Jul 5
Several weeks ago there was a large commercial fire in Palatine at the WINGS Resale Shop. While photographing the fire scene, Larry Shapiro was able to capture a few rigs on-scene that were needed to fill in missing spots for Palatine and Rolling Meadows. Those units have now been added to the site.
Highland Park Engine 32‘s new pumper on the south side of town has gone into service recently. It is a Spartan Gladiator chassis and a Crimson body. Engine 32 has a 1,500 GPM pump, 500-gallon water tank, and like all Highland Park suppression rigs, it carries 40 gallons of foam. The new unit has graphics on the cab which state ‘Proudly Serving Ravinia’ which represents that end of town. Housed in Station 32 which has historical recognition in the neighborhood, the engine fits into tight quarters. The fire department is restricted with regards to any upgrades or renovations to the facility due to the landmark status. Alongside the new engine is Ambulance 32 and a company of four firefighters.
The new Spartan Gladiator Crimson engine in Highland Park. Larry Shapiro photo
The officer's side of Engine 32. This is the first Highland Park purchase with a painted steel bumper. All of the other units in town have chrome bumpers. Larry Shapiro photo
Rear view of the new engine showing full height compartments, a hydraulic ladder rack, and NFPA compliant chevron. Larry Shapiro photo
Glencoe Squad 30 which arrived recently is not yet in service. It is a Pierce Saber and replaces a Pierce Lance. Larry Shapiro photo
The Glencoe Fire Department (Public Safety Department) received a new unit for Squad 30. Replacing a 1993 Pierce Lance with a 20″ raised roof, the new Squad 30 is considerably smaller and utilizes a Saber cab with a 10″ raised roof. The new unit no longer has a cascade system and has less overall compartment space. It is roughly the same size as Engine 30, a 1996 Pierce Saber.
Squad 30 has deep rescue-style compartments and a pair of extrication tools in the front bumper. It has a hydraulic ladder rack, air bags, spare air bottles, 1,500 GPM pump, 500 gallons of water, electric cord reels, cribbing, a portable generator for the hydraulic tools, assorted hand tools, and various extinguishers.
Once the radios are installed, Squad 30 will go into service.
The front bumper compartment contains two pre-piped extrication tools. Larry Shapiro photo
View of the rear compartment on the driver's side. Larry Shapiro photo
Nested tool boards provide organized storage for several tools. Larry Shapiro photo
Officer's side of the new Squad. Larry Shapiro photo
Rear view of Squad 30 showing the deep compartments, NFPA chevron, and the hydraulic ladder rack in operation. Larry Shapiro photo
Troy has taken delivery of their second Pierce Arrow XT engine bearing their new color scheme. This is Engine 2221 (the previous one was 2211).
The second Pierce Arrow XT engine for Troy shown in the new colors. Pierce photo
Algonquin has two new units in production at Ferrara. Similar to Buffalo Grove, they purchased an engine and a tower ladder. Reportedly, that’s where the similarities end though as the Algonquin units are said to be fully loaded. The first set of production photos at the Ferrara plant can be seen HERE for both units.
Algonquin also received a new ambulance from Medtec this spring.
The Countryside FPD is Lake County is expecting a new Horton ambulance and a tender from US Tank very soon.
Production history of the new tender being built by US Tank for Countryside. US Tank photos
Glenview has reportedly placed an order now for two engines from Pierce. Though both will feature the Arrow XT cab and chassis, one will have a conventional pumper body similar to engines 6 & 7 while the second will have a rescue style body like engine 8 which was shown HERE.
Huntley is expecting a new IHC 4300 Type I ambulance from Medtec.
Highland Park is in the initial stages of designing specifications for a new ambulance. Currently, their ambulances are Type III units on E-Series Ford chassis. The new unit will reportedly be a departure from this style and will be a Type I design featuring an F-Series chassis from Ford.
The Glen Ellyn Fire Company becomes only the second department posted to date representing Division 12. They are a volunteer department with a paid chief and contract medics who staff one ambulance in each station. Glen Ellyn has a reputation for purchasing interesting apparatus that are not the ‘norm’ for the area. Unique to them, they order engines in pairs so that they can place identical units in each station. They have two pair of engines that were purchased like this; one pair from 1983 built by 3D on Spartan Silent Knight (rear engine) chassis and the other pair was purchased in 1993 that are on Spartan Gladiator chassis with Saulsbury bodies.
Glen Ellyn has a truck in each station and various squad units. For many years now one of their trucks has been a Snorkel. Currently they have a 2000 Spartan Gladiator/Marion 75′ Snorkel in the downtown house and a 102′ Grumman AerialCat in the Taft Avenue station.
