This from Mike Summa:
These photos are from the late 1980 or early 1990s of the Alsip Fire Department. I do not know the specifics, but I wanted to share. Do departments today have the resources to have specialized equipment, like these?Thank you,Mike Summa
Mike Summa photo
Mike Summa photo
#1 by M Summa on January 12, 2016 - 2:58 PM
I am glad some of you out their like my photo’s. Do you think in the burbs there might be more apparatus of this kind if not for village/city fire chiefs who have to justify to their city councils the need for such units. I know payroll has a lot to do with purchasing select pieces of equipment. Thanks again.
#2 by Matt on January 12, 2016 - 12:05 PM
Another point is that there are a few Emergency Management/ESDA type groups in the burbs that have resources often used in emergencies like generators, light units and communication units some of which are former fire department vehicles.
#3 by Tom Foley on January 12, 2016 - 12:12 AM
The original question… “Do departments today have the resources to have specialized equipment, like these?”
In the Chicago area, I’d say not generally. There may be some specialty equipment depending on the area… maybe a brush truck, a rescue boat. You find some MABAS units, such as decontamination units and ventilation units stored at houses. A few other units I can think of in my local MABAS division would include an Air Rehab (Pleasantview) and a Command & Communications vehicle (Westmont).
The reality of many Chicago suburban departments is that they struggle to staff all apparatus. There any often times vehicles are staffed by jump companies or by recall staff. Some vehicles are sent for mutual aid, but often minimally staffed.
Chicago has a few neat pieces of specialized equipment (well, to me anyway). The hose wagon, turret wagon, and what was 5-2-4… a special operations vehicle that looks like the vehicles public works often use to clean out sewers. (Is that still in service?) And, the site’s guests seem to love the snorkel, especially the reserve from the 80s still in service. 🙂
#4 by ffpm571 on January 11, 2016 - 6:14 PM
Mt Prospect still has the flatbed foam truck
#5 by Matt on January 11, 2016 - 7:54 AM
Both pieces are long gone from the area. Mount Prospect has a large flatbed with foam, hose and other supplies. Mokena has a ambulance converted to a foam unit that carries foam in totes on a flatbed. Manhattan FPD has had a foam thank that was on a trailer placed on a truck chassis so there are few special foam units around. I doubt that there are many FD fuel trucks in the Chicago area anymore.
#6 by Drew Smith on January 10, 2016 - 7:15 PM
Mount Prospect had a fuel truck very similar to this one back in the 70s and early 80s. They also used to have a 2000 gallon foam trailer as recent as the late 90s (they still may have it).
#7 by Brian on January 10, 2016 - 3:28 PM
Is 2007 still around? The Clark refinery in blue island and tank farm in alsip going away removed the need for these specialized vehicles on hand. I believe Mokena has a foam trailer type unit for the small tank farm they have on wolf road.
#8 by MABAS 21 on January 10, 2016 - 1:33 PM
Wow, those are a blast from the past! 2006 aka “Foamy” was a foam tender purchased for the now defunct Clark Oil Refinery tank farm in Alsip. 2007 was a fuel tender that was utilized for the Second Fire District, now known as MABAS Division 22.