Lake County Indiana Snorkel History (more)

This from Wayne Stuart as a followup to Lake County Indiana Snorkel History

Mabas 21 , here is a shot of the Michigan City Snorkel. Enjoy

wayne stuart

Wayne Stuart photo

Tags: Michigan City Fire Department history, Vintage Maxim/Pierce/85' Snorkel from Michigan City IN, Wayne Stuart

This entry was posted on September 8, 2019, 7:08 AM and is filed under Fire Department History, Historic fire apparatus. You can follow any responses to this entry through RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

6 Comments

#1 by Todd Majot on September 9, 2019 - 6:58 PM

I drove that for a long time I have photos of the pierce yes it is at zorns bar in mc
#2 by Matt on September 9, 2019 - 6:39 AM

Many of the snorkels feature Pierce built bodies regardless of cab/chassis. Pittman would mount the snorkel then Pierce would complete the bodywork. Even when sold as the brand on the cab. There are, of course, some exceptions as Crown and Pirsch built their own bodies on some or all of their snorkels.

The Michigan City FD now has a 115′ T-Rex as the first line aerial and a 100′ Pierce Platform as a reserve so they still rely on bucket to go to work.
#3 by CrabbyMilton on September 9, 2019 - 6:25 AM

I’ve love some of the radio tests/roll call.
The Milwaukee suburb of West Allis tests the paging system at 8:00am every day. It’s the automated system on the Milwaukee/Waukesha County system where they tone out every station followed by a four note “bong bong bong bong” Good Morning West Allis Fire Department radio test. Please report to roll call.”
#4 by DaveyB on September 8, 2019 - 9:54 PM

Mabas 21, I don’t recall hearing the towns you remember, but I remember Madison WI radio checks on Division 24. Also METCAD in Champaign on Division 22, including one night I was on housewatch as a contract medic in North Palos when I was hearing the vehicles responding.
#5 by JS on September 8, 2019 - 9:10 AM

That was at the old Central Fire Station on 4th Street between Franklin and Washington. It was demolished several years ago. The truck itself was remounted on a Pierce Arrow cab and chassis with the Maxim body and was with the city up until a few years ago. Private owner has it now and it’s parked off of Michigan Blvd.
#6 by MABAS 21 on September 8, 2019 - 8:17 AM

That would be it. Thanks for digging through your archives and posting Wayne! In the background you can see a white/yellow ALF in the bay. Which and where at in MC was this former station?

Back in the 90’s, every morning around 07:00 at the firehouse I remember MC toning out and conducting their daily apparatus and WT radio checks on the old First Fire District (frequency) which was prior to having repeaters and new MABAS Division 21 frequency.

On a good day, the radio signal would “skip” over the Lake, hence why we heard them. I also remember occasionally hearing Lake Station and Elkhart Indiana, along with Brookfield/Town of Brookfield Wisconsin our “band.” This was much simpler times before the air waves weren’t filled up with so much traffic.