Archive for August, 2010

MABAS Response Drill Photos

Another photo gallery has been posted detailing the MABAS 90-90 Response Drill from last Friday. The gallery by Larry Shapiro can be viewed by scrolling down on the page found HERE. Yesterday, Hank Sajovic posted a gallery of images which can be seen HERE.

MABAS 90-90 Drill

This is the pad at NIPSTA in preparation for the arrival of 11 task forces, each consisting of nine units. Larry Shapiro photo

MABAS 90-90 Drill

This is the view from the same location after all of the task forces were in place. Larry Shapiro photo

MABAS 90-90 Drill

Each task force brought three ambulances to the staging area. Larry Shapiro photo

MABAS 90-90 Drill

The task force from Lake County (IL) Division 4 is shown arriving at north staging. Larry Shapiro photo

MABAS 90-90 Drill

Staff personnel at two computer stations checked in all personnel via bar-coded MABAS issued ID cards. Larry Shapiro photo

MABAS 90-90 Drill

Although media coverage for the response drill was extensive, evidently it was all centered at the north staging site at NIPSTA in Glenview. Reportedly the sites in Hoffman Estates and Tinley Park received much less media attention. Larry Shapiro photo

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MABAS 90/90 Response Drill 8-27-10

Hank Sajovic has posted the images that he took at NIPSTA last Friday during the MABAS 90/90 Response Drill. His gallery can be seen HERE. Information about the drill and the MABAS press release can be seen as part of an earlier post HERE.

MABAS 90 90 response drill

Firefighters and officers from one task force line up and proceed to the check-in tent for accountability. Hank Sajovic photo

Chicago Fire Department helicopter 681

The Chicago Fire Department helicopter 6-8-1 hovered over the north reception site at NIPSTA in Glenview for a portion of the exercise. Hank Sajovic photo

MABAS 90 90 response drill

This shot shows the orderly staging of companies by task force. Each task force consisted of a task force leader (battalion chief and aide), one truck, one heavy rescue, three engines and three ambulances. Hank Sajovic photo

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Area Departments and Chief Officers Receive Awards

During the International Association of Fire Chiefs Conference in Chicago last week was a ceremony recognizing achievements that were awarded by the Center for Public Safety Excellence (CPSE). Among the awards were fire departments that became accredited agencies, Chief Fire Officer (CFO) Designees, Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Designees and Fire Officer (FO) Designees.

Several local chief officers were recognized as CFO Designees; some for the first time, some received their second recognition and several were awarded their third or fourth term as CFO Designees.

Both the Lake Forest Fire Department and the Lincolnshire-Riverwoods Fire Protection District received their accreditation for the first time.

Lincolnshire-Riverwoods Fire Protection District Accreditation

Representatives of the Lincolnshire-Riverwoods FPD were on hand to accept the plaque recognizing their department as an accreditated agency. Larry Shapiro photo

Lisle Woodridge and Downers Grove fire chiefs

From left to right: Downers Grove Fire Chief James Jackson, Sr., Lisle-Woodridge Fire District Chief Thomas Freeman (third term CFO Designee), and Downers Grove Deputy Chief Richard Mikel (first term CFO Designee). Larry Shapiro photo

Downer Grove and Westmont fire chiefs

From left to right: Downer Grove Deputy Chief Jefferey Pindelski, Westmont Fire Chief Frank Trout (third term CFO Designee) and Montgomery & Countryside FPD Chief Thomas Meyers, Jr (third term CFO Designee). Larry Shapiro photo

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Many new area rigs at Fire Rescue International

There are many new pieces of apparatus for our area currently on display at the Fire Rescue International 2010 trade show at McCormick Place. Among them are:

  • Pierce – South Holland Velocity PUC 100′ PAP rear mount tower ladder; Great Lakes NTC Impel 75′ RM quint
  • Medtec – Algonquin Lake-in-the-Hills Type I Freightliner
  • Crimson – CFD Spartan pumper; CFD Spartan 103′ RM aerial ladder; Naperville Spartan pumper
  • Horton – Minooka Ford Type III MICU
  • US Tank – Pingree Grove FPD Kenworth tanker
  • Federal Signal – CFD Ford Expedition battalion chief unt
  • Ferrara – Algonquin Lake-in-the-Hills Inferno engine and RM Tower ladder
  • Sutphen – Exxon Mobil Joliet Refinery industrial mid-mount tower ladder quint
  • Super Vac (SVI Trucks) – Cherry Valley Spartan HDR
Chicago Fire Department Crimson ladder

The first Spartan Gladiator Crimson 103′ rear mount aerial ladder built for Chicago was displayed at the Fire Rescue International (FRI) 2010 trade show. Larry Shapiro photo

Algonquin Lake-in-the-Hills Medtec ambulance

This Freightliner/Medtec Type I ambulance for the Algonquin lake-in-the-Hills Fire Department was on display in the Pierce booth. There were a total of three units on the trade show floor for this department. Larry Shapiro photo

Algonquin Lake-in-the-Hills Ferrara engine

The smaller than normal pump enclosure and built-in cross lays on the new Ferrara engine for the Algonquin Lake-in-the-Hills Fire Department resembles a trend in apparatus design which was first introduced several years ago by Pierce. Larry Shapiro photo

Cherry Valley Fire Department Spartan SVI Super Vac heavy rescue

A Spartan Super Vac (SVI) heavy rescue for Cherry Valley with walk-around body, light tower, front bumper hydraulic rescue tools, air cascade system and an abundance of slide-out shelving and trays. Larry Shapiro photo

A gallery showing several of these units can be seen on Larry Shapiro’s site HERE.

