From Steve Redick:
Here’s some great CFD history. Response cards for Riverview Park. Looks like an update was issued in later years and applied to the cards with an adhesive label.Thanks Tom Sullivan!
click to download
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#1 by Jim Mitidiero on February 26, 2021 - 7:47 AM
Regarding the Ahrens Fox engine at Engine 22’s house, IIRC that was the one owned by the 5-11 Club. During the 70’s when the Club manned the Salvation Army Canteens they also had a backup Canteen there. The primary one was located at Engine 14’s quarters.
#2 by Bill Post on February 26, 2021 - 4:19 AM
George Eimer, Salvage Squad 3 was relocated to Engine 22’s new house, I believe around July of 1971 which was only a few months after the house opened. Salvage Squad 3 was taken out of service from Engine 22 around November of 1972.
The reason why that was done was another story however. I don’t know if you’re aware that Salvage Squad 3 was a new company replacing Squad 4 that was with Engine 83 in their old station on Gunnison west of Broadway. On September 30th 1968, Salvage Squads 3 through 7 were put in service, Salvage Squad 1 was relocated from Engine 42 to Engine 5, and Salvage Squad 2 was moved from Engine 5 to Engine 24. The idea was to have a salvage squad in each of the seven fire divisions. They had a still alarm district and their still and box districts were confined to their division. Usually only four and sometimes three men were assigned per shift.
Division 3, where Salvage Squad 3 was located, went from Division Street on the south to Howard Street or Juneway Terrace, east of the CTA Howard El terminal to the Lake front. The western boundary was the north branch of the Chicago River and North Shore Channel. The eastern boundary was Lake Michigan. The reason Salvage Squad 3 was moved to Engine 22’s house appeared to be political as the new house had three large apparatus bays but only the engine assigned there at the time. Moving Salvage Squad 3 made Engine 22’s house look full. I remember that they were also using the new house to store an old Chicago Ahrens Fox pumper as part of the CFD collection. Other than making the new house look full it didn’t make much sense to put Salvage Squad 3 there as Snorkel Squad 1 normally responded on still alarms in Engine 22’s district. They were not more than a mile and half away. Engine 83’s house was a much wiser choice for Salvage Squad 3, as that house was more centrally located in the 3rd Division and Engine 83 was one of the busiest companies in the city. It was just about the busiest engine company on the north side of Chicago. Engine 83 was normally assigned five men per shift, so they normally didn’t get Flying Manpower Squad 6 assigned to their still alarms. Only four man companies had the flying squads on their still alarms.
Engine 22’s house was only a mile from the southern border of Division 3 and at the time Salvage Squad 3 didn’t respond outside of the division unless they were special called. By 1973, the four remaining salvage squads had been taken out of service. Later that year the seven flying manpower squads received new Mack/Platt heavy rescue apparatus. Those replaced 1950 and late 1940 engine company apparatus used by all of the flying manpower squads.
Salvage Squad 3 you remember, was running with a 1968 Dodge Duravan bread truck style van. Salvage Squad 3 had been assigned that rig for the four years it was in service. There was a second Dodge Duravan that had been assigned to Salvage Squad 7 on the south side. They had also been reassigned to Salvage Squad 6 for a while and were located at Engine 106’s house at 3401 N Elston Avenue, the headquarters of old Division 6. Salvage Squads 6 and 7 were both taken out of service on November 16th 1971 which is the same day the flying manpower squad was created. Trucks 43 and 46 were also taken out of service.
Salvage Squad 1 was taken out of service on May 1st 1969 when Flying Manpower Squad 4 was put in service using Salvage Squad 1’s 1954 Autocar. That was also the month that both Snorkel Squads 2 and 3 were taken out of service even though by then Snorkel Squads 2 and 3 had been re-designated as rescue companies 2 and 3. During 1972, Salvage Squad 2, 3, 4, and 5 were taken out of service. They were the last of the salvage squads.
The irony is that the 1968 Maatman report which recommended the creation of the flying manpower squads had not recommended the creation of any additional salvage squad as there were only two in service at the time of the study. The report recommended that only Salvage Squad 1 remain in service in the Loop while Salvage Squad 2 and all three Snorkel Squads be taken out of service. Instead, Salvage Squad 1 was the first salvage squad taken out of service. Fire Commissioner Robert J Quinn decided to keep Snorkel Squad 1 instead as that company was his baby. I personally understand why he wanted to keep them in service as the Snorkel squads were the only true heavy rescue squads at the time and they were by far the best equipped units in the city. They carried had air masks for each of their crew. The Maatman report however did recommend putting heavy rescue equipment on Salvage Squad 1 and the proposed flying manpower squads. He could have still kept Snorkel Squad 1 and Salvage Squad 1 in service. He didn’t equip the flying squads as heavy rescues until four years after they were put in service. Engines and trucks didn’t start putting air masks until the late 1970s, around the time Quinn was retiring. He may have helped develop the Snorkel and the Snorkel Squad but he was very slow in giving basic state-of-the-art tools and protection to the rank and file firefighters assigned to engine and truck companies.
