Jan 31
Scott Peterson sent in an image showing the current state of the newest fire station for the Huntley Fire Protection District. Station #4 is one block west of Square Barn Road on the south side of Algonquin Road. Huntley is in MABAS Division 5, in McHenry County.
Recent photo of Fire Station #4 under construction for the Huntley Fire Protection District. Scott Peterson photo
In a previous post HERE, we outlined the variations in CFD fire house designs built under the Alive 21 program. The stations built were for Engines 18, 38, 63, 70, 84, 88, 102, 121, Air/Sea Rescue, and Engine 109 which has not yet been completed. Some of the differences that were highlighted included two similar designs that differed by the inclusion of a hose tower, the roof line, and the amount of glass along the top of the apparatus bays. A third design is being implemented for Engine 109’s new house and a new house for Engine 16. The building for Engine 16 though begins what the City of Chicago Public Building Commission (PBC) is calling the first of the ‘Prototype B’ engine company houses (which is confusing because the house for Engine 109 is the same design).
Square footage for each house varies depending exactly on the individual needs of the companies assigned. Ranging from 14,000 square feet for Engine 102’s house to 18,000 square feet for Engine 121’s house, the differences incorporate the office space, meeting space, and training spaces allocated to each facility. Engine 16’s new house will have 18,500 square feet of space which includes Haz-mat unit operations with associated storage and EMS Field Division South offices.
The site sign depicting the new house for Engine 109.
When the Alive 21 program began, the rear entry to the three apparatus bays included only two doors that are both wider than a single sized door. These designs are in effect for the stations of Engines 38, 63, 84, and 88.
The rear apparatus bay doors of Engine 63's house shows the original two-door design. Steve Redick photo
A design change then altered this to incorporate three single width bay doors at the rear of the apparatus bays matching the three doors on the front of the bays. Houses for Engines 18, 70, 102, and 121 were each built with three doors at the rear of the apparatus bays.
Engine 121's house shows the updated design which features three bays doors on both sides of the apparatus bays. Hank Sajovic photo
The Chicago Public Building Commission website has links to the Fire Station projects HERE for the completed houses and HERE for the two active projects. The links for the two current projects include galleries of site photos chronicling the progress of each job.
The house for Engine 88 at 3637 W. 59th Street has the hose tower. Karl Klotz photo
The design for Engine 102 at 7340 N. Clark Street is without a hose tower. Larry Shapiro photo
Engine 121's house is at 1700 W. 95th Street. The apron design here has different landscaping along the driveway with a large grassy area unlike other houses with more concrete immediately outside the apparatus bays. This house also has the large solar panels on the roof. Hank Sajovic photo
Hank Sajovic points out that at one point the ‘front’ of the building was reversed for Engine 84’s house since the apparatus exits their building to the west even though the watch room is on the east side. All of the stations were built to have the ‘front’ on the left hand side of the building when viewed straight-on from the street, facing the flag poles.
Apparatus in Engine 84's house runs out of the east side of the building, opposite of the side with the watch room. Hank Sajovic photo
The Robbins Fire Department in MABAS Division 22 has now been added to the site. Robbins has one station with four engines, a tower ladder, and a mini-pumper. The engines are from Darley, E-ONE, Fire-Max, and HME. The Darley is a former Orland engine and the E-ONE came from Riverside. They provide EMS first responders to assist Bud’s Ambulance Service who is contracted for ALS service to the community. The mini-pumper was built by Hammerly on a Dodge chassis (correction … a Ford chassis). This was formerly owned by a department somewhere on the East Coast (correction … by Libertyville, IL).
The Robbins Fire Department station at 3327 W. 137th Street with Chicago style red doors, each featuring the company labels. Karl Klotz photo
Engine 2923 formerly saw service in Riverside, IL. Dennis McGuire, Jr. photo
This engine was originally built for the Orland Fire Protection District. It was part of an order of five units from Darley on Spartan Gladiator chassis. There were three engines, a 55-foot Snorkel, and a 100-foot LTI rear-mount tower ladder.Dennis McGuire, Jr. photo
Construction has begun for the new house at 53 E. Pershing Road that will be home to Engine 16, Ambulance 35, EMS Field Division South, and 5-1-1. The site has been cleared of the former warehouse and basement. Foundation work is underway with preparations for the footings.
The sign at the construction site for Engine 16's new firehouse that is underway. Hank Sajovic photo
This house has several notable differences in design than most of the other recent houses, although it appears to match the new house for Engine 109 at 2343 S. Kedzie Avenue.
The sign at the construction site for Engine 109's new house depicts the same rendering as for Engine 16. Hank Sajovic photo
An artist's rendering illustrating the new houses for Engine 16 and Engine 109.
The shape of these two new houses is squared off with lots of glass. The roof of the apparatus bays is flat where the others have an angled awning type roof. There is also different brick trim along the top of the brick walls and glass along the interior of the house instead of it being all brick. This house has a squared hose tower, and although several of the other stations lack one, the hose tower is rounded where they have been built. The new stations also have both horizontal and vertical windows as opposed to all The shape is squared off where others have an angled awning above the apparatus bays and different brick trim along the top of the brick walls. This house will have a hose tower though some of the others do not.windows previously.
