Archive for April, 2014

A reflection on 34 years as a firefighter (part 1)

This from John Tobin:

How does the song go … “reflections of my life.” Well the pictures here are a reflection of time and how it’s moved on. Throughout that time, it was quite a ride and after 34 years I can’t believe it’s over! I made many friends, some enemies, and pretty much did what I set out to do in 1979 when I was hired by the EFD. (Elgin Fire Department)

I said more than once … “one day I rolled under a rig that needed fixing and when I rolled out my first wife had left me, the kids were grown, and I was an old man” … there is a lesson there. Some have changed their colors so many times over the years they become someone completely different. I never thought I was anything special, but I had a special job and I was very fortunate to have it!

There is a saying “don’t confuse me with the facts.” When that became a reality, rather than just a joke … I knew my end was near. So if you will, glance at the pictures and see if any of them will take you on a journey. Time for the next chapter in my life and the EFD will do just fine without me.

As the French say … C’est la vie

Reflections of 34 years as a firefighter.

John Tobin collection

Reflections of 34 years as a firefighter.

John Tobin collection

Reflections of 34 years as a firefighter.

John Tobin collection

Reflections of 34 years as a firefighter.

John Tobin collection

Reflections of 34 years as a firefighter.

John Tobin collection

Reflections of 34 years as a firefighter.

John Tobin collection

Reflections of 34 years as a firefighter.

John Tobin collection

Reflections of 34 years as a firefighter.

John Tobin collection

Reflections of 34 years as a firefighter.

John Tobin collection

Reflections of 34 years as a firefighter.

John Tobin collection

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Working fire in Chicago, 4-17-14

This from Steve Redick:

I was able to attend an unusual incident last night. There is a small area that belongs to Chicago, that lies along Foster ave west of River rd, adjacent to O’Hare Field. This is much closer to Rosemont and Schiller Park, yet it belongs to CFD. It isn’t really a good run for either the airport companies nor engine 11. Sort of a no-man’s land. Rosemont responded to smoke in the area, as well as Schiller Park , Desplaines, and Park Ridge. CFD was notified as well. Arriving units found a well-involved tour/party type bus inside an industrial building. Park Ridge, due on auto-aide, used a deck gun to hit the bulk of the fire. Chicago companies arrived and worked in concert with all the suburban units. Another interesting aspect to this was that MVU (924) was used. This rig lives at O’Hare Field and most of us fire fan types have never actually had a chance to see the unit in operation. I also took a photo or two of the various municipality street signs at each end of the block. They used suburban style hydrants, but I think I heard the sprinkler connections on the fire building were Chicago threads. All in all a “once in a billion years” kinda deal.

Steve

firemen at night fire scene

Steve Redick photo

fire engine at night fire scene

Steve Redick photo

firemen at night fire scene

Steve Redick photo

fire engine at night fire scene

Steve Redick photo

mobile ventilation unit at fire scene

Steve Redick photo

mobile ventilation unit at fire scene

Steve Redick photo

mobile ventilation unit at fire scene

Steve Redick photo

Rosemont street signs

Steve Redick photo

fire engine at night fire scene

Steve Redick photo

fire engine at night fire scene

Steve Redick photo

Chicago street signs

Steve Redick photo

fire engine at night fire scene

Steve Redick photo

fire truck at night fire scene

Steve Redick photo

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A request for some help

A reader came across this image and is asking for help identifying the two people with Bobby Hull as he is receiving a Chicago Fire Commissioner helmet.

photo of Bobby Hull receiving a Chicago Fire Commissioner fire helmet. Photographer unknown

photo of Bobby Hull receiving a Chicago Fire Commissioner fire helmet. Photographer unknown

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Rolling Meadows discusses rebuilding fire stations

The Daily Herald has an article bout the village of Rolling Meadows considering the construction of two new fire stations.

With a 4-3 vote the Rolling Meadows City Council reached a preliminary decision Tuesday to build two new fire stations — starting with moving the downtown station to the east side of town near New Wilke and Central roads. Eventually the second station would also be moved from 2455 Plum Grove Road west of Route 53 to Hicks Road between Kirchoff Road and Euclid Avenue.

… there was support both from residents and aldermen to improve service to residents in multifamily homes along Algonquin Road. Studies have shown that is the area most at risk for serious fires and where current response times most frequently miss the desired six-minute range.

Mayor Tom Rooney also endorsed the plan but said if the city moves one station it must move both. He also said the stations will be built only if the slim majority holds through future votes.

Both Prejna and Majikes said many residents had contacted them opposing the new stations, mostly because of the estimated cost, which could be as high as $10 million.

D’Astice, who also objected to the cost, pointed out that most of the areas where response time is more than six minutes are in his ward. He said most of the calls are probably for ambulance service and proposed stationing an ambulance in the area to improve that response time. He also suggested the question should go to a referendum.

While the city council has discussed the future of the city’s fire stations for years, the consensus that something needs to be done about the poor condition of Station 15 at 3111 Meadows Drive pushed the council to a decision. Refurbishing the station would cost at least $500,000, Franzgrote said, and its design is obsolete.

Franzgrote based his recommendation on the results of a study the city commissioned, as well as the fact that the council insisted the city have only two stations. Although New Wilke Road is on the east edge of the city, it is one of the few arteries providing north-south access. Mutual aid pacts with Arlington Heights and Palatine also entered into the recommendations.

thanks Dan

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Buffalo Grove/Wheeling MVA 4-17-14

This from Larry Shapiro:

Wheeling and Buffalo Grove companies responded to a reported MVA with entrapment around the corner from my house this morning. The car left the roadway in Buffalo Grove and ended up in Wheeling. Wheeling companies arrived first and handled the transport. The car went up on the sidewalk, demolished a large portion of a new fence, took out one tree and either ricocheted off or navigated between five others.

