Archive for October 27th, 2010

First fire for Buffalo Grove tower

Buffalo Grove firefighter Andy Russell breast cancer awareness

In honor of breast cancer awareness month, Buffalo Grove firefighters join other fire departments around the country by wearing pink. Larry Shapiro

At the height of the morning storm yesterday and within a ½ hour of shift change, four calls for service came into Northwest Central Dispatch for the Buffalo Grove Fire Department within minutes of each other. There were two ambulance calls, a reported transformer fire with extension to a shed, and a working fire in a townhouse. As companies scrambled to each call, the transformer fire was just that and had not extended to the shed, but smoke met firefighters on arrival at a center unit in a four-unit townhouse. The fire was upgraded immediately and companies that were already en-route to the shed fire were rerouted providing quick back-up to first-due units.

Buffalo Grove’s 2010 Ferrara Inferno tower ladder was the first fire suppression unit on the scene and was deployed for the first time at a Buffalo Grove fire.

Buffalo Grove Fire Department 2010 Ferrara Inferno tower ladder townhouse fire

Tower Ladder 25 (235) is deployed at a townhouse fire at 161 Old Oak Court E during the storm on Tuesday morning. Larry Shapiro photo

Buffalo Grove townhouse fire at 161 Old Oak Court E

The storm did not let up during fire fighting operations Tuesday morning as high winds knocked out power to thousands of homes and businesses. Larry Shapiro photo

More images from this fire can be seen HERE.

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Knollwood engine on-scene

Jeff Rudolph answers our call for on-scene apparatus images with a few shots of Knollwood Engine 44 responding to storm related downed wires.

Knollwood FD E-ONE Typhoon pumper

Knollwood Engine 44 standing by at a 'wires-down' call awaiting the arrival of the power company. Jeff Rudolph photo

Knollwood FD E-ONE Typhoon engine

Knollwood E44 at the scene of energized power lines down on a wood fence and shed. Address of 1012 Safford Av. Crews were forced to wait until Com Ed killed the power. Jeff Rudolph photo

Knollwood FD E-ONE Typhoon engine

Knollwood Engine 44 is a 2007 E-ONE Typhoon with a 2000-GPM pump and a 1,000-gallon water tank. Jeff Rudolph photo

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CFD staffing reduction proposal cut down

Firegeezer has a posting HERE about a proposal by the Chicago Inspector General to reduce CFD company staffing.

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Beach Park Fire Department is on the site

Beach Park Fire Protection District decal

Another Lake County, MABAS Division 4 department has been added to the site. Formerly known as the Bonnie Brook Fire Protection District, The Beach Park Fire Department covers roughly 14 square miles in northeast Lake County which includes unincorporated areas of the county as well as Beach Park. They do not though currently provide coverage for the entire town of Beach Park as the Winthrop Harbor Fire Department has responsibility for a portion of the town.

According to the Beach Park Village Link Newsletter in the winter of 2003:

The New Beach Park Fire Department

In the last months of 2002, there were plenty of positive changes in the fire protection services for our village. Formerly known as the “Bonnie Brook Fire Protection District”, the name was officially changed to the “Beach Park Fire Department” (BPFD) last November to better define the department’s capabilities and service areas.

Beach Park has a mixture of apparatus in the fleet including Alexis, Pierce, Seagrave, Medtec, and Osage. The newest rig is Engine 1222 which is a 2008 Seagrave Maurauder II engine. Currently, Beach Park Engine 1212, a 2002 HME/Alexis engine is undergoing work at Alexis Fire Apparatus.

Beach Park Fire Protection District Seagrave Maurauder II engine

Beach Park Fire Protection District Pierce Saber engine

Bonnie Brook Fire Protection District Pierce Saber pumper

Engine 1211 prior to the creation of the Beach Park FD was lettered for the Bonnie Brook FPD. Larry Shapiro photo

Bonnie Brook Fire Protection District Pierce Saber engine

Bonnie Brook FPD Engine 1211 shortly after being delivered by Pierce in 1993. Larry Shapiro collection

In recent Beach Park FD news, they have opened a second station at 13110 W. Major Avenue in Beach Park. This interesting station originated as an existing house with an attached garage. The garage was modified as a lobby and office area and a two-bay addition was then added for the apparatus. At the present time, this station has a crew of two or three which are a jump company, staffing either the engine or ambulance based on the nature of a request for service.

Beach Park Fire Protection District Station 2

Beach Park Station 2 at 13110 W. Major Avenue opened in April of 2010. Larry Shapiro photo

Beach Park Fire Protect District Station 2

Beach Park Fire Department Station 2

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