Historic CFD radio traffic: 3-11 Alarm Century Lumber 6-6-78

This from Steve Redick; Century Lumber fire at Diversey and Clybourn, June 6, 1978 went to a 3-11:

Here’s a real blast from the past. I recorded this using a plain old cassette recorder and microphone held up to the scanner speaker while I was living at my grandparent’s house. It has held up pretty well over the years. I recognize Art Benker on the main radio at the start of the fire, and the Division Marshal was Joe Brichetto, my dad’s boss when he was in the 10th battalion. You can hear the water task force and the fireboat as well as some talk about Big John and Little John … ahhh those were the days …

Steve

Tags: 3-11 Alarm fire in Chicago, audio from historic fire, Big John, Century Lumber Fire in Chicago 6-6-78, CFD Deluge Wagon Big John, Chicago 3-11 alarm fire, Chicago Fire Department, Chicago FIre Department Big John, Chicago Fire Department history, Chicago Fire Department Turret Wagon Big John, fire department history, fireground audio recording, Steve Redick

This entry was posted on April 20, 2013, 7:08 AM and is filed under Fire Department History, Historic FD radio trafic. You can follow any responses to this entry through RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

3 Comments

#1 by Mike Mc on April 23, 2013 - 6:39 PM

Thanks! It was great to listen to the past. Do you remember if you were scanning fire ground? If not, all that traffic was on main. Seems incredible now, but that was how it used to be.

The FAO identified Battalion 13 as Chief Brichetto and not Division 3. Very unusual to announce a battalion chief’s name like that.

In defense of the screaming chiefs: portable radios were fairly new. They were used to going through a buggy driver or walking to an apparatus radio. It gave them time to take a couple breaths and think about what they were going to say. Instant communications was completely new to them. Also, the portables could operate in a less than desirable manner.

Another quick point – The FAO told Engine 30 to take in the 3-11 and Engine 30 simply acknowledged that they were going to the 3-11. No need to repeat the address! Everyone knew where the 3-11 was, that was why the FAO would announce the address twice. They could use such radio brevity today.

2-1-5 was Foley. I assume 2-1-7 was Harper (no wonder Battalion 13 and Division 3 sounded excited). Do you know whom 2-1-6 was?

Thanks again for the “time capsule”.
#2 by tom sullivan on April 23, 2013 - 9:40 AM

the fire came in very early in the morning, as the box was coming over the register we awoke and could see the smoke from the bunkroom of E-78s’ quarters. E-78 responded on 2-11 & was directed via radio to report to clybourn st. we were intercepted by a chief on diversey and ordered to drop lines on diversey to protect the exposed frame houses across the street, which were in danger from the radiant heat. a quick u-turn at first, then a 2 1/2″ handline was used , then a multi-versal. we were forced to lay on the street to work the lines because of the heat. that was a quick fire relativly speaking, we probably weren’t there much more than an hour, being an extra alarm company.
#3 by Bill Post on April 21, 2013 - 10:52 PM

That was a great recording and while I didn’t notice any one the scene mention “BIg John” who was 673 at the time I did hear them mention “Little John” and “675” which is today’s recently used “671”.
What was also interesting about the recording is that there were several Engine companies that are no longer in service that were mentioned such as Engine 20 (down the block from Fleet management and the old apparatus storage yard , Engine 67 which was going on a change to Engine 55. For those of you unfamiliar with Engine 67 they were located just west of Engine 95’s district at 4666 w Fulton and they covered the south end of Engine 117 and the north end of Engine 113’s current district. They were also talking to Engine 59 in it’s pre Truck 47 days when they were located just north of the International Amphitheater and half a block east of the entrance to the old Union Stockyards on West Exchange ave. It also interesting to hear old Engine 51 who was sharing quarters with Engine 43 after being a south side company most of it’s life. Battalion 13 was still at Truck 21’s old quarters at School and Greenview streets also.