Archive for October 22nd, 2016

Illinois Fire Chiefs Association Scholarship

Excerpts from the DailyHerald.com:

On Saturday evening, Glenbard East High school, 1014 S. Main St. in Lombard, will host the Illinois Fire Chiefs vs. Celebrity Sports Legends charity basketball game. Doors open at 6 p.m. and tip off is at 6:30 p.m.

Celebrities include, Glenbard East High AD and former Chicago Bear D’Wayne Bates, former Chicago Cub Chico Walker, a few members of the Chicago Bliss along with local Fire Chief’s and firefighters.

The Illinois Fire Chiefs Association will donate the proceeds of the game, to fund firefighter scholarships.

Tickets for this event are $15. Children 6 and under are admitted free. You may order tickets by calling (630) 592-9646 or go to www.eventbrite.com. Proceeds go to IFCA Scholarship.

If you can’t make it to the game, you can make a donation to fund a scholarship for a firefighter. Visit www.illinoisfirechiefs.org for more information or mail your check payable to Illinois Fire Chief’s Foundation 205 E. Butterfield Rd. Suite 911 Elmhurst, Illinois 60126.

Excerpts from the ChicagoTribune.com:

Firefighters, they run into burning buildings so that others may live.

Nobody knows this better than former Lemont Fire Chief Andy O’Donnell. He has served forty-five active years in fire service.

” At ten years old, I had a life changing experience,” said O’Donnell. ” I was walking to the library in the South Shore of Chicago. I peeked inside a neighborhood firehouse, “Hey You, come here,” yelled a firefighter. He invited me in, showed me around and told me to come back”.

I began my career as a volunteer firefighter in Crestwood, ” O’Donnell begins.” I was hired in Chicago and spent 34 years there serving in the busiest firehouses in the city,” he added.

O’Donnell was at 46th & Cottage Grove then 40th and State, Engine 16 and spent 6 years in the Pullman firehouse. At one time O’Donnell commanded eighteen fire stations. His final position with the CFD was at the fire academy, with his final years serving as Chief in Lemont.

This Saturday, O’Donnell will join firefighters, sports celebrities and fans to raise funds for the Illinois Fire Chiefs Association Scholarship program through a charity basketball game at Glenbard East High School. The proceeds will go for scholarships to those in fire service.

” Firefighters throughout the state can apply for these grants,” O’Donnell said. ” We gave about $66,000 last year. We try and reach all parts of the state from firefighters to fire chiefs. It doesn’t matter if you’re full time, part time or volunteer, everyone needs a little education,” adds O’Donnell. ” These scholarships afford the firefighters the opportunity to go to school. The smarter they are, they provide better fire protection to the public”.

Another love for O’Donnell is his involvement with the Fire Museum of Greater Chicago. What began with twelve guys at a kitchen table in a Chicago rectory is now home to thousands of Chicago fire artifacts.

” We got into an old firehouse at 52nd and Western and opened up this museum four years ago,” explains O’Donnell. ” We have a good history of 23,000 who joined the Chicago Fire Department, the first full-time being in 1858.”

They are looking for donations of fire equipment and photos from Chicago and surrounding departments. If you have an item to donate, go to www.FireMuseumOfGreaterChicago.org

” We’re going have a binder on every fire company ever started in Chicago and even the suburban departments,” O’Donnell said. ” We have shown pictures to families that they’ve never seen before”.

” After 911, people would ask me, how could firefighters ever go into a building like that”? ” Well,” said O’Donnell, ” we belong to a goofy kind of club, a lot of people don’t understand, we get a kick out of helping others”.

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House fire in Buffalo Grove, 10-22-16

This from Larry Shapiro:

Buffalo Grove firefighters were called to #9 Springside Court shortly before 8AM on Saturday, (10/22/16) for smoke in the basement of a single-family house. Police officers arrived and reported smoke visible at the eaves of the house. BG Engine 26 confirmed smoke showing and requested the upgrade to a Code 4 working fire.

Palatine Engine 82, Long Grove Battalion 55, Lincolnshire-Riverwoods Squad 51, Arlington Heights Engine 4, and Arlington Heights Ambulance 4 responded in addition to Buffalo Grove companies that were in the process of changing shifts.

The entire house was filled with smoke as firefighters made their way into the basement and quickly extinguished the fire.

firefighters prepare to enter house on fire

Larry Shapiro photo

heavy smoke from front door of house on fire

Larry Shapiro photo

firefighters prepare to enter house on fire

Larry Shapiro photo

smoke from basement window well

Larry Shapiro photo

firefighters prepare to enter house on fire

Larry Shapiro photo

firefighters prepare to ventilate house

Larry Shapiro photo

fireengine hooked to hydrant

Larry Shapiro photo

KME fire engine with lines off

Larry Shapiro photo

LDH Large diameter hose in the street

Larry Shapiro photo

firefighter decontaminates PPE

Larry Shapiro photo

More photos are at shapirophotography.net

 

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Chicago 5-11 Alarm fire, 10-21-16 (more)

This from Steve Redick:

Early friday morning, 26th & Rockwell. Near as I could tell this was a pallet yard and loading dock complex. Access was poor and most of the fire was set way back from the street. Railroad tracks and other industrial complexes made access for apparatus difficult at best. Several in-line pumping operations were conducted. Photos were difficult to come by due to smoke conditions, local flooding, and access. Here’s a few images to view, and the rest are posted on my site along

Steve

massive fire in truck yard at night

Steve Redick photo

massive fire in truck yard at night

Steve Redick photo

fire scene at night in Chicago

Steve Redick photo

fire scene at night in Chicago

Steve Redick photo

fire scene at night in Chicago

Steve Redick photo

fire scene at night in Chicago

Steve Redick photo

Chicago FD Command Van

Steve Redick photo

fire scene at night in Chicago

Steve Redick photo

fire scene at night in Chicago

Steve Redick photo

fire scene at night in Chicago

Steve Redick photo

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Chicago 5-11 Alarm fire, 10-21-16 (more)

Photos by Gordon Nord from the 5-11 Alarm fire + 1 Special Alarm at 2510 W. 26th Street 10/21/16

massive fire in truck yard at night

Gordon J. Nord, Jr. photo

massive fire in truck yard at night

Gordon J. Nord, Jr. photo

massive fire in truck yard at night

Gordon J. Nord, Jr. photo

massive fire in truck yard at night

Gordon J. Nord, Jr. photo

Chicago FD Tower Ladder 39

Gordon J. Nord, Jr. photo

Chicago FD Tower Ladder 39

Gordon J. Nord, Jr. photo

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