Something for #throwbackthursday from Larry Shapiro:
Here’s a glimpse of the Wood Dale Fire Protection District from the 1980s
Former Wood Dale FPD Ambulance 14. Larry Shapiro photo
Former Wood Dale FPD Engine 1. Larry Shapiro photo
Former Wood Dale FPD Engine 11. Larry Shapiro photo
Former Wood Dale FPD Engine 16. Larry Shapiro photo
Former Wood Dale FPD Rescue Squad 3. Larry Shapiro photo
Former Wood Dale FPD Truck 10. Larry Shapiro photo
#1 by CrabbyMilton on February 19, 2018 - 9:16 AM
Sadly, Milwaukee never had PIRSCH ladders built on the custom chassis since MFD was in love with MACK back then but yes many PIRSCH ladders. They did have 2 1963 pumpers built on the PIRSCH custom chassis featured here.
#2 by John Antkowski on February 19, 2018 - 8:54 AM
Yes classic Pirsch rigs. How big and how many stations did they have? Milwaukee had a ton of Mack’s with Pirsch aerials. We had one in the fire academy and climbing it was interesting the ladder would bounce and sway when you ascended it. I remember seeing a numbered notice and how to properly set up and operate the ladder pipes. And Yes it was done with ropes. I believe you would move the nozzle up and down and side to side it looked like a lot of work. Thank God for pre piped waterways. John
#3 by Tom on February 18, 2018 - 7:44 PM
I was curious about the infamous handrails comment, so I googled the company and found a few interesting articles about the company that really reshaped the industry of building apparatus.
https://www.inc.com/magazine/19810801/7716.html
https://www.firefighterclosecalls.com/firefighter-death-under-investigation/
#4 by Eric on February 18, 2018 - 4:05 PM
Gum ball lights and air horns on the roof behind your head in the cab………and those are the infamous handrails that put Peter Pirsch out of business!!! Cool old rigs.
#5 by Drew Smith on February 16, 2018 - 10:32 PM
The first one that comes to mind is Maywood
http://www.illinoisfiretrucks.com/CHICAGO-METROPOLITAN-AREA-FDs/COOK-COUNTY-CENTRAL/MAYWOOD-FIRE-DEPARTMENT/i-rp2nqbc/A
http://www.illinoisfiretrucks.com/CHICAGO-METROPOLITAN-AREA-FDs/COOK-COUNTY-CENTRAL/MAYWOOD-FIRE-DEPARTMENT/i-NTcv8bk/A
#6 by BMurphy on February 16, 2018 - 7:01 PM
Austin- no problem! FYI- there actually ARE aerial ladder rigs that have deck guns along with waterways/nozzles on the ladders. I’ve seen them in various apparatus and firefighting publications and ads over the years. Can’t recall off-hand any serving in the Chicago area, but I’d bet that there have been examples in the past.
Can anyone point to some examples?
#7 by ttguy on February 16, 2018 - 1:15 PM
None of the Wood Dale equipment shown here ever served the Plainfield FPD. If I recall correctly, the department did have (3) C-series Fords, a ’68 (with 401 gas?)/Alexis – #1911, a ’75 (with 534 gas)/Alexis – #1913, and an ’80 (Cat 3208 NA)/Pierce – #1912. The latter being the department’s first diesel powered rig which replaced a ’65? R-series International. There may have also been a late 50’s model C-series, but that was before my time on earth.
#8 by Austin on February 16, 2018 - 10:11 AM
BMurphy, thank you so much for that insight and background info.
#9 by wo on February 16, 2018 - 12:54 AM
Mike L : correction on Engine 1, Bolingbrook had a pair of 1970 Ward LaFrance engine’s acquired from Lemont FPD. The last one (E212) was discarded in the late 1980’s. Gasoline powered-manual transmission-beast that would pump! Maybe the Wood Dale rig went to Plainfield FPD?
#10 by Bill on February 15, 2018 - 9:55 PM
What and how did wooddale run in the 80’s & 90’s. I know they use to have 2 contract medics.
#11 by Mike L on February 15, 2018 - 7:28 PM
It was/is a 1971 Pirsch 100′ with a 1250 gpm pump and screw down jacks (2 on each side both beneath the turntable in the compartment). It was replaced by their current 1999 Pierce Quantum 105′ quint.
#12 by Mike L on February 15, 2018 - 7:22 PM
No. That’s the ladder pipe that was stored alongside the ladder. I drove that truck for several years before it was sold to Havana, IL FD in 1999. It had been painted white over red in 1995. The squad was still at Station 2 in the mid 90s but was property of the ESDA. Engine 1 went to Bolingbrook FD for a time in the late 80s and Engine 16’s or 11’s pump was removed and installed on the Pierce telesqurt (Engine 1222). That Pirsch truck was a beast and awesome to drive. Anyone know where it is now? No longer at Havana but I’ve heard it’s still in service in southern or southwestern Illinois.
#13 by BMurphy on February 15, 2018 - 7:17 PM
Austin, that is what’s called a Ladder Pipe. It clamps onto (usually) the top rungs of the top fly section of the aerial ladder. It’s typically fed by a 3” line, and can be controlled by a FF at the tip or via ropes by someone on the ground. Max flow is usually no more than 500 gpm, due to limits on the strength of the aerial ladder.
Ladder pipes were used extensively until the past 30-40 years, when stronger aerial ladders with pre-piped waterways feeding a permanently-mounted, remote-controlled nozzle became much more common.
I started my career using an older Seagrave aerial ladder truck that originally had only a ladder pipe but after it was rebuilt due to a traffic collision ended-up having both a ladder pipe AND a pre-piped waterway with remote-controlled nozzle. It was a hoot to set it all up, especially the ropes.
#14 by Austin on February 15, 2018 - 6:47 PM
Is that a deck gun on the ladder truck? I don’t think I have ever seen that before. However I don’t know a ton about older apparatus.
#15 by CrabbyMilton on February 15, 2018 - 2:54 PM
Nice classic PIRSCH’s there.
Thank You.