Archive for June, 2015

Garage fire in Oak Forest, 6-27-15

This from Kevin Griffin:

Oak Forest responded to a garage fire this morning. Engine 11 was the first company on scene

Oak Forest fire engine at a fire scene

Kevin Griffin photo

firemen on the scene of a small garage fire

Kevin Griffin photo

Oak Forest fire truck at a fire scene

Kevin Griffin photo

firemen on the scene of a small garage fire

Kevin Griffin photo

firemen on the scene of a small garage fire

Kevin Griffin photo

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Palatine Amateur Radio Disaster Drill

Palatine FD Press Release

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Fire departments will no longer share fire chief

Excerpts from the ChicagoTribune.com:

Chicago Ridge and Oak Lawn have agreed to end their yearlong experiment in sharing a fire chief.

After Chicago Ridge hires a full-time chief, George Sheets will return to only running the Oak Lawn Fire Department. Sheets said he asked to be relieved so he could focus solely on being Oak Lawn’s chief, a position he has held for six years.

Chicago Ridge Mayor Chuck Tokar said the village will miss Sheets, but “he said he won’t leave until we find a suitable replacement, even if that takes three or six months.” … and the unusual arrangement of towns sharing a fire chief  “was going well and I wish we could continue it.” But the pressures of running two fire departments is demanding.

Sheets has held both positions during the past year, spending roughly two days in Chicago Ridge each week. He replaced Robert Muszynski, who resigned in 2014 citing personal differences with some village officials, specifically Tokar, over possible changes to the fire department.

At the time, Tokar wanted to reopen the firehouse at 107th Street and Lombard Avenue without hiring the seven to eight firefighters that Muszynski said were needed to staff it. The station was reopened by using part-timers. An ad running on the website of the Illinois Fire Chiefs Association praises Sheets’ accomplishments in Chicago Ridge — including reopening the fire station and reducing personnel costs — and says the new chief’s salary will be negotiated based upon experience.

Besides getting the long-closed station reopened, Sheets started a part-time firefighter program that now has 11 members and will likely expand to about 15. He said the part-timers allow Chicago Ridge to have six firefighters on duty each shift, more than in the past, and the process is working well. Now, the station at 107th and Lombard is only open 12 hours a day but will go to 24 hours by August, he said.

Chicago Ridge had been paying one-third of Sheets’ salary, or $37,695, under an agreement between the two village boards last July.

Chicago Ridge has 13 full-time firefighters and 23 either part-time or paid-on-call firefighters. The fire department budget is $2.7 million for fiscal 2015, and the department answers about 2,600 calls annually … most of those are medical in nature.

Oak Lawn Mayor Sandra Bury said neither she nor the trustees demanded that Sheets return to full-time duty there. “No, no, no,” she said. “Everyone benefits from shared resources.”

thanks Dan

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Box Alarm in Brookfield, 6/25/15

This from Josh Boyajian:

Yesterday afternoon Brookfield had a Box Alarm @ 3308 s Sunnyside. First-in companies reported heavy smoke showing from the attic. Companies made a good push but couldn’t get it, and command backed everyone out due to the conditions present and went defensive. There were four hand lines working and Riverside’s truck was ready to go. Here are some shots.

flames from the attic of a house

Josh Boyajian photo

flames from the attic of a house

Josh Boyajian photo

heavy smoke from the attic of a house on fire

Josh Boyajian photo

Seagrave fire truck at fire scene

Josh Boyajian photo

heavy smoke from the attic of a house on fire

Josh Boyajian photo

heavy smoke from the attic of a house on fire

Josh Boyajian photo

This from Code Photography:

Here are some photos of the Brookfield Box Alarm on Sunnyside, I believe they arrived to heavy smoke on the 2nd floor, had fire in the attic and eventually fire through the roof.

More photos:

-Code Photography

firemen fight house fire

Code Photography

firemen fight house fire

Code Photography

firemen on roof during house fire

Code Photography

firemen fight house fire

Code Photography

firemen fight house fire

Code Photography

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Apartment fire in Mount Prospect, 6-24-15

Excerpts from the ChicagoTribune.com:

A fire Wednesday at a Mount Prospect apartment complex has displaced 18 families.