#3 by George eimer on February 25, 2021 - 8:25 PM
Bill what ever happened to salvage sq.3 I used ride with them back in the 70s. Capitan Sampson. Thank you. Thats when thay at 1200 Wilson
#4 by Bill Post on February 25, 2021 - 6:18 PM
Thanks Jim Mitidiero. That’s exactly what I was looking for, the signature numbers of the high pressure wagons. It is still an anomaly to me that the “new” High Pressure 8 was created just as the water towers went out of service and the high pressures were beginning to be phased out. And they were never assigned a regular high pressure wagon either.
To most of us who knew Ken Little, he was the prophet. I am just one of several disciples. Actually, the way I look at it is that he was like Moses when the Red Sea parted excepted that the Red Sea wasn’t water but a sea of red fire engines pumping water.
#5 by Bill Post on February 25, 2021 - 5:39 PM
John Antkowski thanks for the honorable mention. Yes I do love nostalgia, the Chicago Fire Department, and the history of others as I find it interesting to see the differences in many major fire departments.
When it comes to the late Ken Little, I know just how you feel. He was really the dean of Chicago fire fans and Chicago historians. I believe that any Chicago fire fan who met him became a student of his in one way or another. I definitely consider myself one of his students. I was very fortunate to have met and known him.
An interesting coincidence is that only a few weeks ago there was a posting on this site of an extra alarm fire at 1531 S Michigan Avenue on April 7, 1971. It was a cold storage warehouse only a block and half south of Engine 104’s old quarters. I went to that fire and met Ken Little for the first time. What a fine and amazing person!
Now getting to more Chicago Fire Department nostalgia. The very first Chicago fire station that I ever visited was home to Chicago Fire Insurance Patrol Unit 7 at 3109 W Fullerton. It is now a church. I lived about three blocks away from that station on the 2100 block of North Kedzie and I remember seeing Fire Patrol 7 drive by many times. It was painted black over red so I didn’t know that it wasn’t from the Chicago Fire Department. I was only 4 or 5 years old. It turns out that Fire Patrol 7 was just behind my first grammar school.
The fire patrol was a squad type unit. The rear was an open cut away design without hose. Interestingly, I also lived only a few blocks from Squad 6 and Engine 43’s house as well. I remember seeing Squad 6 a few times. One time that I remember was when Squad 6 was on an inhalator call on the northeast corner of Palmer and Kedzie in a building across the street from Palmer Square Park where I was playing. I never knew it to be a squad but a Pulmotor, as that’s what everyone called it. A few years later I found out that a Pulmotor was actually the name of the resuscitation machine that was carried on the squad to help people breathe.
Shortly after I visited the Chicago Fire Insurance Patrol house at Fullerton and Albany, I saw that there was another fire station that was, of all places, also on Fullerton a few blocks west of Patrol 7. This was Engine 114 and Ambulance 3 at Fullerton near Central Park. I visited that station once. Little did I know at the time that I lived less than a mile from not one or two but four fire stations if you include Fire Insurance Patrol 7’s house. I lived less than a mile from Engine 76, Engine 43, and Squad 6, as well as Engine 114 and Ambulance 3, and Fire Patrol 7. I remember seeing Engine 76 however at the time that I lived in Logan Square I only knew the location of Fire Patrol 7 and Engine 114. I remember passing by Engine 91’s station which was just off of Central Park near Milwaukee Avenue.
A year after I moved from Logan Square I remember going back to the old neighborhood with my father. I was shocked that Fire Patrol 7 was closed. I still didn’t know that Fire Patrol 7 was not part of the Chicago Fire Department. It is amazing how many fire stations were off of Central Park within a mile and half of each other. Engine 76 was on Cortland less than a block east of Central Park, Engine 114 was on Fullerton east of Central Park, and Engine 91 was was on Elbridge Avenue at Central Park just north of Milwaukee.
That didn’t even include Engine 43’s house which was only about five blocks east of where I used to live. There were many more stations within short distances of each other that I found several years later. They included Truck 35, Engine 111, Engine 106 and Truck 13’s old house, Engine 35 and Truck 28’s old house plus several more.
So as a small kid to be able to see two squad type apparatus in my neighborhood was amazing. The fire patrol was just another fire engine to me that I remember from driving down Kedzie Boulevard.
