Archive for April, 2011

Berwyn 2-11 alarm fire at 28th and Ridgeland

5:30PM – Saturday, April 23, 2011:

Berwyn firefighters are battling a 2-11 alarm fire at 28th & Ridgeland in a 3-story apartment building. The fire has been in for about an hour now and is through the roof. Companies have been ordered out of the building and the attack has gone defensive. Several ladder pipes are currently in operation as heavy fire is visible.

Josh Boyajian is on the scene and has submitted several images to us.

Berwyn 2-11 apartment building fire 4-23-11

Firefighters are seen exiting the roof of the building after being ordered off. Josh Boyajian photo

Berwyn 2-11 apartment building fire 4-23-11

Firefighters prepare put the North Riverside tower to work. Josh Boyajian photo

Berwyn 2-11 apartment building fire 4-23-11

Heavy fire is visible burning through a collapsed section of the roof. Josh Boyajian photo

Berwyn 2-11 apartment building fire 4-23-11

Stickney's aerial has been deployed with an elevated master stream as fire can be seen throughout the 3rd floor. Josh Boyajian photo

Berwyn 2-11 apartment building fire 4-23-11

Two elevated master streams at work in Berwyn. Josh Boyajian photo

Berwyn 2-11 apartment building fire 4-23-11

Multiple lines are deployed from the Stickney truck. alongside the building. Josh Boyajian photo

Berwyn 2-11 apartment building fire 4-23-11

A Stickney firefighter manages the master stream from the turntable. Josh Boyajian photo

Berwyn 2-11 apartment building fire 4-23-11

Heavy fire and thick smoke push out of the roof and third floor. Josh Boyajian photo

Berwyn 2-11 apartment building fire 4-23-11

Another view shows heavy smoke and fire from the roof of the apartment building as firefighters apply water from two elevated master streams. Josh Boyajian photo

Berwyn 2-11 apartment building fire 4-23-11

Berwyn truck 904 in operation at the 2-11 alarm fire at 28th and Ridgeland. Josh Boyajian photo

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New area apparatus orders from Smeal

Smeal Fire Apparatus is building the following new apparatus for area departments:

The Phoenix FD will be taking delivery of an engine built with a 2011 Spartan Metro Star cab and chassis. This vehicle will have a 1,500-gpm pump, 750-gallon water tank, and 20-gallon foam tank. Delivery is expected early in the summer.

– The North Park FPD will be taking delivery of a 75′ quint on a Spartan chassis. No information is available about this unit except that it was built as a stock piece.

 

Thanks to Bill Friedrich for the information.

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2 local fire departments get 9/11 artifacts

The Chicago Tribune is reporting that The North Maine Fire Protection District and the Des Plaines Fire Department will both receive steel from the World Trade Center buildings recovered after the 9/11 attacks.

Two northwest suburban fire departments are receiving pieces of the World Trade Center that they expect to use in monuments marking the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 and in memorial services marking the 10th anniversary of the attacks this year.The Des Plaines Fire Department will receive a 33-inch steel I-beam weighing 114 pounds, while the North Maine Fire Protection District, which covers parts of unincorporated Cook County, is getting a six-foot long, four-inch wide piece of steel that weighs 50 pounds and is described as a bent plate.

North Maine will most likely keep the item in its box until the next Maine Township board meeting where it will be opened in public. Ultimately, they’d like to incorporate the plate into a Sept. 11 monument inside Ridgewood Cemetery, which holds an annual service to honor the deceased from the historic day.

Des Plaines fire officials said they will meet with the mayor and city manager to decide where the piece should go ,but it might be made into a memorial outside of city hall where a Sept. 11 ceremony is held every year.

 

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New area apparatus orders at Pierce

Bill Friedrich has updated us with the following new apparatus orders from Pierce:

 

– The Hillside Fire Department is getting a 105′ rear mount quint on a Velocity chassis that was built as a stock unit

– The Princeton Fire Department is getting a 105′ rear mount quint on an Arrow XT chassis that was built as a stock unit

– West Chicago has ordered an engine on an Impel chassis

The Lincolnshire-Riverwoods FPD has ordered a 105′ rear mount quint on an Arrow XT chassis

– The Rutland-Dundee FPD  is getting an engine on an Arrow XT chassis

– Minooka has ordered an engine on an Arrow XT chassis


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Chicago Fire Boats – some history

Dan McInerney found several links which offer images and information about the current and past Chicago fire boats.

