This from Steve Redick:
January 16, 1967
This was arguably the most famous alarm in recent history. At one point the commissioner asked for any and every available company. Rumor has it some engine companies drafting from the frozen lake were nearly submerged. Many stories abound from this event. There are very few photos of this that are in the public domain.
Steve
Warren Redick collection
Warren Redick collection
Warren Redick collection
Warren Redick collection
Warren Redick collection
Warren Redick collection
Warren Redick collection
Warren Redick collection
Warren Redick collection
#1 by Phil Stenholm on February 4, 2016 - 1:34 PM
Note that fireground communications was still a bit “Old School” at the time of the McCormick Place fire, because the CFD Communication Command Center (424 – Clark Cortez RV – G-249) was not yet in service. (It was placed in service at Engine 25 on 11/15/1967)
#2 by Phil Stenholm on February 4, 2016 - 1:20 PM
Here is the radio traffic from the McCormick Place fire:
http://www.extraalarm.org/broadcast/chicago/McCormick/McCormick_Place.htm
#3 by Ted on February 4, 2016 - 11:54 AM
was this the only fire that all 3 boats were utilized at the same time?
#4 by Bill Post on February 4, 2016 - 10:25 AM
The McCormick Place fire was a 5-11 with 4 special alarms however less then 2 weeks later there was another 5-11 and 4 specials on the 1200 block of west Jarvis in the wee hours of January 27th during the Great Snow Storm (blizzard) of 1967. The fire was in a three-story courtyard building on the north side of the street. Jarvis was a dead end east of Sheridan Road only about a block from Lake Michigan. The fire apparatus couldn’t go down the block from Sheridan Road to get to the front of the building so they had to walk half a block carrying ladders, hose, and other equipment. For elevated streams they were able to go the roof of a build across the alley on Fargo.
Due to the severe weather which included 23 inches of snow, the fire was immediately boxed by the office before anyone arrived on the scene. The next day I had walked over 2 miles in the middle of the streets to get to the fire. The fire was approximately 1220 W Jarvis.