#6 by Jim Mitidiero on February 25, 2021 - 3:26 PM
Bill & Group. Looking at a CFD Signature list from February 1, 1945 it shows 7 Pressure Wagons with the signatures of 6-1-1 thru 6-1-7. They were located at the following locations:
6-1-1 at Engine 5 324 S. Des Plaines’
6-1-2 at Engine 14 509 W. Chicago
6-1-3 at Engine 104 1401 S. Michigan
6-1-4 at Engine 23 1702 W. 21 Pl
6-1-5 at Engine 54 40th & Packers
6-1-6 at Engine 46 3027 E. 93rd
6-1-7 at Engine 12 1641 W. Lake
One question for Bill Post. When is your book on the history of the CFD coming out. Love your posts and the history you provide. Take care all.
#7 by Bill Post on February 25, 2021 - 12:21 PM
Fred M, Jeep Pressure 1 was considered to be a turret at least from the mid 1960s and possibly earlier. Here’s why. Jeep Pressure 1 was put in service in 1960 while the high pressure wagons were still in use. High Pressure 1 was the last to go out of service in November of 1964. I don’t know what the high pressure wagon signatures were but Jeep Pressure 1 was 671, Big Moe was 672, Big John was 673, Little John, which was also on a Jeep chassis, was 674, and the Mack MB large deluge wagon was 675 when it was put in service.
There is a chance however that Jeep Pressure 1 could have been re-designated over the years. I assume the high pressure wagons weren’t numbered in the 67 series.
When I first started listening to the CFD’s radio traffic, the regular high pressure companies were all out of service. The only one I remember seeing when it was still in service was High Pressure 3. It was at Engine 104’s house in 1961. I took the bus from downtown on Michigan Avenue to 29th and King Drive (which was called South Parkway at the time). I remember seeing High Pressure 3’s 1956 International on the apron of 104’s house. Engine 104 was using a 1954 Mack and Truck 31 was using a 1944 Pirsch with an 85-foot wooden aerial ladder. It was the same model that Truck 38, my home guard truck was using except that Truck 38 was about 15 feet shorter. It was damaged in an accident when it was assigned to Truck 39.
I actually did see High Pressure 8 at a Still and Box Alarm in the winter of 1963 at Ridgeway and Ainslie, less than a block from where I lived. I thought of it as being a phantom squad as Squad 11, the still alarm squad, was there in a 1954 Autocar. I had no idea what an old 1940 Mack squad was doing there with only a driver. Years later I found out it was actually High Pressure 8 which was assigned the 1940 Mack squad as it’s regular apparatus. Another thing I remember about that fire is that Snorkel Squad 1 parked a few feet from my building. They were still a new company that had only been in service for a few months at the most.
#8 by Fred M on February 23, 2021 - 2:15 PM
Bill Post,
Was 671 (on the Jeep – late 70’s) considered a HP or a Turret. It was stationed at SS-1 (Orleans St) when I riding but disappeared the next year.
#9 by John Antkowski on February 21, 2021 - 11:54 AM
Thanks guys for the history. I love reading about fire department nostalgia. I’m glad that there are still fans to reminisce and with great detail the stories behind the department. The Chicago Fire Department has had quite the colorful history. I regret that my education was not up to par that I scored qualified not well qualified and was never offered a job from the 1995 list. I instantly become a fan after I attended one of Ken Little’s tours. May he Rest In Peace. Today, I find less and less people who are interested in the past and some day it will be gone. You might find some of the history in a library, but I doubt it. Once again,Thank you. John
#10 by Bill Post on February 20, 2021 - 11:24 PM
Thanks for the additional information on the roots of the high pressure wagons, Phil. When it came to the custom built high pressure wagons of the 1950s, there was a one-of-a-kind unit. It had a custom built body added to a 1946 engine ahead of the cab design International truck. The chassis was from a gasoline tanker purchased used in the mid 50s. In the early 60s, a hose carrier body with a fixed deck gun was installed. That rig was originally assigned to High Pressure Wagon 7 before they were taken out of service from Engine 12’s quarters.
When it came to the salvage squads, it became a little more complicated however. The original salvage unit under the auspices of the Chicago Fire Department was put in service on July 9th 1964 when Engine 80 and Truck 62’s house opened. Engine 53 and Fog Pressure 6 were also located there.