Here are some websites that have some info on CFD’s former boat fleet.
Pictures of current/former boats:
Info and location of the Joseph Medill:
The Medill can be seen on Google Maps Street View at the corner of 1st Ave and 6th street in Escanba, MI. (682 1st Avenue North, Escanaba, MI)
And the Fred Busse:
The Medill can be seen on Google Maps Street View at the corner of 1st Ave and 6th street in Escanba, MI. (682 1st Avenue North, Escanaba, MI)  ma:45.74684688874211//-87.0567671//14//hybrid:Joseph Medill
Door County Fireboat Cruises

Snapshot of the Door County Fireboat Cruises website featuring the Fred Busse.

Fred L. Schlaeger fireboat - Google Maps

Satellite view from Google Maps of the Fred L. Schlaeger docked at the water filtration plant.

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Evanston gets new TDA

Bill Friedrich informs us that Evanston received their new Pierce Arrow XT TDA last week carrying Pierce job #24044. Photos will be posted when they become available.

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Abbott Labs FD is added

Abbot Labs Fire Department Lake County ILAlthough the Abbott Labs Fire Department in Lake County (MABAS Division 4) runs out of two locations, they are responsible for roughly 37 facilities in Lake County. The department consists of 5 career personnel and 83 plant employees that are trained to respond in the event of an emergency. The Abbott Labs Fire Department shares space within Libertyville Station 3 (which is Abbott Labs Station 1) that is located at 13415 Atkinson Road, directly adjacent to the Abbott Park campus. Station 2 for Abbott is within the North Chicago campus along the lake front roughly 6 miles from the headquarters station.

This fire department has one engine and several support pieces which consist of vans and pickups. There is a new squad unit being outfitted at Station 1 which should go into service soon. It is a used Step-Van that will have equipment to support confined space and haz mat operations in addition to breathing air.

There is a small historic photo gallery for this department which includes their current engine on-scene at an extra alarm fire in Winthrop Harbor several years ago.

Abbott Labs Fire Department Lake County IL

Abbot Labs Fire Department Lake County IL

Engine 1510 (previously Engine 1110) in February of 2008 working at a fire in Winthrop Harbor. Larry Shapiro photo

Abbot Labs Fire Department Lake County IL Darley industrial pumper

Bill Friedrich photo

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NFFF video trailer from CFD …”EVERYONE GOES HOME”

A video trailer has been released for an upcoming National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) video entitled “Everyone Goes Home” featuring the Chicago Fire Department. View it HERE.

Thanks to Hank Sajovic for finding this.

Western Springs history added

Western Springs Fire Department Cadillac ambulance

The Western Springs Fire Department photo history has been added to their page. Located in MABAS Division 10, Western Springs has a rich history featuring Ward LaFrance, FWD, Seagrave, E-ONE, American LaFrance, and Pierce apparatus. Originally white, their rigs transitioned to white over red beginning with an American LaFrance Ladder Chief Quint in 1977. Three of their units were repainted to accommodate the change. These were the 1977 E-ONE, 1975 Seagrave, and the 1982 Pierce.

Western Springs Fire Department Ward LaFrance Fireball

Western Springs Fire Department American LaFrance Ladder Chief Quint

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Chicago fire boat “The Christopher Wheatley” arrives

Chicago’s new fire boat arrived in town today. The Windsor Star has a brief article HERE with some photos.

CHICAGO, Ill. — The Chicago fire department’s new fireboat, the Christopher Wheatley, made its way into Chicago Tuesday.

Built by Hike Metal Products Ltd, in Wheatley, Ont., the $8.5million boat was named for a 31-year-old Chicago firefighter who died in the line of duty. He was carrying equipment up a fire escape during a restaurant fire when he fell to his death.

The 300-ton craft was pumping 14,000 gallons of water a minute as it passed the Chicago Lighthouse near Navy Pier Tuesday.

© Copyright (c) The Windsor Star
Chicago Fire Boat The Christopher Wheatley

The Christopher Wheatley, Chicago's new fire boat, arrived today from the shipyard in Wheatley, Ontario, Canada. Photograph by: John White, Chicago Sun-Times

 

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