There was no entrapment. here are a few images from the scene.

car obliterates fence

Larry Shapiro photo

paramedics tend to a crash victim

Larry Shapiro photo

Toyota Corolla wrecked

Larry Shapiro photo

Toyota Corolla wrecked

Larry Shapiro photo

car crashes into fence

Larry Shapiro photo

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Carol Stream Charity Ball

This from Jeff Blaksley, Carol Strea Local 3192:

The Carol Stream Professional Firefighters Local 3192 would like to cordially invite you to attend our 1st Annual Firefighters’ Ball.  Please join us for an entertaining night as we raise money for the One Hundred Club of DuPage County.   The Club offers assistance to families of law enforcement and firefighting personnel who have been killed, injured, or otherwise stricken while residing or working in the county.  Hope to see you there!

firefighter charity ball

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Two Chicago firefighters injured at fire scene

The Chicago Tribune has an article about a fire on the far south side that injured eight, including two firefighters.

It took a minute for the man standing on the front porch of the West Pullman home to realize what was going on when his neighbors started yelling to him that his house in the 11600 block of South Michigan was burning … eight people, including a two firefighters and a police officer, were injured Tuesday evening.

Seeing two boys in the upstairs windows, [police] officers shouted instructions to break the windows and jump into their arms, Police News Affairs Officer Hector Alfaro said. It was a team effort, with … other people nearby helping direct the boys, who are 15 and 8 years old, to a side window. The officers and neighbors then prepared to catch the boys and urged them to jump. One of the officers suffered a minor injury catching one of the boys, police said.

The group of neighbors and officers then tried to run upstairs to rescue a man trapped inside but were blocked by thick smoke …

Fire crews arrived soon and found a police officer attempting to force her way inside the building to reach whoever was trapped inside, Deputy Chicago Fire Cmsr. John McNicholas said. Seeing people fleeing the building and hearing reports of people trapped, firefighters called an emergency medical services plan 1 for the fire, sending at least six ambulances to the scene.

With a man still trapped on the second floor, firefighters swiftly made entry.  Firefighters found heavy smoke and fire in the home, and a firefighter attempting to reach the second floor was pushed back by the heat, causing him to fall down the stairs, McNicholas said.  The trapped man was rescued from the rear of the second floor, he said.

The man was taken in serious-to-critical condition to Advocate Trinity Hospital, officials said. Four other people were taken in good-to-fair condition to Roseland Community Hospital, Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford said.

The firefighter who fell and another injured firefighter were both taken to hospitals as well. Neither firefighter’s injuries were believed to be life-threatening. The injured police officer was taken to Metro South Medical Center in Blue Island in good condition, Langford said.

thanks Dan

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Antioch seeks tax levy

The Lake-County NewsSun has an article about the Antioch Fire Department seeking a tax levy for EMS.

Facing a budget shortfall of almost $800,000 for emergency medical services, Antioch village officials will ask voters to approve a 25-cent tax levy in November.

Last month, Antioch Township officials also agreed to put the same referendum question to unincorporated Antioch voters. If approved, the levy would increase taxes paid by the owner of a home with a fair market value $140,000 by $101.67 annually and of a home valued at $225,000 by $172.50, said Village Administrator James Keim. Keim said authorizing a tax levy to make up the reimbursement shortfall for ambulance service is a necessary step in improving emergency medical services for Antioch, which until last year were provided by the not-for-profit Antioch Rescue Squad.

While the Antioch Fire Department serves both village and township, ambulance services have been contracted separately for the village and the unincorporated area. The First Fire District, which severs its contract with ARS next month, oversees the unincorporated area of Antioch.

Beginning in May, the village and township will work together and coordinate both fire and ambulance services under the direction of Fire Chief John Nixon.

The levy, which Fire Chief John Nixon considers a key factor in the success of the joint venture, would provide an estimated $1.6 million for EMS services for the village and township. “The purpose of the referendum is to find a stable funding source for ambulance services for the village and First Fire District,” said Nixon.

Nixon pointed out ARS was not providing free service during its 72-year history with the village. “After insurance revenue was collected, ARS still had their own costs of equipment and personnel paid for by benefactors and donations, but that is a unsustainable model today,” said Nixon, explaining that Antioch was one of the last communities in Lake County to rely on a volunteer rescue squad. “Every other community levies taxes to pay for fire and rescue services. We are a little behind the eight-ball in that process. I know these are tough times, but we have to stabilize our revenue to provide services without going into debt.”

“The success of this referendum is highly significant for the well being of our life safety services,” said Keim, explaining that even when ambulance service was provided by Antioch Rescue Squad, the service was partially funded by tax dollars.

“There is a misconception that tax money hasn’t been involved or that the ARS provided a free service,” said Keim. “The reality is that if people want high quality EMS services, there has to be a sustainable way to pay for it. Most communities have already taken the route of a tax levy which provides a solid basis for funding and takes EMS services out of the competition for general tax dollars.”

 

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As seen around … Glenview

This from John Tulipano:

On April 9th I was able to attend some afternoon drills at NIPSTA with companies from MABAS Division 3 running a simulated building explosion and collapse with several autos on fire and a civil disturbance!

THANKS HANK!

John
fire truck photo

John Tulipano photo

fireman putting on his gear

John Tulipano photo

firemen fighting a car fire in training

John Tulipano photo

fire truck photo

John Tulipano photo

fireman with hose

John Tulipano photo

fire truck photo

John Tulipano photo

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New ambulance for North Aurora (more)

This from Christopher Holmes:

Christopher T. Holmes
ambulance photo

Christopher T. Holmes photo

ambulance photo

Christopher T. Holmes photo

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