Tim Olk spent seven hours at yesterday’s Haz Mat Level II .
Streets near U.S. Cellular Field were closed [Wednesday], along with the CTA Red Line stop at 35th Street, as emergency crews worked to contain the leak of about 500 gallons of muriatic acid from a truck, officials said. Muriatic acid also is known as hydrochloric acid, and is widely used in industry, including plastic and steel manufacturing.
A Level II hazardous materials [alarm] was called by the Chicago Fire Department about 12:30 p.m. for the leak near 35th Street and Wentworth Avenue. No one was injured in the incident. The fire department was able to slow the leak while pouring water on the truck and using what’s know as a mobile ventilation [unit] to keep the fumes away from the field and a nearby CHA senior housing building. A second truck was brought in to offload the acid and make the area safe, according to fire officials.
#1 by Bill Post on August 13, 2014 - 10:10 AM
MJ FF , I agree with you that it is rather unusual that Midway or one of the nearby companies isn’t officially designated as a HIT team unit. I do understand why there are so many of them at O”Hare as O”Hare is much larger busier and more isolated from the rest of the city. Things could have changed however and they could have qualified Haz Mat techs on some of the Midway companies even if they are not officially designated as HIT companies,
#2 by MJ FF on August 12, 2014 - 10:42 PM
Like I said, I thought you meant 99. But 89 makes sense as (other than T56) it’s the only HIT company that far on the north (northeast? lol) side of the city.
OK, yes it’s true that 116/Sqd. 5 are “close” to Midway & 127. I’m just surprised that 32/T60, 34/TL54 or 88 are not HIT Companies’s, as they are closer.
Just putting it out there for comparison’s sake to O’Hare (9, 10, 12, TL63), since there are not as many houses on the airfield itself at Midway.
#3 by Bill Post on August 12, 2014 - 10:09 PM
MJ FF Engine 89 is a HIT Engine and so is Truck 56 who shares quarters with them.
As far Midway airport goes as of about 2 years ago Engine 127 wasn’t officially designated as a HIT Engine however their status could have been changed since then as my information is about 2 years old.
I would imagine that at least some of the people at Midway would be Haz Mat certified even though the nearest “official” companies that were Haz /Mat designated were Engines 116 and Squad 5 ,about 4 miles east of the airport.
#4 by MJ FF on August 12, 2014 - 5:32 PM
Thanks, Bill. I was only asking about the HIT Task Force Engine’s and Truck’s, but I appreciate your answer for any of the other reader’s who might be wondering.
Just to clarify, that is 89 that belongs on the list? I thought you might have made a typo and meant 99, since you were putting them in order.
127 is not a HIT Engine, even though they’re at Midway? No company that is all that close to MDW is on the list.
As for the blue Maltese Cross on CFD rigs, I really thought it had some other meaning besides District 1. And not all companies from Dist. 1 have it, so there is that too.
#5 by Jim on August 12, 2014 - 12:54 PM
What constitutes a Level 1 and Level 2?
#6 by Bill Post on August 12, 2014 - 5:07 AM
MJ FF, the Chicago Fire Department has 2 HazMat units 511 and 512. It also has the support unit 511A and 5111 the mobile lab unit which is used for testing and examining hazardous materials. It also has 530 which is a decontamination unit equipped with partitioned showers on board. There is also a 531 which is the O’Hare field decontamination unit.
The squad companies are also are trained and equipped for limited HazMat support duty. There are also 10 or 11 designated (HIT) Hazardous Incident Team support engines and 8 HIT designated trucks. They are Engines 5,10,13,22,60,62,91,89,109,116 and Engine 16 may have been designated as a HIT engine since 511, 511A and 5111 have been relocated to their new station. Engines 9,10 and possibly 12 are also HIT engines plus Trucks 2,32,35,20,27,56, Tower Ladders 37 and 63.
On a Level I HazMat incident an engine, truck, squad, battalion chief, HazMat company and an ALS ambulance are sent. If it gets upgraded to a Level II HazMat incident then a HIT engine and truck will be dispatched. Additional HazMat support companies may be dispatched or requested such as 511A, 5111, and 530 the decontamination unit. A deputy district chief will also be dispatched as will an EMS field chief, a communications van, an air mask service unit, a safety officer, a second ALS ambulance, and a HazMat coordinator.
On a Level III HazMat a district chief and a HazMat commander as well as other brass will be dispatched. Additional support companies can be requested and a media affairs representative will also be dispatched.
This is just a basic guideline and some things may have been revised since I last received this information.
#7 by DMc77 on August 11, 2014 - 5:22 PM
Blue maltese with a 1 in the center stands for District 1
#8 by MJ FF on August 11, 2014 - 2:51 PM
What companies are part of CFD’s Haz.-Mat. Task Force?
Also, what is the blue Maltese Cross, with a 1 in the center, that is on some rigs? (ie. Engine 42) What companies have that?
