Archive for February 10th, 2017

Gary Fire Department news

Excerpts from the ChicagoTribune.com:

The Gary Fire Department will be able to purchase five new fire trucks, following the approval Tuesday by the Common Council.

Fire Chief Paul Bradley told council members the $2.3 million purchase is essential because the typical life of a vehicle is 20 years, and the department currently has seven trucks that are between 17 and 26 years old.

Bradley told the council there also are problems with some of the existing vehicles that they don’t fit properly into the fire stations, adding the issue will not be a problem with the new vehicles.

“We need to replace the apparatus we’re using now,” Bradley said, adding that the old vehicles will continue to be put to use by the department after being moved to the department’s training center on 35th Avenue.

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Phoenix Fire Department news

This from Brad Steinweg:

The former 1988 Spartan (803) from North Palos FPD has been sold. It now belongs to Phoenix FD in division 24 and is numbered 1715. Due to it being night time I was unable to get an updated picture.

-Brad S.

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Troy Fire Protection District news

Excerpts from the Herald-News.com:

On Tuesday, the Troy Fire Protection District was presented with an award of recognition by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

“We are only the second municipal (agency) in the state to get this award and the third fire department in the country,” Fire Chief Andy Doyle said.

The process began when a state OSHA inspector made a surprise visit to the district in March 2016 and spent several hours examining both stations. There also was an extensive review of the department’s documentation for testing and safety procedures. Based on that report, four inspectors returned last summer for another daylong inspection and came back again weeks later.

“They looked at the gear, the apparatus. We had someone out mowing the lawn that day and they checked to make sure he was wearing ear protection,” Doyle said.

“They wanted to review our plan in the event of a fire,” Doyle said. “This is a fire station. We’d grab a hose and put it out, but we had to formalize what some of the administrative staff would do.”

Doyle said such inspections help taxpayers by keeping the district’s insurance premiums and workman’s compensation claims low.

“Firefighting is already inherently dangerous, but I think this shows we have policies and procedures in place to keep people as safe as possible in the fire service,” he said.

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Hoffman Estates Fire Department news

Excerpts from the DailyHerald.com:

Hoffman Estates Firefighter Evan VonQualen was commended by Fire Chief Jeff Jorian and the village board this week for helping save the life of an Elgin resident while driving to work in Hoffman Estates.

VonQualen recounted that he just happened to look to his left during his morning commute Dec. 11 to see a house that was clearly in the early stages of a fire.

He pulled over and contacted the homeowner to get him out of the house. The man was concerned for the lives of his cats and attempted to re-enter the home to search for them. VonQualen persuaded the man that the cats would be all right and got him safely away from the burning structure.

Though human life was the immediate concern, the firefighters rescued the cats as well.

VonQualen will be honored again, in Elgin, at 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 24, at The Centre of Elgin, 100 Symphony Way.

thanks Dan

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