They have a beautiful statue outside their headquarters building, the money for which was donated to the department by an individual in recognition of the fire company celebrating their 100th anniversary in 2007.
The money for this statue which resides at Glen Ellyn Station 1 was donated by an individual in recognition of the Glen Ellyn Fire Company Centennial in 2007. Larry Shairo photo
Jul 2
Station 2 is home to a medic unit, an engine, and the special teams which includes haz mat, the dive team, and a mobile unit for the fire investigation team. Larry Shapiro photo
Division 16 encompasses only three fire departments but it represents roughly 100 square miles of area and includes 19 fire stations. The departments are Downers Grove, Lisle Woodridge, and Naperville. Previously, Downers Grove and recently Naperville have been added to the site with their combined 14 stations. As of today, the five stations of the Lisle Woodridge Fire District are on the site as well.
Engine 541 (running out of station 4) is the newest unit in the fleet. Larry Shapiro photo
Three of the Lisle Woodridge stations are in the Village of Lisle and two are in the Village of Woodridge. They staff four engines, two trucks, a battalion chief and four medic units. One of the medic units is only staffed for 12 hours a day. Neither of their truck companies (one ladder and one platform) carries water or has a pump. Lisle Woodridge used to maintain a suppression fleet that was 100% E-ONE and a medic fleet of Freightliner/Life Line ambulances. Today, though several E-ONE units remain in the fleet, they are being phased out by Pierce units. Currently both trucks and two of the engines are Pierce. The medic units are still from Life Line although the Freightliner FL60 chassis are being replaced with IHC 4300 chassis.
This unit which has no official assigned duties was one of the first super-command-cab units built by Spartan back in 1984. Spartan introduced these enormous cabs to the fire service and the first few units were built for suburban Chicago departments including this EONE rescue, a Frontline rescue for North Palos, and an FMC pumper for Fox Lake. The square cab design was not popular and made way for a contoured cab after a short period of time.
Jul 2
Skokie has received a new ambulance for station 18. This 2009/2010 unit is t he first Horton in Skokie. The previous ambulances were Medtec units and prior to that they were from Road Rescue. Skokie buys through the Northwest Municipal Conference Suburban PurchasingCooperative list of approved suppliers and Horton was on that list when this unit was ordered (Wheeled Coach and Foster Coach/Medtec were also on that list which has since expired).
Skokie's new 2009/2010 Horton Type I for Ambulance 18. Larry Shapiro photo
Passenger side of the new Horton ambulance at Station 18. Larry Shapiro photo
The previous 2003 Medtec Ambulance 18 is now Ambulance 17R and the 2000 Road Rescue which had been Ambulance 17R was traded in.
The interior of the new Horton ambulance. Larry Shapiro photo
A rear view of the ambulance showing the full chevron striping and LED lighting. Larry Shapiro photo
The Ford/Taylor Made command unit for Battalion 16 has, until now, been missing from the site. The photo is now available HERE.
Jul 1
Several interesting patches have been added to the department pages. Mundelein and Libertyville patches have been added in Division 4, Peotone has been added in Division 19, and Glenwood in Division 24 has been posted as well. If your department is on the site and no patch is shown with the listings, we would appreciate the opportunity of getting a patch to complete the posting
Headquarters Fire Station 1 is at 1551 N. Milwaukee Avenue. Larry Shapiro photo
In Lake County (Division 4), Libertyville operates out of three stations. Two of their stations are at either end of the district along Milwaukee Avenue and the third is on the eastern edge just outside the main Abbott Labs campus.
Quint 462 runs out of Station 2. It is a 2008 Pierce Velocity with a 75' rear mounted aerial ladder on a full length chassis. Since the 75' ladder only requires one set of outriggers, Libertyville has added storage space at their disposal where the front jack s would be for a larger aerial. Larry Shapiro photo
Libertyville is a 100% Pierce department with regards to suppression units and their five ambulances are a mix of Medtec and Road Rescue.
Fire Station 3 serves a dual role housing offices for the Abbott Labs Fire Department in addition to the Libertyville units. Larry Shapiro photo
Station 3 which houses a jump company with an engine and ambulance also has space which is home for offices of the Abbott Fire Chief plus classroom space. The Abbott command unit is housed in this station along with a spare ambulance and CERT trailer.
You are currently browsing the archives for July, 2010
For the finest department portraits and composites contact Tim Olk or Larry Shapiro.
