Archive for October, 2016

Algonquin-Lake in the Hills FPD news

fire department bike medic bicycles

Algonquin-Lake in the Hills FPD photo

Excerpts from the NWHerald.com:

Two bikes, worth about $1,300 each, were donated to the Algonquin-Lake in the Hills Fire Protection District by Lake in the Hills American Legion Post 1231, said Matt Berg, president of Algonquin-Lake in the Hills Firefighters Local 3985.

The bikes will be manned by off-duty personnel hired to staff community events, such as the Algonquin Founders’ Days parade or Lake in the Hills Triathlon and are equipped with medical supplies, including a defibrillator, oxygen, IV and bandaging for traumatic injures.

The department realized paramedic bikes would be an asset when it borrowed one from the Algonquin police to use at the Founders’ Days parade. Berg, who rode the bike, said he treated about a dozen patients during the event. He said this is the only fire department in the area to implement the program.

The bikes also allow the public to interact easier with paramedics, and they give residents the ability to have a closer look at who paramedics are and what they do.

Training for about 12 paramedics who are interested in using the bikes will start in the spring,

thanks Dan

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As see around … the North Palos FPD

From a reader:

North Palos Car 808

North Palos FPD Car 808

North Palos FPD Car 808

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Norwood Park Fire Protection District news

The Norwood Park Fire Protection District, that protects the Villages of Norridge, and Harwood Heights in addition to  unincorporated Norwood Park Township is seeking a fire chief. The district borders the northwest side of Chicago near O’Hare airport and is predominately composed of residential areas with some industrial and commercial development. The district serves approximately 25,000 residents in a 6.5-square mile area operating out of one fire station responding to fire, emergency medical services (EMS), and specialized rescue calls, totaling 3,347 in 2015. The district operates with 23 full-time personnel, including one (1) fire chief, one (1) deputy chief and one (1) administrative assistant to the chief.

Job Summary

The district is seeking an energetic and experienced fire service leader with strong communication and interpersonal skills. The fire chief is the Chief Executive Officer of the fire department and the final departmental authority in all matters of policy, operations, training, and discipline. He exercises all powers of his office and issues such orders as are necessary to assure the effective performance of the department. The fire chief is responsible for planning, directing, coordinating, controlling, and staffing all activities of the department for its continuous and efficient operations, for the enforcement of rules and regulations within the department, for the completion and forwarding of such reports as may be required by competent authority, and for the department’s relations with the citizens of the Norwood Park Fire Protection District. The ideal candidate must have an inclusive managerial style and experience working in a union environment. Duties include, but are not limited to, the administrative responsibility of budgets, Levy’s, audit’s, and records management. The chief position is an FLSA salary exempt position. www.norwoodparkfire.org

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New engine for CFD Engine 121

From Facebook:

Chicago FD Engine 121

JC Medina Facebook

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New use for old Chicago firehouse … for sale (more)

old firehouse is luxury home now

Former home of a Chicago Fire Insurance Patrol company is for sale.

Excerpts from DNAinfo.com:

For a cool $1.1 million, you could own a genuine Chicago firehouse. The home’s asking price has dropped $250,000 since it was first listed in June.

The building, at 3921 N. Ravenswood Ave., dates back to 1907 and has been completely renovated as a 4,500-square-foot, 3-bedroom, 3-bathroom home. The original firehouse doors remain in place, opening to the street for dramatic effect.

The firehouse housed the Chicago Fire Insurance Patrol, according to the Fire Museum of Greater Chicago. From 1871 to 1959, fire insurance companies operated patrols that salvaged furniture, machinery, and other items in burning buildings. Patrols also did maintenance work on sprinklers, roofs and doors to protect them.

There are a couple dozen firehouses still in Chicago built in the 1920s or earlier. Some in Rogers Park, Edgewater, and Wicker Park have sold in recent years, typically as single-family homes.

old firehouse is luxury home now

View from the street.

old firehouse is luxury home now

First floor interior

Excerpts from Chicagocurbed.com:

A rare and unique property just steps from the Irving Park Brown Line station has returned to the market with new photos and a big price reduction. The old firehouse, originally built in 1907, hit the market in June seeking $1.35 million, but can now be had for $1.1 million—a quarter million dollar reduction from its initial asking price.

It’s certainly got curb appeal. But behind the brick exterior and shiny red garage door lies a spacious 4,500-square-foot home with three bedrooms and three bathrooms. The attached garage space doubles as a place for entertaining. If you’ve been looking to get into the events business, this one could be a solid investment.