#9 by David on August 11, 2014 - 5:29 AM
Danny have you got any info why they cancelled the oxygen fill truck?! I can understand the problems Rosenbauer had with development of the new boom for the Squads, but the air bottle truck seems to be a different story..
#10 by danny on August 10, 2014 - 4:49 PM
same deal i was told by someone the purchase of a new bottle truck for air mask was canceled as well the one from marion on the international chassis
#11 by Brian on August 9, 2014 - 5:10 PM
If that is true, keep a close eye on Smeal who now owns the snorkel properties. Smeal already is known for building a high quality aerial device. Hope they get to pumping out snorkels soon
#12 by David on August 9, 2014 - 3:06 PM
Not sure if it’s true but have heard as well that Rosenbauer failed to build the rigs, so they’re looking for anybody else. Bad news indeed as almost two years already passed since Rosenbauer got the contract with absolutely zero results and now they’ll probably have to start from scratch.
#13 by Michael M on August 9, 2014 - 2:19 PM
If that rumor is true, I wonder what the city will do now? Sooner or later they will have to buy new trucks for the Squad companies since they are running the reserves on a regular basis.
#14 by danny on August 9, 2014 - 12:56 PM
rumor is the prder was pulled or something like that hwere its not happening now and rosenbauer is suing the city … just the rumor from multiple people both buffs and guys on the job
#15 by Michael M on August 9, 2014 - 12:19 PM
Anyone have any information on the new squads that are being built for the city? I know that Rosenbauer was trying to build their own version of the snorkel. Any idea how that is going?
#16 by danny on August 8, 2014 - 3:17 PM
jim it loooks smaller then the streets and san truck
#17 by Mike L on August 8, 2014 - 10:28 AM
Further on the spare squad follies: Both the 1996 HME/Saulsbury (Squad 1) and the 1988 Spartan/Saulsbury (5-1-1) are lettered as Squad 3 for the TV show but both have been placed back in the spare pool as they are regularly in service; hence the show buying the former Antioch Squad 2159. A few weeks back, both Squad 2 and 7 were running “Squad 3” simultaneously with each rig which led to seeing Squad 3 all over the north and west side; sometimes 2 places at once! The sad truth is the 2000 HME/Central States/Snorkels are broke so much that the crews threw lettering on the old ones because they’re in those almost as much as the regular rigs. Squad 7 was running in a spare city pumper (D-541) a few weeks ago due to Squad 7 and the 1996 HME spare being down at the same time. Eng 12 was running in city spare D-547 as well as they cannot use Eng 9S because of space limitations at Rescue 1.
#18 by Jim Mitidiero on August 8, 2014 - 9:30 AM
The vehicle behind the command van is the new Battery Vehicle signature 6-3-9 which went in service on 25 July 14.
#19 by Bill Post on August 8, 2014 - 12:56 AM
Those are fantastic and interesting shots of the Haz Mat incident. It isn’t very often that we get such good shots of Haz Mat Incidents like this one.
Cmk420 if the one or both of the other 2 Snorkels go out of service then the Squads just wouldn’t run with the Snorkels but instead will run as a 2 piece Squad which would be Engine 23’s former 2000 ALF pumper which was converted to a Spare Squad a few years ago and they will usually use a large panel Van that was formerly used as the Collapse Rescue or a former Mask Service Van for the Second piece or most likely they will use the 1996 HME/Saulbury that they have been using as Squad 3 part of the time on “Chicago FIre” as a spare Squad.
Chicago Squad 1 had run as a “Heavy Rescue” Squad from 1996 till 2000 with in those years only Squads 2 and 5 were regularly assigned a Snorkel.
When the HME/Saulsbury (used as Squad 3 on Chicago Fire) was put in service in 1996 it was Squad 1’s only rig while Squad 1’s 1987 E/One 55 foot Snorkel was reassigned to Squad 5. The fire department at the time under Ray Orozco senior was only running 2 Snorkel/Squads. The next Fire Commissioner Edward Altman didn’t like that idea so he ordered the three 2 piece sets of Squads and Snorkels for the 3 CIty based Squads which Chicago is still using.
#20 by cmk420 on August 7, 2014 - 5:17 PM
I was driving by there on the expressway toward the end of the incident yesterday. Squad 1 was there; it was the regular box, but it was interesting to note that the Reserve Snorkel Squad (G482) was marked, in several places, as “Squad 1.” I drove past Engine 42’s quarters, earlier today, and it was the same combination. All the markings were in blue. Anyone happen to know what happened to the regular Squad 1A that it looks like the reserve unit has been (at least for now) been assigned there? And what happens if one of the other two snorkels go down right now?
#21 by danny on August 7, 2014 - 2:27 PM
any idea what rig that is hiding behind the streets and san truck in the pic with the command van
#22 by Fartin' Fred on August 7, 2014 - 11:31 AM
Wow, I guess the White Sox isn’t the only thing that STINKS down there..