Archive for October 29th, 2015

Illinois Fire Chief Receives National Award for Home Fire Sprinkler Advocacy

Excerpts from Homefiresprinkler.org:

The National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA) Fire Sprinkler Initiative and the Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition awarded Fire Chief Brian Leahy from the Clarendon Hills (Illinois) Fire Department with the 2015 Bringing Safety Home Award, presented at the Fire Sprinkler Initiative Summit on October 13th in Phoenix, Arizona.

The award recognizes fire service members and other safety advocates who use HFSC’s home fire sprinkler educational materials and Fire Sprinkler Initiative resources to ensure that decision-makers have accurate information as new or updated home fire sprinkler codes are considered.

Fifteen years ago, Chief Leahy spent hours meeting with his mayor and elected officials to educate them about the benefits of home fire sprinklers. His village manager presented him with 33 concerns brought up by those who opposed a fire sprinkler requirement. With limited resources, Leahy addressed every concern. His efforts resulted in the passage of an ordinance requiring fire sprinklers in all new, one- and two-family homes. Clarendon Hills became the fifth community in Illinois to do so, but the ordinance was the first in one of the state’s teardown-and-rebuild community. Leahy’s list to the village manager is known as the Clarendon Hills “List of 33” and is still used as a resource in other communities looking to enact home fire sprinkler requirements in new homes.

Today, more than 700 Clarendon Hills homes and the families that occupy them are protected with fire sprinklers.

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4-Alarm apartment building fire in Oak Park, 10-20-15 (more)

Excerpts from the ChicagoTribune.com:

The Oak Park apartment complex destroyed by a fire last week is too dangerous to investigate, officials say, and the building is being demolished.

According to a release from the village of Oak Park, the extent of the damage to the building in the 200 block of Washington Boulevard made it impossible to trace the fire’s origin.

Oak Park Deputy Fire Chief Peter Pilafas said investigators believe they know where the fire began, but identifying a cause wasn’t possible. “The origin of the fire appears to be in the rear of the structure,” Pilafas said. “There was too much damage to the structure to safely get in where the origin of the fire was.”

About 40 people were displaced when the fire began at approximately 9:30 p.m. Oct. 20. Firefighters from 11 area departments were able to extinguish most of the blaze more than six hours later. Crews remained on the scene days after the fire to monitor hot spots and flare-ups.

The building’s roof collapsed and much of the top floor was gutted. Authorities used two Pace buses to keep residents warm as crews battled the blaze.

According to the village, the building was likely constructed in the 1920s, and was deemed a total loss.

One firefighter was taken to Loyola University Medical Center with heat exhaustion, but was later released, according to a news release. None of the building’s residents were injured.

Gift card donations are being collected for the six District 97 families who were affected by the fire. Gift cards can be dropped off at Longfellow School, 715 S. Highland Ave., until Nov. 2. The items will be given to families on a regular basis, or as needed in the days ahead. Shoppers at Pete’s Fresh Market, 259 Lake St., can also provide cash donations at checkout lines through Oct. 31.

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As seen around … O’Hare Airport

8x8 Oshkosh Striker at O'Hare Airport

Chicago ARFF 6-5-10. Gordon J. Nord, Jr. photo

8x8 Oshkosh Striker at O'Hare Airport

Chicago ARFF 6-5-10. Gordon J. Nord, Jr. photo

8x8 Oshkosh Striker at O'Hare Airport

Chicago ARFF 6-5-5. Gordon J. Nord, Jr. photo

8x8 Oshkosh Striker at O'Hare Airport

Chicago ARFF 6-5-5. Gordon J. Nord, Jr. photo

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