Archive for February, 2011

Chicago Fire Department patch update

Three more patches were added to the 2nd District for companies in the 9th & 10th Battalions. These are from the collection of Alexander Alexandrovski.

Chicago Fire Department Engine 71 patchEngine Company 71

Chicago Fire Department Engine 124 patchEngine Company 124, Truck Company 38, Ambulance 32, Battalion 10

Chicago Fire Department Truck 12 patchTruck Company 12

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Lake Zurich Fire Department photo history

Lake Zurich Fire Department antique tanker

An historic photo gallery with 24 images from Bill Friedrich and Larry Shapiro has been added to the Station 1 page for the Lake Zurich Fire Department. The gallery dates back to 1961 and traces the apparatus history through the current Pierce fleet. Several years ago, EMS for Lake Zurich and the surrounding unincorporated areas was provided by the Lake Zurich Rescue Squad, a separate company from the fire department. In recent years, the fire department took over the rescue squad and now provides fire and EMS services to the Village of Lake Zurich and areas covered by the Lake Zurich Rural Fire Protection District.

Lake Zurich Fire Department Mack CF engine

Older apparatus included units built by Mack, Darley, E-ONE, McCoy Miller, Frontline, and Howe.

Bill Friedrich also supplied a new image of Truck 3230 which was inserted onto the Lake Zurich Fire Department page for Station 1.

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Chicago Fire Department patch update

The first series of new patches added to the 2nd District includes four companies covering the 7th and 8th Battalions. All patches were submitted by Alexander Alexandrovski.

Chicago Fire Department Engine 76 patchHook & Ladder 35

Chicago Fire Department Squad 2 patchSquad 2

Chicago Fire Department Engine 68 patchEngine Company 68

Chicago Fire Department Engine 125 patchEngine  Company 125, Truck Company 53, Battalion 8

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Fox River Grove and Cary updates

In MABAS Division 5, the Cary Fire Protection District and the Fox River Grove Fire Protection District pages have been updated with several photos submitted by Bill Friedrich.

In Cary, new photos of Squad 255 and Tanker 260 were added along with an image of Engine 243.

Cary Fire Protection District

In Fox River Grove, a new photo of the tanker has been added along with a shot of Station 2 and an image of the 1923 Model T after a parade.

Fox River Grove Fire Protection District Model T fire truck

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Grayslake updated photos

Two photos at Station 1 in Grayslake have been updated; Engine 2717 and Brush/Utility 2795.

Grayslake Fire Department Seagrave Maurauder II engine

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Chicago Fire Department patch update

Two patches have been added to the 3rd District. The patch for Squad 7 is a variation of a patch that was posted previously.The patch for the Monsters of Midway is evidently an old patch since it shows 6-5-9 and 6-5-2. These were submitted from the collection of Alexander Alexandrovski.

Chicago Fire Department Midway Airport patchMidway Airport

Chicago Fire Department Squad 7 patchSquad 7

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Buffalo Grove house fire 2-25-11

The Buffalo Grove Fire Department (BGFD) received a call shortly before 2PM from a resident who came home and found the house filling with smoke. Within minutes the deputy chief was on the scene who reported smoke showing before he upgraded the alarm to a Code 4.  BGFD Engine 26 and Battalion 4 arrived minutes later and initiated an interior attack. The fire appeared to originate in a 2nd floor rear bedroom which then spread to the attic and the next room. Fire burned through the  floor of that bedroom, but the fire was stopped before it spread through the first floor.

Mutual aid at the scene was from Long Grove, Lincolnshire-Riverwoods, Arlington Heights, Palatine, and Buffalo Grove EMA.

Larry Shapiro was at the scene and submitted several images and a video. A complete gallery can be viewed HERE.

Buffalo Grove Fire Department house fire 803 Highland Grove Drive

Smoke turns white as firefighters making an interior attack hit the fire in the rear. Tower 25 maneuvers into position to vent the roof. Larry Shapiro photo

Buffalo Grove Fire Department house fire 803 Highland Grove Drive

Black smoke pushes out of the second floor after firefighters take out the windows. A supply line is attached to the tower in the event that they have to go defensive. Larry Shapiro photo

Buffalo Grove Fire Department house fire 803 Highland Grove Drive

A firefighter hits exterior hot spots in the rear of the house. Larry Shapiro photo

Buffalo Grove Fire Department house fire 803 Highland Grove Drive

The crew from Buffalo Grove Quint 27 exits the house to replenish their air after performing ventilation and search assignments. Larry Shapiro photo

Buffalo Grove Fire Department house fire 803 Highland Grove Drive

The rear of the house showing extensive fire damage. The fire reportedly originated in the 2nd floor corner bedroom. Larry Shapiro photo


 

Pioneer Press has a blurb HERE.

