This from Steve Redick of the Chicago Still Alarm at 5701 N Newcastle:
Arrived about 15 minutes into this job and was greeted with fire venting from the roof. Companies made the attic and hit the fire from below in pretty short order. Some items of interest … note the positioning of truck 55, some call this beaching … seemed to work very well here. Also note the ground ladder placement covering all sides of the structure. The images of squad 7 are of the same rig used in the show Chicago Fire. The 7 on the door looks like a good tape job to me and makes me think they’re gonna have this rig for a while. An interesting job in a normally very quiet area.Steve
Steve Redick photo
Steve Redick photo
Steve Redick photo
Steve Redick photo
Steve Redick photo
Steve Redick photo
Steve Redick photo
#1 by danny on November 21, 2014 - 12:21 AM
Mabas 21
The city should send the old sqauds 1 at a time to smeal for boom refurbs or remounts after the new squads are ordered so that they have reliable spares snorkels. Replacing rigs quickly these days but the spare fleet is overtaxed. There was a 3-11 last year where most of the rigs photographed were spares
#2 by Brian on November 20, 2014 - 7:47 PM
I heard the same thing as Eric from a very credible source. Smeal has plans to heavily target the Chicago market very soon with their recent acquisition. Can’t wait to hear hopefully soon that Smeal is building snorkels
#3 by Eric Haak on November 20, 2014 - 4:52 PM
Not sure but I heard that Rosenbauer won’t be building any squads for CFD.
#4 by russ on November 20, 2014 - 3:35 PM
Did Rosenbauer even start building the squads yet
#5 by Bill Post on November 20, 2014 - 11:39 AM
Danny the Spartan Luverne at Engine 50 is a 1995 model and was formerly assigned to Engine company 89 (one of the slowest companies in the city).
An interesting thing is that the 1995 Spartan Luverne had replaced a newer rig that was assigned to Engine 50. It replaced a (1998 model short wheel base) HME Luverne such as the one at Engine 103.
I understand that the HME Luvernes are not very popular as the crew cabs are very tight and cramped compared to the crew cabs on the Spartans which are roomier.
That is a good shot of the 1996 Spartan Saulsbury Squad which apparently is running as Squad 7.
I assume that most people on this site have heard that the city and Rosenbauer are involved in a legal dispute over spec and design changes after the contract was signed.
I really hope that Chicago gets totally out of the contract with Rosenbauer and they order the new Snorkels from Smeal who had acquired the rights to built the “Snorkel” from the former American La France company.
As it is taking alot of time to settle the dispute it would make sense if Chicago would modify a few more Engines into Spare Squads such as what was done to Engine 23’s former 2000 American La France a few years ago.
During the 1990’s Chicago had not only modified some older Seagrave and Ford/Seagrave pumpers as Squads but they even had taken a 1988 Ford/Pirsch Aerial Truck chassis and had the Aerial Ladder removed and used that as a Spare Squad as well.
Technically speaking the actual “box”Squad rigs could probably be ordered and Snorkels be ordered later but from a cost and compatibility point of view It would probably still be simpler to order them as 2 piece companies are one time. Regarding Smeal having the rights to the Snorkel , I am not sure if they have retooled their plant to build them yet but it would still make more sense (in my opinion) to order Snorkels based on their designs then to have Rosenbauer attempt to reinvent the Snorkel like they were going to attempt to do when the contract was signed about 2 years ago.
#6 by MABAS 21 on November 20, 2014 - 10:01 AM
Thanks Danny. I’m surprised that the spare Squad 7 was disposed of being purchased with FAA funds. It could’ve been utilized. Hopefully lesson learned that if the new squads are ever purchased, the CFD retains atleast 2 pairs of the current ones for spares.
#7 by danny on November 19, 2014 - 10:54 PM
Only do so much with the cities money. I member in the late 90s all the trucks then were 20 or so years old minus the towers and the 93 and 95 seagraves. And the seagraves rebuilt in the early 90s. When not running spares the oldest rig in yhe fleet is tower 34 no? Second would be engine 50 a 92 or 95 spartan. A department like fdny is lucky with the apparatus replacement being in the union contract. And as far as thenold squad 7 it was auctioned off in 2006 or 2007. A company from the burbs that rented fire trucks out for parties had it then disposed of it.
#8 by Frank on November 19, 2014 - 6:07 PM
how come the city can not order just the box part of the squad separate instead of buying the squad as a 2 piece set. Cant they buy the snorkels later on. The firefighters need to revolt against the mayor and get the fleet upgraded. It is really sad seeing fire equipment 20-30 years on the road.
#9 by MABAS 21 on November 19, 2014 - 2:42 PM
What happened to the former Squad 7, the late 80’s Spartan, spare rig stored at O’Hare? Was it scrapped or sold?
#10 by danny on November 19, 2014 - 2:48 AM
Laat we were told squad 7 was back at pierce with frame damage being evaluated. .. this may be tge permanent squad 7 till a replacement can be purchased. the pierce in 14 years old
#11 by CFD 1979 on November 18, 2014 - 9:24 AM
In the shops.
#12 by Jason on November 18, 2014 - 5:12 AM
Yeah but what happened to squad 7?
#13 by CFD 1979 on November 17, 2014 - 5:18 PM
Good tape job on the numbering for the spare for squad 7. This location is in Squad 7’s working fire response district.
#14 by Josh on November 17, 2014 - 5:01 PM
Truck 55 getting aggressive! Westside Lieutenant now on that shift!
#15 by Shane on November 17, 2014 - 4:24 PM
Why would the squad from o’hare go? Is it closer for them?
#16 by Fred M on November 17, 2014 - 3:54 PM
Steve….thanks for the details and the pictures. As always, great shots.
#17 by Jason on November 17, 2014 - 2:08 PM
What happened to squad 7?