Engine 18's house at 1360 S. Blue Island Avenue has much less glass in the design than the newer stations. This building also features the angled awning-like roof over the apparatus bays. Hank Sajovic photo
This house at 21 W. 59th Street is home to Engine 84, Truck 51, Ambulance 36, and Deputy District 5. This building has a rounded hose tower which differs from the square design for Engine 16 and Engine 109. Hank Sajovic photo
This house in the 9th Battalion is known as the 'Full House' since it is home to Engine 59, Engine 70, Truck 47, Ambulance 13 and Battalion 9. Located at 6030 N. Clark Street, it has no hose tower and a much smaller footprint on the 'front' end when compared to Engine 18's house. Hank Sajovic photo
The stations that have a hose tower also have a conventional door built into the overhead door in the apparatus bay closest to the street.
Engine 63's house at 1440 E. 67th Street has the rounded hose tower like Engine 84's house. This design also has more glass above the apparatus bays when compared to the stations without the hose towers. Hank Sajovic photo
The house at 3949 W. 16th Street which is home to Engine 38, Truck 48, and Deputy District 2 matches in style to the other buildings with the hose tower and the awning roof. Hank Sajovic photo
Steve Redick submitted several images of the 2-11 alarm fire last night at 1896 N. Milwaukee Avenue. He has a gallery which can be viewed HERE.
Squad 2's Snorkel is setup in Sector 1 to use their bucket to access the small window into the vacant occupancy to get water on the fire. Steve Redick photo
Smoke escapes from the building at 1896 N. Milwaukee Avenue as firefighters use a hand line and elevated master streams to fight the fire. Steve Redick photo
Members of Squad 2 use a thermal imager to locate the seat of the fire through the dense smoke. This building provided extremely limited access to the interior both in the front and rear. Steve Redick photo
Engine 30 taps a hydrant with two lengths of hard suction hose at the south end of the block. Steve Redick photo
An Air Mask Unit responds to all extra alarm fires and swaps out used air cylinders for companies. Steve Redick photo
Squad 2 stands by as the commanders hope to allow the fire to burn through the roof which would allow greater access for the master stream from the Snorkel above the roof line. Steve Redick photo
Tim Olk submitted these images from the 2-11 last night at 1896 N. Milwaukee Avenue in Chicago. The original post can be found HERE.
Firefighters from Squad 2 work their bucket into position to hit the fire at 1896 N. Milwaukee Avenue. The brick structure had limited areas that offered access to the interior. Tim Olk photo
Squad 2 directs their master stream into the building to attack the fire. Tim Olk photo
Firefighters mask up at the doorway before using a hand line to hit the fire originating deep within the structure. An interior attack was not an option due to the light-weight roof construction. Tim Olk photo
Jan 27
Several fire departments in the area have placed orders for new apparatus.
From Marion:
From Pierce:
Thanks to Bill Friedrich for updating this information.
The Schiller Park Fire Department responded to a fire at the Horse Shoe Inn at 9639 Irving Park road before 4:00 this morning. The tavern is located a half block west of the fire station and arriving companies were met by thick smoke blowing across the street. Little fire was visible initially, but within minutes of the fire department’s arrival, flames were coming out of the front door. The fire was upgraded to a 2-11 bringing mutual aid from several neighboring departments in MABAS Division 20 including Franklin Park, Norwood Park, Leyden Township, Northlake, River Grove, Elmwood Park, Rosemont, and Stone Park.. Firefighters reportedly pulled a victim from the building with a gunshot wound to the head who was transported to the hospital by medics. The stubborn fire travelled through the older building requiring extensive overhaul and the alarm was elevated to a 3-11 shortly after 5AM bringing companies from Des Plaines, Melrose Park, Bensenville, and Park Ridge.
While this fire was active, the Maywood Fire Department, also in MABAS Division 20, requested a box alarm for a house fire in their town that occupied additional Division 20 companies.
A brief article can be found HERE and HERE.
Firegeezer.com has a thorough article on the fire HERE.
Steve Redick and Larry Shapiro both took in the fire and will have images to add later today.
Firefighters prepare to hit fire that is burning off the second floor of the Horse Shoe Inn at 9639 Irving Park Road in Schiller Park. Larry Shapiro photo
A gallery of images by Larry Shapiro can be seen HERE.
Chicago companies responded to a fire at 1896 N. Milwaukee Avenue last night around 9PM and encountered heavy smoke pushing out of a one-story brick commercial structure. Exposures on either side of the building were three-story brick buildings. The fire was elevated to a 2-11 alarm as companies went defensive pulling all personnel out of the building that was determined to have a light-weight truss roof. There were few means of reaching the deep-seated fire from the front and rear as windows were minimal. Engine 35 was lead out in Sector 1 with Truck 28, Tower 10, and Squad 2A. Engine 57 was in the alley and Engines 30 and 43 had hydrants at the south end of the block. Dennis McGuire, Jr., Tim Olk, Steve Redick, and Larry Shapiro all took in the fire. Images will be posted later today.
A brief article can be found HERE.
A shot in Sector 1 showing Engine 35 supplying water to Squad 2's Snorkel. In the background is Truck 28 and Tower Ladder 10. Larry Shapiro photo
A gallery of Larry Shapiro’s images can be seen HERE. Steve Redick’s photos are HERE.
An article from the Trib Local last month mentions a new ambulance purchase for Libertyville. According to the article, they have ordered a Type III unit from Medtec to match the others that are in the Libertyville fleet.
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