Archive for August 27th, 2017

Chicago Fire Department news

Excerpts from the Chicagotribune.com:

Some Streeterville residents, along with elected leaders, say they think the number of ambulances traveling through the downtown neighborhood is rising, as is the siren volume — and they want the fire department to do something about it.

A two-hour community meeting was hosted by the Streeterville Organization of Active Residents, a community group that has worked for five years to reduce noise it says is disrupting the peace of the lakefront community.

Downtown residents acknowledge that the wail of sirens isn’t new — especially in Streeterville, which is home not only to Northwestern Memorial Hospital but also Lurie Children’s Hospital. It’s likely the children’s hospital, which opened five years ago, increased the number of ambulances in the neighborhood.

One fire department official told the audience that the department’s ambulance sirens aren’t louder than they used to be and meet federal regulation. Still, the department is sensitive to concerns and has made at least 11 common-sense policy changes citywide over the years, such as reducing the frequency of activating sirens, aiming the sirens toward traffic in front of the emergency vehicle, and lowering the sirens from the roofs to the vehicle grilles, Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford told the audience.

Siren volumes on fire department ambulances and emergency vehicles are locked by the manufacturer — meaning that drivers can only turn them on and off — and meet federal regulations, Langford said. Lowering the volume, as some requested, is not a legal option, he told the group.

At 120 decibels, the sirens are just below the 123-decibel limit set by federal regulation. The sirens are at levels that get the attention of motorists, along with pedestrians on their phones or listening to music, Langford added.

The average citizen can handle short doses of a 120-decibel siren passing them, but prolonged exposure to it can lead to hearing loss, according to Dr. Dennis Moore, an assistant professor with Loyola Medicine’s otolaryngology department.

Moore did offer some advice to people on the street. “Typically it’s probably prudent if people are out and about if there’s sirens going by, I would literally stop what I’m doing and put my hands over my ears,” he said. “It’s like if something is too bright, you put sunglasses on. I always tell people we have eyelids, but we don’t have ear lids. They can’t close themselves up.”

Streeterville is a special challenge, Langford said during the meeting, because of the high density of people living, visiting and shopping in an area that’s home to two busy hospitals. While fire officials can make changes to lessen the impact on passers-by and pedestrians, they have less control over sounds that invade the area buildings, he said.

Some relief from the sirens could come next year when the University of Chicago Medicine’s trauma center opens on the South Side, diverting some of the patients who would go to Northwestern, according to Langford and Assistant Deputy Fire Commissioner Richard Edgeworth.

thanks Scott

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Rockford Fire Department news

Excerpts from rrstar.com

A $1.6 million flip-flop has restored a Rockford firehouse turned vehicle repair shop back to Fire Station No. 7, and could improve response times to fire and medical emergencies.

The Rockford Fire Department facility, located at 2323 Sawyer Road on the city’s southeast side, operated as a fire station from 1978 until 1991, when the department converted it into a fire vehicle repair shop. Firefighting operations shifted to 4979 Falcon Road under an agreement with the Chicago-Rockford International Airport.

It is hoped that restoring the Sawyer Road facility as a fire station and moving the repair shop to Falcon Road will help the department reduce how long it takes firefighters to get to emergency calls. Fire Chief Derek Bergsten said that for years the Falcon Road station exceeded the departmental response time goal of having 90 percent of all response times take less than 8 minutes, 12 seconds from a resident dialing 911 to the arrival of firefighters.

Station No. 7 houses Engine Company 7, Medic 7, and a hazardous materials response team. Last year, Engine 7 responded to 1,760 calls for service and Medic 7 responded to 1,105 calls for service.

The restored station will have a workout facility for firefighters, separate washrooms and showers for men and women and a computer-training area.

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Vintage 5-11 Alarm fire in Chicago, 10-19-90

This from Steve Redick:

Audio recording from the first 5-11 Alarm fire at Harry’s Lumber, 6220 Northwest highway on October 19, 1990

 

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Historic 3-11 Alarm for the plane crash in Chicago, 12-8-72

This from Eric Haak:

To piggyback on last week’s post, here are some very rare images from the more well known 1972 plane crash near Midway Airport. I don’t believe there needs to be too much background information given on this incident. CFD records have the still time as 2:29 in the afternoon of December 8, 1972 with the address being 3715-23 W. 70th Place. The response was held at a 3-11 alarm. These images show the recovery phase and were taken from a position that media outlets were obviously not allowed access. There were two fatalities on the ground along with 43 on-board the aircraft. Suprisingly, there were 18 survivors on the plane. There is video of this incident on Youtube but the clarity is pretty poor.

crash of United Airlines Flight 553 12/8/72

United Airlines Flight 553 crashed into a row of bungalows on West 70th Place, in Chicago, while approaching Midway Airport on Dec. 8, 1972, killing 43 of the 61 persons aboard, and two in a home. Eric Haak collection, photographer unknown.

crash of United Airlines Flight 553 12/8/72

Eric Haak collection, photographer unknown.

crash of United Airlines Flight 553 12/8/72

Eric Haak collection, photographer unknown.

crash of United Airlines Flight 553 12/8/72

Eric Haak collection, photographer unknown.

crash of United Airlines Flight 553 12/8/72

Eric Haak collection, photographer unknown.

crash of United Airlines Flight 553 12/8/72

Eric Haak collection, photographer unknown.

crash of United Airlines Flight 553 12/8/72

Eric Haak collection, photographer unknown.

crash of United Airlines Flight 553 12/8/72

Eric Haak collection, photographer unknown.

crash of United Airlines Flight 553 12/8/72

Eric Haak collection, photographer unknown.

crash of United Airlines Flight 553 12/8/72

Eric Haak collection, photographer unknown.

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