Salvage 1 went in service with one of the three remaining 1956 International high pressure wagons. It was not a salvage squad but a salvage cover company that was assigned a driver on light duty. It was special called when more salvage covers were needed. They remained as a light duty salvage company until 1966 when they were temporarily moved to Engine 28’s current quarters. Shortly after that they were moved to Engine 5’s quarters. At the time they were no longer using the 1956 International but had the remounted high pressure wagon using the 1946 cab and chassis. At Engine 5’s quarters they were a one-man detail unit like when they first when in service at Engine 80. Squad 2 was at Engine 5 as well since they moved there when Engine 34’s old quarters was closed in 1964. In the fall of 1966, the CFD decided to take Squad 2 out of service and they re-designated Salvage Unit 1 as Salvage Squad 1. Squad 2’s manpower went to the new Salvage Squad 1. The CFD management had another change of heart however and on February 2, 1967. Salvage Squad 1 at Engine 5 was re-designated once again as Salvage Squad 2, and Squad 1 at Engine 42 at 228 W Illinois Street was officially re-designated as Salvage Squad 1.
While the new Salvage Squad 2 was usually assigned a 1956 International Harvester former high pressure wagon, Salvage Squad 1 was always assigned Squad 1’s 1954 Autocar squad. Of the three remaining 1956 International high pressure wagons, one was reassigned as Salvage Squad 2 in 1967, one became the regular piece to Squad Company 4 in 1966, and one was being used as a spare squad. Eventually they all become spare squads as most of the squad companies were taken out of service during 1967 and 1968.
One of the high pressure rigs became the first piece to Snorkel Squad 3 which was re-designated as Rescue 3 in December of 1968. Snorkel Squad 3 was running without a Snorkel since the snow storm of January 1967.
After Salvage Squads 1 and 2 were put in service in 1967, both were due on 2-11 alarms citywide as were Chicago’s three Snorkel squads. I was normal during 1967 to have anywhere from five to seven squads assigned on a 2-11 alarm. The two salvage squads, three Snorkel squads, and depending on the fire’s location, two of the regular squad companies could be assigned as well.
#11 by Phil Stenholm on February 20, 2021 - 12:36 PM
Engine Co. 94 (the second engine company at E5) was reorganized as High Pressure Co. 1 in 1922 in the aftermath of the Burlington Railroad Building fire. Prior to that there was no such thing as a “high-pressure” wagon in the CFD.
This first “high-pressure” rig (HP1) was assembled at the CFD Shops in 1922 using ex-T4 Mack tractor, ex-E122 hose wagon body, and a turret salvaged from decommissioned fireboat Michael Conway. Parts from the Michael Conway were also used to repair fireboat Engine 71, the D. J. Swenie, which was heavily damaged at the Burlington Railroad Building fire when a portion of the the 15-story office building collapsed into the Chicago River.
Water Tower 1 was placed into service with High Pressure Co. 1 at E5 in 1923 and so the two rigs (HP 1 and WT1) were essentially two sections of the same company for about 35 years.
Water Tower 2 was placed into service at E14 in 1925, but High Pressure 2 (essentially the second section of one high-pressure company) was not assigned there until 1928.
High Pressure 3 was originally Hose 40 at E40/T6 (which was the closest land-based firehouse to E37’s berth in the Chicago River), High Pressure 4 was originally Hose 41 at E41 (which was a combined land-based firehouse & fireboat facility), and High Pressure 6 was originally Hose 58 at E58 (which was a combined land-based firehouse and fireboat facility), and the three hose wagons (40, 41, and 58) were essentially land-based hose tenders and “chase” rigs for the three fireboats for about 20 years (up until 1928).
All squads (there were ten at the time) were equipped with deck guns in 1926 (which gave them master-stream “high-pressure” capabilities), and Engine Co. 37 and Engine Co. 58 began living aboard their fireboats and a new Engine 41 fireboat house (without an apparatus annex) was constructed in 1928, at which time the three fireboat hose wagons (40, 41, and 58) were re-designated as High Pressure rigs and were assigned rigs with mounted turret nozzles and began to respond to fires that did not necessarily involve a fireboat response (although they did continue to follow fireboats as well).
Hose 40 (HP3) was relocated to E104/T31 with Water Tower 3 (which was placed into service as the CFD’s third water-tower in 1928), Hose 41 (HP4) was relocated to E23 (near E41’s new fireboat house at the Throop Street Slip at the Illinois Ship Canal), and Hose 58 (HP6) was relocated to E46/T17 (near E58’s new berth on the Calumet River) in 1928.
High Pressure 5 at the Stockyards did not run with a water tower or chase fireboats. It was more of a dedicated Stockyards manpower and high-pressure fire suppression apparatus at what was considered at the time to be Chicago’s #1 fire hazard. HP5 sometimes was assigned a pumper rather than a high-pressure rig.