Mount Prospect Deputy Fire Chief Brian Lambel said officials were alerted at 8:45 a.m. to a fire at one of the buildings at the Forest Cove Apartments, off Busse Road on the far south side of the village.When firefighters arrived on the scene, the fire had engulfed the second- and third-floor apartments at 1703-1705 Forest Cove Drive. Officials evacuated the entire building.

While the fire is still under investigation, Lambel said it appears to have caused roughly $500,000 in damage to the estimated $3 million building. A police officer who had responded to the fire was transported to Northwest Community Hospital, where she was treated for smoke inhalation and two residents also were treated on the scene for minor smoke inhalation.

While two of the residents’ pets — a dog and a cat — died in the fire, firefighters were able to rescue three cats and two turtles.

Fire departments assisting Mount Prospect on Wednesday included Arlington Heights, Des Plaines and Elk Grove Township, with fire departments from Rolling Meadows, Glenview and Arlington Heights providing backup for other calls.

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Fox River & Countryside Fire Rescue District … tough decisions (more)

Excerpts from MySuburbanLife.com:

The Fox River and Countryside Fire/Rescue District board approved a tentative budget of $2.7 million Monday for the 2016 fiscal year that reflects the district’s reduced financial situation.

Board president James Gaffney said officials had planned for an operating budget of $3.2 million to $3.3 million if an April referendum had passed. But the district’s request in April was voted down.

The reduction in spending reflects having 21 firefighter/paramedics instead of 24, officials said.

The spending plan will be published and on display for 30 days before the board takes a final vote to approve it at its next meeting on July 27 at Fire Station Three, 34W500 Carl Lee Road, St. Charles.

Fire district attorney Ken Shepro said the proposed budget will be available on the district’s website as well, www.frcfr.org.

Gaffney said the district would pursue another request to go on the March 15 primary ballot.

Gaffney said the district wants to establish a Citizens Advisory Committee to help support and guide the new referendum effort. Those interested in serving on the committee should call the district office at 630-584-3473 and provide phone and email contact information, he said.

The district serves residents in Wayne, Campton Hills and St. Charles Township.

A previous post is HERE

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New ambulances for Elgin

From the Fire Service, Inc. Facebook page:

new ambulances for the Elgin Fire Department

Fire Service, Inc. photo

interior of a new ambulance

Fire Service, Inc. photo

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Tornado rips through Coal City, IL 6-22-15

Images from Coal City by Tim Olk:

town ravaged by a tornado

Tim Olk photo

town ravaged by a tornado

Tim Olk photo

town ravaged by a tornado

Tim Olk photo

town ravaged by a tornado

Tim Olk photo

town ravaged by a tornado

Tim Olk photo

town ravaged by a tornado

Tim Olk photo

town ravaged by a tornado

Tim Olk photo

town ravaged by a tornado

Tim Olk photo

town ravaged by a tornado

Tim Olk photo

More images at firescenes.net

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Storms damage or destroy fire stations

Excerpts from WQAD.com:

The Menominee-Dunleith fire station was destroyed during strong storms Monday morning, June 22, 2015.

The roof collapsed on the building, walls and doors were crushed and vehicles inside the fire station were also damaged.   The fire station is in East Dubuque, Illinois.

It was not yet clear whether the damaged vehicles might include a new fire truck the department reported receiving in June 2014.

 

Excerpts from the Morris-Herald News.com:

Officials were unsure early Tuesday morning how many homes are damaged and how many people are displaced. Coal City High School had been opened for emergency evacuations but that was changed to Coal City Methodist Church, 6805 McArdle, after the high school lost power.

 

Coal City’s fire station received some damage. The fire district has created a Facebook page to spread information, Doerfler said, Coal City Area Tornado – Official.

 

Most of the damage was on the west end of Coal City, he said. There also were reports of damage in unincorporated areas between Morris and Coal City, Schroeder said.

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2015 Chicago Fire Engine Rally & Swap Meet (more highlights)

From Dan McInerney:

Chicago FD Truck 1

Dan McInerney photo

Chicago FD Engine 23

Dan McInerney photo

Chicago FD Engine 8

Dan McInerney photo

Chicago FD Engine 1

Dan McInerney photo

Chicago FD Battalion 1

Dan McInerney photo

More from the event is HERE and HERE

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