The listing agent mentions that the kitchen was rehabbed last year. It features some neat extras, like a two-keg home draft setup. There’s also a spacious outdoor deck area to take the entertaining outside during the warmer months.

old firehouse is luxury home now

Bedroom.

old firehouse is luxury home now

The kitchen.

old firehouse is luxury home now

Kitchen and living area.

old firehouse is luxury home now

The second floor.

old firehouse is luxury home now

Interior stairs.

thanks Dan

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Glenside Fire Protection District news

The Glenside Fire Protection District, that protects the majority of Glendale Heights and Glen Ellyn Countryside in DuPage County in Illinois, is seeking a deputy fire chief. The district is located 25 miles west of Chicago and is predominately composed of residential areas with some commercial development. The district serves approximately 34,000 residents in a four-square mile area operating out of one fire station responding to fire, emergency medical services (EMS), and specialized rescue calls, totaling 2,349 in 2015. The district operates with 18 full-time personnel, 20 paid on call personnel, two chief officers and four administrative support personnel.

The FPD is seeking an energetic and experienced fire service leader with strong communication and interpersonal skills. A commitment to high professional standards is required and experience with both fire and EMS is important. The ideal candidate must have an inclusive managerial style and experience working in a union environment. The deputy fire chief, which is an appointed position by the Board of Trustees of the Glenside Fire Protection District, is an administrative and supervisory position encompassing planning, organizing, and directing the programs of the xistrict under the directions of the fire chief. The deputy chief is Chief of Operations responsible for assisting in the administration and coordination of department operations and the general direction of fire suppression, rescue, and EMS activities. Duties also include the general administrative responsibility of budgeting, fire prevention, training, records management, and other duties as assigned.

The deputy chief position is an FLSA salary exempt position.

Minimum Qualifications

The ideal Candidate will have a strong fire ground command experience, which exhibits supervisory and command understanding, comprehensive knowledge of modern methods and skills of fire department operations, and administration, excellent oral and written communications skills, excellent leadership skills and the ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with other employees and the general public. Further requirements are excellent judgment skills, considerable skill in the application of administrative and management methods and procedures to departmental activities, and comprehensive knowledge of labor/management relations and the collective bargaining process.

Education Requirements

  • Candidates shall meet the following prerequisites at the time of application, or shall meet them within a time period established by the board of trustees
  • A Bachelor’s Degree in Fire Science is required and a Master’s Degree in a related field is preferred.
  • Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal Certified as a Fire Officer III and Hazardous Materials Incident Command.
  • Valid Illinois driver’s license.
  • Reside within 10 miles of the fire station within one-year of appointment.
  • Five years’ experience in fire district policies, rules, regulations and laws preferred.

Compensation and Benefits

Salary range: $91,045 – $101,766 negotiable depending on qualifications and experience. The district also provides an excellent benefit package and retirement program.

To Apply

The application closing date is November 1, 2016. Successful candidates will participate in an assessment center process on a date to be announced later. Interested and qualified candidates should apply at once, with resume and salary history, together with a letter summarizing your qualifications, education, professional accomplishments, a description of the size of the departments and populations where you have gained experience with three chief officer references in confidence to the Fire District’s Executive Search Consultant below:

Submit Resumes and Support Documentation to:

Executive Search Consultant

Illinois Fire Chiefs Association P.O. Box 7 Skokie, IL 60076-0007

The Glenside Fire Protection District is an Equal Opportunity Employer

www.glensidefire.org

Questions can be directed to: Chief T.E. Sashko, Executive Director

tsashko@illinoisfirechiefs.org

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MABAS Division 11 Training (part 1)

This from Jeff Braun Jr;

Here are some photos of Division 11’s structure fire training (10/19/16), the crews were training on forcible entry, roof/ ventilation ops, search and rescue, and hose line advancement. Thanks. -Jeff Braun Jr. (COUNTY-WIDE FIRE PHOTOGRAPHY) “

firefighters training

County-Wide photography

firefighters training

County-Wide photography

firefighters training

County-Wide photography

firefighters training

County-Wide photography

emergency squad truck

County-Wide photography

firefighters training

County-Wide photography

fire department command post

County-Wide photography

firefighters training

County-Wide photography

firefighters training

County-Wide photography

firefighters training

County-Wide photography

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New aerial ladder for Algonquin-Lake in the Hills FPD (more)

From the Pierce Flickr site – Arrow XT 105′ quint for Algonquin Truck 181 so#28362

Pierce Arrow XT 105' quint for Algonquin Truck 181

Pierce Arrow XT 105′ quint for Algonquin Truck 181 so#28362. Pierce composite

thanks Al

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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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