Archive for September 15th, 2018

Mattoon Fire Department news

Excerpts from jg-tc.com:

The Mattoon Fire Department recently received a $200,000 federal grant that will enable it to replace all 30 of the aging air tank sets for the department’s firefighters. The Federal Emergency Management Agency awarded this grant through the Assistant to Firefighters program, and the grant was matched by $10,000 in city funding.

The grant funding arrived as one third of the department’s bottles are scheduled to retire at the beginning of 2019 and another third are set to expire at the beginning of 2020. Each new set of grant funded equipment will include two bottles, a harness, and a face mask. One feature of the new equipment will be a warning signal that indicates when 33 percent of the air supply is left, instead of the current signal at 25 percent.

In other matters, the department recently purchased a washing machine and a clothes drying cabinet for turnout gear with the help of a $15,700 small equipment grant from the Illinois State Fire Marshal’s Office. They installed the new cleaning equipment this week at the fire station annex building behind city hall.

The new equipment will enable firefighters to clean their own turnout gear on site without having to send it to a cleaning service. The washing machine can clean two sets of gear at a time.

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Of interest … local 9/11 memorial

Excerpts from CLTV.com:

In Beverly, locals are working to raise money to dedicate a portion of King Lockhart Park to 9/11 firefighters and police officers..

The park at 10609 S. Western Ave. is currently dedicated to two firefighters who died battling a blaze in 1998. There’s an initiative underway to include a Chicago 9/11 area to the  park to honor all those who answered the call for help 17 years ago. Among them was Chicago Fire Department Capt. Herbert “Herbie” Johnson, who later died fighting a fire in Gage Park in 2012.

Firefighters he befriended in New York City donated steel from the World Trade Center towers to Chicago in Johnson’s name. It sat in storage for almost five years, but is now finally being crafted into a sculpture after Ald. Matt O’Shea helped make the project a priority. Chicago artist Terrence Karpowicz anticipates completing the sculpture within six months to a year.

On Tuesday, 20 percent of proceeds at the Buona Beef at 10633 S. Western Ave. will benefit the monument fund.

Johnson’s daughter is raising money to help get the sculpture off the ground. For more information, click here.

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Schererville Fire Department news

This from Brad Steinweg:

Schererville responded to a fire at El Salto at the intersection of US-30 & US-41 9/13/18. A full still was called and Lake Hills and St. John assisted. Something to note is the roto ray on the Lake Hills engine as its something rarely seen around here.

 
-Brad S.
Schererville fire truck

Brad Steinweg photo

Schererville firefighters on roof

Brad Steinweg photo

Schererville fire truck

Brad Steinweg photo

Schererville fire truck

Brad Steinweg photo

Seagrave fire engine at fire scene

Brad Steinweg photo

Lake Hills fire engine

Brad Steinweg photo

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Mokena FPD history

This from Mike Summa:

For TBT-Mokena’s Trk 12, a  1998 Seagrave 1750/500/75′.  Do not know if still on departments roster.
Mike Summa
Mokena FPD Trk 12 - 1998 Seagrave 1750/500/75'

Mike Summa photo

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