Archive for April, 2019

Fatal fire in Chicago, 4-29-19

Excerpts from cltv.com:

A man was walking on 79th Street around 11:20 p.m. Monday when he noticed smoke and smelled burning. He knocked on the front door and heard a man inside, clearly in trouble. 

Firefighters responded to the fire at a home in the 7800 block of South Rhodes in the Chatham neighborhood. 50-year-old Rawlin Brown was transported to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

Investigators blame an electrical issue for starting the fire.

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Of interest … CFD hi-rise response

Video by Jim McCall of a CFD hi-rise response to 116 W. Elm Street

 

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Buffalo Grove Fire Department news

Retirement of Buffalo Grove FD Battalion Chief Brian Barna

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New ambulance for Orland FPD

From the Foster Coach Sales Facebook page:

Brand new custom Horton conversion on a Ford E450 chassis 
Ford E450/Horton Type III ambulance

Foster Coach Sales photo

Ford E450/Horton Type III ambulance

Foster Coach Sales photo

new ambulance interior

Foster Coach Sales photo

chevron striping on back of ambulance

Foster Coach Sales photo

thanks Martin

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Of interest … EaseAwake

Excerpts from staugistine.com:

Blake Richardson heard plenty of stories from his father about his work at the Fernandina Beach Fire Department. Over the last 15 years of his dad’s career, two of the common themes that always came up were the stress of the job and the lack of sleep. 

He always wanted to come up with a way that would make his dad’s job easier, and healthier. He hopes EaseAwake, a device he came up with in high school that is now gaining attention around the state, will do exactly that.

The goal of EaseAwake, a wearable wristband device similar to a FitBit, is to help sleeping firefighters wake slowly when a call to service comes in. It’s typical for firefighters working long shifts to be jolted awake by loud alarms that can quickly elevate heart rates. But firefighters wearing the EaseAwake will feel a vibration five seconds before the station alarm goes off allowing them to slowly wake up from a deep sleep.

Richardson, 21, along with classmates in his entrepreneurship course at Flagler College, pitched the idea to a panel of judges in a “Shark Tank” style presentation during Business Week at the school in March. The idea won first place. Richardson also placed in the top five at a statewide entrepreneurship competition at the University of South Florida in April. He was one of 20 fellows selected for the program and received a prize of $5,000 for placing in the top five.

There is still plenty of work to be done. He’s currently looking for someone to produce a 3D sketch of the device and create a prototype. Once he does that, he will then begin to test it on firefighters and collect data he hopes will show the device’s benefits. If all goes well, he will look to trademark and patent for the name and idea as soon as this summer.

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Working fire in Park Ridge, 4-28-19

Working fire at 1624 S. Prospect Avenue in Park Ridge 4/28/19 for a bedroom fire

Park Ridge FD Engine 35

Steve Redick photo

Park Ridge FD Engine 35

Steve Redick photo

Rosemont FD Engine 156

Steve Redick photo

Rosemont FD Engine 156

Steve Redick photo

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New engine for Romeoville FPD (more)

From the Seagrave Facebook page:

The Romeoville Fire Department of Romeoville, Illinois has recently completed preconstruction on their new Seagrave Engine. Thank you Romeoville for your trust in Seagrave and we look forward to working with you. Some features of this engine include:

* Seagrave Stainless Steel Marauder 141″ Cab
* 10 Inch Raised Roof
* Cummins X12 500 HP Engine
* 24″ Extended Front Bumper w/ Intake
* 37″ Cab Access Doors
* Waterous CSU 1500 GPM Pump
* 750 Gallon Water Tank
* 30 Gallon Foam Tank
* FoamPro 1600 System
* 155″ Stainless Steel Body
* Onan 6kW Hydraulic Generator
* Fire Research Scene Lighting
* Whelen LED Scene Lighting
* 199.5 Inch Wheelbase

drawing of new Seagrave fire engine for the Romeoville Fire Department

click on the drawing for a larger copy

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Working fire in Chicago, 4-27-19

This from Steve Redick:

Saturday (4/27/29) at 44th & Vincennes. It looked to me like the fire was on 2 floors in a concealed space. Not much to see but a few decent images of a typical operation. All of the trucks seemed to be in spares.
Steve
scene of apartment fire in Chicago

Steve Redick photo

Chicago FD Engine 45

Steve Redick photo

Firefighters carry hose at a fire

Steve Redick photo

Chicago FD Seagrave aerial ladder at work

Steve Redick photo

Firefighter at fire scene

Steve Redick photo

Firefighters raise ground ladder at fire

Steve Redick photo

Chicago fire hydrant with hose attached

Steve Redick photo

Chicago FD spare apparatus at fire scene

Steve Redick photo

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Of interest … Free Happy Hour for CFD Firefighters

This from The Smith:

The Smith—River North’s newest restaurant. As part of our grand opening next week—we’d really love to extend an invitation to all members of the Chicago Fire Department – to come and enjoy a complimentary happy hour and check out our space! The happy hour is scheduled for Tuesday April 30th from 5PM-6:30PM.  We will be offering free wine, beer, cocktails, and serving a variety of our cuisine for guests to sample.  Supporting the Chicago community is a priority for the team at The Smith!  We’d love the opportunity to take care of you and your colleagues! 
 
 
The Smith Chicago Bar and Grill

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Box Alarm in the Rutland-Dundee Township FPD, 4-24-19

Excerpts from the DailyHerald.com:

A 911 call came in before noon Wednesday at a business at 37W507 Big Timber Road, just west of Randall Road. Firefighters found a lot of fire in the attic of the one-story business, and flames later spread to the main level. The fire was under control by 2:30 p.m. Twelve departments assisted the Rutland-Dundee Township FPD. The cause of the fire , was electrical in nature and accidental.  The loss is estimated at $1.5 million.

The 30-year-old, 9,000-square-foot building was destroyed, along with a skid-steer loader and a variety of construction tools. 

Employees first noticed sparks coming from electrical wires both outside and inside the building, and got the power shut off within 10 minutes. 

Michael Paige photoKellenberger Plumbing fire

Kellenberger Plumbing fire

Michael Paige photo

Kellenberger Plumbing fire

Michael Paige photo

 

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