Another submission from Dan McInerney fro Highland Park, this time Truck 33.
Highland Park Truck 33. Dan McInerney photo
A previous post for Highland Park is HERE.
Highland Park Truck 33
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Personnel photos
#1 by Dan on June 4, 2013 - 8:05 AM
I used to work in HP (not for the FD) and at least last year, they were experimenting with having the truck run out of Station 34. There were 4 guys there, so they either did a 2 ambo 2 truck on a call in their district, or all 4 jumped onto it for any other call. They did use it in town though. I don’t remember what the situation was at Station 33 since I rarely was over there. I do know that there were more staff at 33, so there was probably a second amulance or something that that could jump onto the truck if needed. I was told that they may not get a new truck once this one has been retired, although there was no timeline for that. It is a nice truck though, I wish more towns had Sutphens around here.
#2 by Bill Post on June 3, 2013 - 8:26 PM
To bad that they don’t use the Truck in town. According to a previous post under the topic of “Highland Park Squad 34” the Truck is used only on mutual aide such as MABAS boxes but is not used on fire alarms in Highland Park itself.
I wonder if they respond as a “Jump company” when responding out of town because if they can’t even run on fire alarms in their own community I really don’t see them running with a full time crew assigned to it.
I would have figured by now that Truck 33 would be a regularly manned company. Some time in the 90’s Highland Park had taken engine and Station 31 out of service when they built the new Station 33 as they moved it from west of expressway (Highway 41) to a few block east of Highway 41.
In reality two companies were taken out of service when the new Station 33 was opened. The old Squad 33 was a one-man medium-duty rescue squad which was taken out of service along with Engine 31. That would have given Highland Park an extra three men per shift which should have allowed them to put the three extra men on the new Truck 33.
Highland Park had been running with 2-man engines and the former 1-man squad since at least the late 1980’s.
Even though a 3-man company is not ideal, I would have figured that Highland Park would at least try to keep up with most other Chicago area or MABAS Division 3 fire departments, and try to bring up their manning to 3-man engines or at least have a 3-man truck company.
So what’s the point of having a nice looking truck company if the town doesn’t even regularly man it or use it?
#3 by Josh Boyajian on May 30, 2013 - 4:15 PM
Sutphen has really nice rigs, I was checking them out at FDIC and they are very well spec’d rigs.
#4 by John on May 30, 2013 - 3:41 PM
I have to admit,Sutphen makes a handsome truck.