

enclosed top mounted pump panel

The top-mounted pump panel is enclosed within the super command cab similar to Spring Grove's 1999 HME/US Tanker pumper. Larry Shapiro photo

This pumper/tanker has a 1,500GPM pump and is listed by the manufacturer as having a 3,000-gallon water tank and a 40-gallon foam tank. Both sides of the long body feature high-side compartments and as such, the ladders on the officer’s side and the portable tank on the driver’s side are both accessible via overhead hydraulic storage racks.

Spring Grove FPD HME Toyne pumper tanker

The officer's side of the rig also features high-side compartments and hydraulic ladder rack storage for the ground ladders. Larry Shapiro photo

Engine 1844 has extendable chutes on either side to discharge tank water into a portable tank. There is no rear chute. Unlike most tankers, the chutes are located just behind the pump module instead of at the rear of the vehicle.

Spring Grove HME Toyne pumper tanker

The extendable discharge chute to dump the water into a portable tank is located just behind the pump module. There is a similar chute on the opossite of the unit. Larry Shapiro photo

Spring Grove FPD HME Toyne pumper tanker chevron

The rear of Engine 1844 shows the NFPA compliant chevron striping. Larry Shapiro photo

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