Lake County News-Sun has a small article HERE.

 

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Chicago Fire Department patch update

The last batch of new patches has been added to the 4th District listings in Chicago. This is the third of many updates to come with patches from the collection of Alexander Alexandrovski. In some cases, companies have more than one patch. Engine 117 and Tower 14 share a house and each has their own patch plus there is an additional patch featuring both companies. Since it is too much to show on the page with the apparatus photos, there is a new link at the top of the patch entitled ‘company patches’ that will take you another page where all of the patches are shown.

Chicago Fire Department Engine Company 39 patchEngine Company 39

Chicago Fire Department Engine Company 95 patchEngine Company 95 and Truck Company 26

Chicago Fire Department Engine Company 117 patchEngine Company 117 and Tower 14

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New rig for Chicago Engine 60

Chicago Fire Department Engine 60

A 2010 Spartan Gladiator Crimson high pressure pumper for assignment to Engine 60 carries shop #D-654. Dennis McGuire, Jr. photo

Chicago Engine 60 is due to receive their new high pressure engine soon. Reportedly it is currently sitting in their quarters. It is a 2010 Spartan Gladiator/Crimson with a 2,000-GPM pump. Engine 60 carries shop # D654 and has 500 gallons of water plus 35 gallons of foam.

Dennis McGuire, Jr. sent in a few images of the new engine and the old engine from a recent visit to the academy.

Chicago Fire Department Engine 60

Engine 60's new rig in the foreground with the current rig in the distance. Dennis McGuire, Jr. photo

Chicago Fire Department Engine 60

The rear of the new engine has a full reflective chevron design throughout the diamond plate. Dennis McGuire, Jr. photo

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Fox River & Countryside Fire Rescue District hires fire chief

The Daily Herald has a series of recent articles which reference the Fox River & Countryside Fire Rescue District.

The new Fox River Countryside Fire/Rescue District has a new chief to guide its evolution. It’s a task he’s already familiar with.

District officials Tuesday announced Greg Benson as the first fire chief of the district. Benson is already associated with the district as trustees hired him last month to be the technical adviser for the selection of fire equipment and seeking bids for manpower and emergency services with private companies. That process eventually led to the selection of Wheaton-based American Emergency Services as the new fire and ambulance provider. Under the deal, Benson will be an employee of AES, not the district.

The complete article can be found HERE.

The Daily Herald has an editorial about the emergence of the new fire department HERE entitled

Fire district heads down risky path

Leaders of the Fox River & Countryside Fire/Rescue District didn’t feel they could afford to pay the rate the City of St. Charles charges to provide the district with fire service, so they decided to go it alone. They treated this too much like a simple business decision, and the result could be disastrous.

Until now, the rural district — which serves Campton and Wayne townships and portions of Wayne and Campton Hills — has existed only on paper. It has had no equipment or personnel. Merely a board and a tax levy, with which it paid the City of St. Charles for fire service and Tri-City Ambulance for rescue.

… the district fire board wants to control its own destiny by building two stations, hiring a chief, buying trucks and ambulances and contracting with a company to provide both fire and ambulance service. At the outset, at least, the deal would cost the fire district slightly less than what St. Charles wanted.

Another recent article quotes Kane County Board Chairman Karen McConnaughay as saying that the fire district board members should be elected instead of appointed.

McConnaughay says fire board should be elected, not appointed

Kane County Board Chairman Karen McConnaughay suggested Wednesday that St. Charles Mayor Don DeWitte should look in the mirror when trying to figure out how the city lost the fire and ambulance service contract for the Fox River Countryside Fire/Rescue District.

In the aftermath of fire district trustees voting to create a new fire department and drop the city, DeWitte said McConnaughay is responsible for the department’s success or failure. McConnaughay appoints four of the five trustees.

But on Wednesday McConnaughay said DeWitte is the guy responsible for district President Jim Gaffney’s appointment.

The Kane County Chronicle has an article HERE about the new chief.

Fox River and Countryside district names Wayne resident as chief

Benson has served as the district’s technical adviser since January. Previously, he worked for fire departments in St. Charles, Aurora, Batavia and Elgin, where he served as battalion chief, according to a news release.

Benson will be employed by the district’s service provider, American Emergency Services.

AES, along with input from district trustees and the Citizen Advisory Committee, selected Benson from more than 50 applicants and five finalists, AES President Gary Jensen said.

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