New buggy for CFD 5-1-5 « Page 1 « chicagoareafire.com

New buggy for CFD 5-1-5

This from the fleet guy

Ford Explorer Shop ID B614 for 5-1-5. Fleet Guy photo

Replacing the Ford Expedition

Chicago FD Special Operations Battalion 5-1-5

Dennis McGuire, Jr. photo

Tags: all red Ford Explorer for the Chicago FD, Chicago Fire Department Ford Explorer, Chicago Special Operations Battalion Chief 5-1-5, Dennis McGuire Jr., Ford Explorers for the Chicago Fire Department

This entry was posted on May 30, 2016, 11:00 AM and is filed under Fire Department News, New Delivery. You can follow any responses to this entry through RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

22 Comments

#1 by Dennis on June 7, 2016 - 8:31 AM

I guess these new buggies are leased and as such the city cant paint them. At least that’s what I was told.
#2 by Bill Post on June 3, 2016 - 7:15 PM

It’s ironic that of all things over the last several years some fire departments from other parts of the country have even been going to black over red fire apparatus. Even in the New York and New Jersey, several of their local departments have gone to Chicago’s colors which is something when you consider the long time rivalry between the FDNY and CFD. The North Hudson Fire Department in New Jersey was created in 1999 consolidating the Weehawken, Union City, Guttenberg, West New York, and North Bergen fire departments into one. It happens to be located just across the Hudson River from Manhattan.

It would be a bad joke if the CFD gets rid of it’s classic and most identifiable black over red paint scheme plus green and red lights just as other fire departments are beginning to adapt Chicago’s colors.
#3 by Bill Post on June 3, 2016 - 5:39 PM

Fire Troll my comment about keeping those black over red buggies around was part, black (over red) humor and part serious. If it is possible to do with the older buggies. There are some fire departments such as Philadelphia and Phoenix that actually save some of their ambulance bodies to remount on newer a chassis. If that can be done with ambulances, then why not save some of the buggies that are in half way decent shape and give them newer components and engines. I don’t know if it’s possible, but if it is, then why not do it because that could probably save more money then going to new all red buggies.
#4 by Larry Covi on June 3, 2016 - 1:29 PM

150 years of tradition unimpeded by progress!!!
#5 by Mike d on June 3, 2016 - 12:08 PM

Is it only going to be the cars and special equipment that’s going to be all red ? Or are the trucks and engines going to be next?
#6 by Crabby Milton on June 3, 2016 - 6:08 AM

In the Milwaukee County suburb of Wauwatosa went to black over red a few years ago after being a shade of yellow/lime green forever. Imitation is the most sincere form of flattery.
http://www.wauwatosa.net/images/pages/N1021/F-217%20d.jpg
#7 by Bill Kugelman on June 2, 2016 - 10:09 PM

OK. & 10-4. Thanks a lot !!!!
#8 by DANNY on June 2, 2016 - 8:00 PM

KUGIE I SPOKE WITH A SEAGRAVE REP AT FDIC AND CURRENTLY THEY ARE LOOKING FOR A FEW RIGS FROM EACH DECADE TO USE FOR THE MUSEUM TO SHOW OFF THE COMPANY AND ITS LONG LINE I TOLD THEM YOU HAD AN OLD CFD RIG AND THEY SAID FOR YOU TO CONTACT THE CEO AT SEAGRAVE
#9 by Bill aka. Kugie on June 2, 2016 - 6:10 PM

You guys must be from the long lost burbs. The progressive burbs copied the CFD and went to black tops so that they would look professional like Chicago.
#10 by CrabbyMilton on June 2, 2016 - 3:02 PM

Well, the one’s I have seen over the years have been some sort of red. Perhaps there were some variations but I never noticed it. We have worse dysfunction in city govt. than Chicago so what surprised me is that MFD doesn’t go back to commercial chassis rigs. That would stink but I wouldn’t be shocked either.
#11 by Mike Mc on June 2, 2016 - 1:32 PM

Didn’t the FDNY stop painting the tops of the their buggies white a couple of years ago? I am assuming it was for the same reason, money.

