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As seen around … Chicago

This from Danny Nelms:

New rig for truck 25 as found on FB 

FDE 374

 

Truck 37 will also be FDE 379 following up on a previous post.

found on Facebook

Tags: Chicago FD Truck 25, Chicago Fire Department, new aerial for Chicago FD

This entry was posted on June 14, 2022, 8:00 AM and is filed under Fire Department News, Fire Truck photos, New Delivery. You can follow any responses to this entry through RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

20 Comments

• #1 by Steve Axis on June 18, 2022 - 2:41 PM

  

  What apparatus builders offer independent suspension on their chassis besides Pierce?

• #2 by Mike C on June 18, 2022 - 7:34 AM

  

  DENNIS – To your points:

  The Dash cab is a decent setup. I think the E-One Cyclone cabs are much better.

  Drive – Thankfully Chicago doesn’t have the TAK-4. Not a fan how Spartan’s drive.

  Compartment layout – Mainly due to the city spec.

  Fast – Without question, the city still specs big motors.

  Aerial – I know the Spartan/Crimsons haven’t been that reliable but I think the Crimson ladder is better.

  Many people on here think I hate Pierce…Yes, I do. I really do. You may wonder why I hate Pierce…Because they are way overrated! I’ve worked on every brand and can say I’ve seen quality and reliability issues with all of them. My main issue with Pierce is the insane corrosion problems over the years, the garbage TAK-4, and their Command Zone multiplex system. In addition, the proprietary parts required to keep Pierce going is awful! TAK-4 (proprietary) parts are unbelievably expensive! Is Pierce the best builder? Absolutely not! Are they the worst? NO! Just way overrated and nothing special!

• #3 by Chicagoland fire photos on June 17, 2022 - 3:15 PM

  

  T36/26 need these both of their trucks are totalled and 36 has gone through 6 spares.

• #4 by Bill Post on June 17, 2022 - 2:02 PM

  

  That’s a very good point that Dennis makes about the Pierce Trucks and there is no question that the CFD has really gotten it money’s worth from them. In terms of the cabs and the large Cabinet space those are both impressive and needed if you consider that the Truck companies are now carrying more equipment on them then they used too (such as the Hurst tools). In terms of the day to day maintenance such as rust I have heard different things over the last few years but if the Trucks are user friendly and the crews like them that is an important point. Speaking of Pierce one thing that does bother me is that considering that of all of the Pierce Aerial Ladders and Tower Ladders that the CFD had purchased from 2000 to 2006. I have 42 Trucks and Tower Ladders total. I would have liked it if Chicago had purchased at least a few Pierce Engine companies as well so Chicago would have been able to compare them and use them under fire (pun intended). When Chicago first started getting the Pierce Trucks in 2000 and 2002 Chicago did purchase both Pierce and some E/One Trucks however when it came to Engines it appears that Chicago was only purchasing Spartan/Crimson products with the exception of One Freightliner and one ALF Engine (even though more ALF engines were originally thought to be in the order. One thing to be said for the Naperville fire department is that as of a few years ago they had purchased more than than one make and model Engine for comparisons sake and years ago in the 1970s sometime Chicago would purchase Engines and Truck in several makes and models. It’s true that Chicago did purchase 2 Pierce Engines in 1998 for O”Hare Field however that really doesn’t count as were custom designed for Airport duty.

• #5 by DENNIS on June 17, 2022 - 10:21 AM

  

  Mike C., Not sure who your ” direct contacts ” are but I can tell you from firsthand experience that the Pierce trucks have been the backbone of the CFD fleet since 2002 and have worked out great. Very well-designed cab, compartment lay out, fast, good aerial, and very easy to drive. The only ladder trucks that have been horrible in both performance and overall design flaws have been the Spartans. Parts are either hard to find or have to be custom built. I’m glad we never got anymore.

• #6 by Tim on June 16, 2022 - 6:51 PM

  

  No Mike C can’t argue a point you bring up daily on every post.

• #7 by Mike C on June 16, 2022 - 10:26 AM

  

  Glad I’m not the only one seeing the corrosion issues with the Pierce rigs.

  Something that was unique about the Pierce ladders built for Chicago was the modified suspension that lowered the OAH.

  I’m not saying Chicago won’t buy Pierce again, but the current admin in fleet probably won’t consider them anytime soon. Granite, the city has worked them hard but unfortunately, they never served the city well. For those who want to argue this, I have direct contacts with fleet.