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E-ONE gives fire truck away at FRI 2010 trade show

For the second year in a row, E-ONE has enlisted the help of several industry partners to sponsor a contest to give a brand new fire truck away to a department which shows an overwhelming need for a new truck. After the field of entrants was narrowed to seven finalists, the winner was determined by on-line voting for the most deserving department. Today, E-ONE awarded the fire truck to the Owens Cross Road Volunteer Fire Department from northern Alabama.

The winner was announced after Peter Guile, E-One’s president, read one heart wrenching story after another to a large crowd on the trade show floor who had gathered at the E-ONE booth.

E-ONE fire truck giveaway

Members of one of the finalist departments wait anxiously for the winner to be announced. Folks at home are listening to the event on the phone. Larry Shapiro photo

E-ONE fire truck giveaway

Fire Chief Dan Kelly of the Owens Cross Road Volunteer Fire Department reacts to winning the fire truck. Larry Shapiro photo

E-ONE fire truck giveaway

E-ONE workers apply the name of the winning fire department to the engine. Larry Shapiro photo

E-ONE fire truck givesqay

A large crowd gathered at the E-ONE booth to see the giveaway. Larry Shapiro photo

E-ONE fire truck giveaway

E-ONE president Peter Guile poses with Fire Chief Dan Kelly and his wife after the Owens Cross Road VFD won the brand new engine. Larry Shapiro photo

A gallery of images depicting the event can be seen HERE on Larry Shapiro’s site.

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MABAS 90-90 Drill yesterday

MABAS-IL in conjunction with the IAFC and DHS conducted a multi-state MABAS response drill.  The purpose of the drill was to assemble a minimum of 90 companies in 90 minutes at each of three reception sites in the Chicago metro area.  The three reception sites were NIPSTA in Glenview, the Sears Center in Hoffman Estates and the First Midwest Theater (Formerly Tweeter) in Tinley Park.  Each MABAS Task Force consists of:

1 chief

1 aid to the chief

3 engines

1 truck

1 squad

3 ambulances (ALS or BLS, private or municipal)

The task forces deployed were:

North/NIPSTA: 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 20, 29, 101, 102, 107, 109

West/Sears: 1, 2, 6, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17, 30, 104

South/Tinley: 7, 15, 19, 21, 22, 23, 24, 27, 207, 3501, 38/25(two IL divisions combined)

The 100-series divisions are from Wisconsin

The 200-series divisions are from Indiana

3501 is from Michigan.

Maps showing division locations are available at:

http://www.mabas-il.org/MabasDivisions/Pages/default.aspx

http://www.mabaswisconsin.org/mabaswisconsinmap.html

The staging of Task Force 109 (City of Milwaukee) with Task Force 9 (City of Chicago) marked the first time since the Great Chicago Fire that both departments had apparatus “working together at the same incident”.

This synopsis was provided by Drew Smith, Deputy Chief, Prospect Heights FD.

The MABAS Press Release follows:

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Multi state MABAS drill

Today there was a multi-state MABAS drill to simulate the assembly of many companies in the event of a major disaster. Images and information about the event will be posted later this evening.

MABAS disaster drill

Overall scene shot of the staging at NIPSTA in Glenview which was one of three similar staging sites. Larry Shapiro photo

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Roberts Park has been added to the site

Roberts Park Fire Protection District patchAnother department has been added to Division 21. Thanks to Bill Friedrich and Karl Klotz for images representing the Roberts Park Fire Protection District which serves Hickory Hills and Justice. They run out of two stations with 17 career personnel and 60 part-time personnel. Most of the fire suppression apparatus is Pierce with one engine built by Crimson. Of interest is Ladder 31, a 2008 Pierce Arrow XT 100′ rear mount aerial with no pump and no water tank. This is one of the units that has been featured as the apparatus on the TV show “Rescue Me.”

Roberts Park Fire Protection District Pierce Arrow XT ladder 'Rescue Me'

Although both stations are located in Justice, Station 32 on Archer Avenue used to house the Justice Fire Department.

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Ferrara updates

Ferrara has posted new images of the Glenside engine HERE showing that the body has been mounted.

At the same link, there are images of a new chassis which has been completed for the Nunda FPD in McHenry County on an Ember chassis. This engine will feature a 1,500-GPM pump and a 1,000-gallon water tank.

The two units for Algonquin no longer appear on the Ferrara website in the section showing trucks in production. The trucks are also not shown in the new deliveries section. Will we see these units being delivered at the show this week?

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Chicago aerials

Crimson has not posted any recent images showing the status of the new aerial for Chicago. Everyone will just have to wait and see what shows up on the trade show floor this week.

The website does indicate that another four aerials are being built with photos of a truck body.

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