Crabby, you know as well as I do that Milwaukee would buy buggies directly from the dealer in whatever shade of red was available, even maroon, and they often did not match the other Milwaukee apparatus or even each other. I assume it was to save money.
#12 by Fred M on June 2, 2016 - 7:21 AM

Bill K….where is the museum and what are the hours? In town from Va and thought of stopping in
- #13 by Bill Kugelman on June 2, 2016 - 8:29 AM
  
  Fire Museum is at 5218 S. Western Ave. We have open house 4th Saturday of month from 10 to 2 but call me at 773-206-9555 and I will make time for you if you’re going back before.
#14 by CrabbyMilton on June 1, 2016 - 9:22 AM

Like I said, why not just go to the FORD dealer and get an EXPLORER, TAURUS, or EXPEDTION regardless of color. Then just tape a sheet of paper on the window designating the unit number? Someone else on here suggested to get rid of the logo so just download the logo on another sheet of paper and tape it on another window.
I know I run the risk about giving them ideas though I say this being sarcastic.

🙂
#15 by FireTroll on June 1, 2016 - 8:50 AM

You know, Bill Post, if you were being serious, I actually do like your idea.

Mr. C. Milton, if you want to talk about school funding, ask parents on Chicago’s far NW side if they have funding from the city to relieve 150+% capacity. Talk about tradition, how about the tradition of not having to hold classes in the hallway? But that’s a whole nuther kettle o’ stinky fish…

Bill Kugelman- you are actually 100% accurate in your assessment of me. Touché! Perhaps with all of the challenges CFD is facing, the Fire Museum should close. Chicagoans don’t tend to learn from history well, and maybe the sooner we forget the traditions, the sooner the pain will go away. 🙂 🙂 🙂
#16 by Fred M on June 1, 2016 - 8:13 AM

Has anyone asked someone with authority at fleet or CFD management about traditions being lost? While money issues might be political rhetoric, we could at least learn a real “reason” for these not so subtle changes.
#17 by Crabby Milton on June 1, 2016 - 6:04 AM

There always seems to be money in big cities for new carpeting in the public schools teachers lounges.
I’m being abstract but if it’s that much of an expense to go with traditional color, why not just go with FORD’s standard colors and not even order red in the first place?
Chicago and other cities have been thru much worse times and in the case of CFD, they have always gone with black over red. So someone has a bugaboo over something in regard to colors for buggies.
#18 by Bill Post on May 31, 2016 - 6:24 PM

I have a better idea if you want to save some money. Instead of getting new buggies in all red that break with Chicago Tradition why not just keep all of the black over red buggies and just give them new components and that way Chicago can keep the black over red bodies and to hell with the ugly red over red buggies.
#19 by FireTroll on May 31, 2016 - 4:16 PM

If a red roof saves even just $5, then to heck with tradition! Chicago mayors have shamefully underfunded the firefighters’ pension to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars. Now every taxpayer in the city is in this mess. If you can’t pay off your credit cards, and you’re putting the mortgage payment on your credit cards to make ends meet, you’d be darn lucky to get a new car. And if you do, you’d be a darn fool to go down the list of aftermarket dealer options adding googaws and whirleygigs. Can we spare the crocodile tears for tradition and face up to the fact that CFD has much bigger problems they’ve been neglecting?
- #20 by Bill Kugelman on May 31, 2016 - 7:00 PM
  
  I would assume you must be a political toy with a heavy clout. Tradition is a large part of the CFD history. Come see us at the Fire Museum.
#21 by MABAS 21 on May 30, 2016 - 4:39 PM

What a disgrace! All red buggies, blue lights, next will be the CFD scramble! Say goodbye to tradition that has set the unique identity and pride of the Chicago Fire Department copied by departments across the country.
#22 by Kugie on May 30, 2016 - 2:41 PM

Looks like the CFD tradition of black top rigs is gone !!!! Well ; There goes an original CFD tradition too.