• #8 by Dennis on June 15, 2022 - 12:21 PM

  

  Adian there are no surveillance cameras on the rigs. The cameras on the sides only show what’s around you and when you back up. My wife’s 2019 SUV has the same thing. The camera on the inside is a dash camera that goes off if in an accident or sudden stops. The paranoia of these cameras is ridiculous, some guys think the feed goes right to 2-1-3’s phone and she sees it all. It’s nothing but changing times and technology.

• #9 by Steve Axis on June 15, 2022 - 6:27 AM

  

  These are very nice looking trucks. I hope they serve the city well. I used to work for Van Eck Collision in Elgin, now known as Kards. About 10-12 years ago, Chicago brought several of the Pierce ladders to us to repair the corrosion on the turntables and ladders. At the time, the trucks were not very old. I’d like to think the aluminum ladders will hold up better than the steel ladders.

• #10 by danny on June 14, 2022 - 10:30 PM

  

  so far the new rigs are 20 25 34 37 51 with 3 left to be seen, this order was for 8 ladders and 8 engines with 1 added on for the academy after the initial order.

  odd to note tower 24 was delivered first but it carries shop number e-380, while the new ladders and e-372 to e-379

• #11 by Aidan Hughes on June 14, 2022 - 5:42 PM

  

  My estimated guess on where the other four ladder trucks will go to are Trucks 26, 36, 41 and 45 but I’m not entirely sure. Truck 41 is due for a new one even though the guys don’t want one because of the surveillance cameras on the new trucks. Trucks 26 and 36 are also due for new ones because their Pierce ladder trucks were abused to death. We’ll wait and see.

• #12 by Bill Post on June 14, 2022 - 3:18 PM

  

  Michael m ,even though they may be using a spare rig ,Tower Ladder 23 was still assigned a Pierce Tower Ladder in frontline service. Did Tower Ladder 24 get their new Tower assigned yet because that had been using Tower Ladder 10’s former 2002 Pierce Tower.?

• #13 by Bill Post on June 14, 2022 - 3:08 PM

  

  It is hard for me to see AT 8 getting a new Truck considering that the have been using E 357 since 2019 and even after going through some heavy repairs that we put back in service as Aerial Tower 8. But who knows? Truck 16 is not a new Truck but it is Tower Ladder 37’s rig that was reassigned. which is E 353 and is over 6 years old.

  The Bottom line is that you really don’t know who is getting a new rig until it has been assigned or you have at least a new rig with a number on it. The only rigs that I am 100% sure of at the moment are Trucks 34 37, 25 and probably 51. The rest is still speculation. Even though there are two more companies that according what I read will most likely be getting them however until it has finally been assigned or numbered you really don’t know.
  The only thing that I am pretty certain of is that 1 new Tower Ladder 8 new Aerial Ladders have or are being assigned. I really hope that the new Truck of the Academy is not being included in this batch because the need for getting new reliable apparatus for frontline apparatus is much greater than getting a new rig at the Academy.

• #14 by Michael m on June 14, 2022 - 2:52 PM

  

  Ok so there are 9 rigs in this batch, excellent. They are much needed rigs. So far between the 13 trucks delivered In 2020 and the 9 in this batch, 22 trucks have been replaced so far. How many Pierce ladders will be in service after this batch? Truck 20 is getting replaced. I believe truck 55 on the far Northwest side with Engine 119 still has a Pierce rig. Tower ladders, 5,10,14,16,21,24,39 and 63 have been replaced. Tower ladders 14,16 and 39 are all 2015 E-Ones. I believe tower ladder 54 still has a Pierce. Which other Tower still has a Pierce? My apologies, I meant to say Truck 4 in my earlier post.

• #15 by Rich S. on June 14, 2022 - 1:30 PM

  

  Yes, the last 3 Pierce rigs 12, 18, 20 all have continuous issues and are in the shop more than in service. Truck 20’s rig is at the shop numbered.

• #16 by harry on June 14, 2022 - 1:21 PM

  

  truck 20 is getting a new one

• #17 by Rich S. on June 14, 2022 - 1:16 PM

  

  Oh and a new truck to the QFA

• #18 by Rich S. on June 14, 2022 - 1:14 PM

  

  To my knowledge trucks 16( TL 37’s rig), 20, 24( TL), 25, 26, 34, 36, 37 (H&L), 51 are getting new rigs this batch

• #19 by harry on June 14, 2022 - 12:24 PM

  

  if at8 got a new rig a few years ago who is getting at8 rig if 8 is getting a new truck

• #20 by Michael m on June 14, 2022 - 12:21 PM

  

  Ok how many trucks are getting new rigs. So far I have numbers 371-374. I have trucks 8,16,25 and 34.

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