Both High Pressure 7 and High Pressure 8 were originally placed into service as manpower companies at Engine 19 (which was the CFD’s designated “colored company” at that time) because the CFD had too many African American firefighters assigned to E19 to staff just one engine company. The second company at E19 was designated as a high-pressure company, but just as easily could have been called something else since they were usually assigned a pumper.
High Pressure 7 eventually relocated to Engine 12’s house at Lake & Paulina after E12 was designated the CFD’s west-side “colored” firehouse. It was always assigned a high-pressure rig after it was moved to the west-side.
The CFD added five new custom-built International high-pressure wagons in 1956. Two of the newer IH high-pressure rigs were rebuilt as snorkel squads (SS1 and SS2) in the early 1960’s, and a couple of others became the first two salvage squads in 1967, as the CFD phased-out the specialized high-pressure / hose tender function.
#12 by Chuck on February 20, 2021 - 10:31 AM
Thanks for the history on the High Pressures and the Water Towers, Bill.
#13 by MABAS 21 on February 20, 2021 - 6:49 AM
Thanks for sharing Steve. What’s interesting is how many of those engine companies are no longer in service today as they were later disbanded.
#14 by Bill Post on February 20, 2021 - 2:41 AM
Dan WT means Water Tower and HP means High Pressure Wagon. This running card was published on Oct 1, 1929 before some of the revisions were added to it. The Chicago Fire Department had three water tower companies and seven high pressure companies at that time. There was an 8th high pressure company at times.
Each water tower was housed with a high pressure wagon with the same corresponding number. The other high pressure wagons which were assigned around the city.
The high pressure wagons were heavy duty hose wagons that carried 3 1/2 to 4 inch boat hose to supply master streams on the water towers and the fixed turrets on the high pressure wagons and the squad companies. Some high pressure wagons had two turrets such as High Pressure 1 which was with Engine 5 and Water Tower 1 at 324 S Desplaines avenue in the west loop area.
Water Tower 2 and High Pressure 2 were with Engine 14 at 509 W Chicago Avenue which was their old station before the a one was built in 1962.
Water Tower 3 and High Pressure 3 were at 1401 S Michigan Avenue in the south loop at Engine 104 and Truck 31’s old station.
High Pressure 4 was originally at Engine 15’s station at 1156 W 22nd Street when the were put in service in 1928. They were relocated in 1932 to Engine 23’s quarters at 1702 W 21st Pl.
High Pressure 5 was put in service at Engine 49’s quarters at 1653 W 43rd Street, a block west of the Union Stockyards. They were relocated to Engine 53 at 40th and Packers which was within the Stockyards.
High Pressure 6 was put in service at Engine 46’s quarters at 9321 South Chicago in 1928 and relocated to 46’s current quarters when it opened in 1933. They were relocated to Engine 87’s quarters in 1961 at 8701S Escanaba and taken out of service in September of 1962.
High Pressure 7 was at Engine 12’s quarters at 1641 West Lake Street, but originally in service at Engine 19’s quarters at 3444 S Rhodes. They were temporarily relocated to Engine 31 at 2012 W Congress St.
The seven high pressure wagons were put in service in 1928 and taken out of service in the early 1960’s.
The 8th high pressure company had the most unusual history. They were put in service on December 12th 1935 at Engine 19’s quarters at 3444 S Rhodes and taken out of service just 6 months later on June 10th 1936. They didn’t go back into service until 23 years later on June 10th 1959 at, of all places, Engine 56’s current quarters which was the first due company at Riverview Park. They were taken out of service just four years later on May 11th 1963. Riverview Park’s last season ended at the end of the Summer of 1967.
An interesting note about High Pressure 8 is that they were the only high pressure company that was on the north side of Chicago. Before High Pressure 8 was put in service at Engine 56, High Pressures 2 and 7 were assigned on extra alarm fires on the north side. High Pressure 2 was on the near north side in what is now known as River North. High Pressure 7 was on the west side.
Also interesting is that High Pressure 8 was never assigned a regular high pressure wagon. They had a 1940 Mack squad apparatus. Remember that both the high pressure wagons and the squads had assigned permanent deck guns. High Pressure 8 was also assigned on many Still and Box alarms on the north side, which was unusual. On most running cards, they weren’t due until the 2-11 alarm. Oddly, High Pressure 8 was put in service in 1959, the same year the water towers were taken out of service. It was strange that the last high pressure company in service was High Pressure 1, removed from service November 16, 1964 at Engine 1’s house. High Pressure 8 was put in service as they were about to take the high pressure companies out of service.
#15 by Dan on February 19, 2021 - 11:33 PM
Stupid question but do the initials HP and WT mean?