This from Bill Post:
I have an interesting fire department related news story from Detroit. It is quite interesting and has some similarities to what is happening in Chicago. At the moment, Chicago is running short of operable spare tower ladders. This story is also about not having an operable tower ladder for the center of the city. Tower Ladder 7, the one closest to downtown Detroit, hasn’t been running without a tower ladder since October.
Bill Post
From WDIV in Detroit
#1 by Colton Latham on March 7, 2024 - 1:37 PM
I have been saying this for a long time. For the amount of frontline towers (platforms) Chicago has and how often they are OOS (especially right now), there are not enough spare towers. Chicago owns 8 spare towers, 3 HMEs (2 have broken buckets and the third is stuck at TL23), 1 ALF (Hasn’t been used sense 2019, who knows why), and 4 pierces (one has a broken transmission, both old TL54 and TL23 are perfectly fine but need parts for the ladders that can’t be found on TL23s part, and the 4th is broke down at fleet for who knows why). This needs to be fixed but I don’t see anything changing anytime soon. Maybe Chicago will surprise me, I sure hope it does.
#2 by John Keller on March 5, 2024 - 10:13 PM
Yes, Harry its due to the wear on the floor overtime
#3 by Harry on March 5, 2024 - 8:28 PM
To John
Thank you so like a ramp
#4 by John Keller on March 5, 2024 - 10:00 AM
Harry,
that was mis-written the first 5-7 feet inside the door are level and then after that there is a slope that drops the bay down a few inches which allowed the tower to bounce on the way out and the basket hit the top of the garage door breaking the door and basket.
#5 by John Antkowski on March 5, 2024 - 9:19 AM
Mike C You have some very good points. Look at New York, They have a program that replaces equipment every 10 years. They found a couple of vendors that work well for their needs. They also replace the equipment with the same which means new Engines and Ladders are the same. And so on. They obviously like Seagrave and Ferrara. They tried KME. But they were just too small to finish the contract. New York did have a change in specs when they were looking for a split cab. Chicago could easily have a policy like that. As the country gets back into the parts manufacturing again hopefully new apparatus orders will ramp up too. Big Cities need to have a decent supply of safe and reliable equipment to serve and protect their citizens the best possible way they can. Just saying.
#6 by Harry on March 5, 2024 - 8:51 AM
When I was at twr 14 around 2019 there was no 5 ft dropoff in the cement garage floor if so anyone have a picture I am very sharp on details I even have a video of twr 14 going on a run now that Chicago towers are all caught up because I saw somewhere on the Internet twr 23 new rig
#7 by Mike on March 5, 2024 - 7:39 AM
Chicago has never actually had a replacement plan. This goes all the way back to when Quinn was commissioner. When Quinn was commissioner new apparatus always went downtown because of optics. The rest of the city was running rusted junk. The last time there was a major apparatus replacement was in 2000-2001 after Lt. LC Merrill got ejected and killed in an apparatus accident. The city got fined for using apparatus that didn’t have seat belts. The apparatus LT. Merrill was in was a 1975 seagrave aerial. So this apparatus issue is 60+ years old.. The city that works…..
#8 by Mike C on March 5, 2024 - 7:32 AM
What frustrates me the most about this is that a precise replacement plan is not followed. New apparatus is a drop in the bucket for the city budget. If the city said front line engines and trucks get replaced every 15 years then go into the spare pool, the city budget wouldn’t change at all. Also, the city should implement an apparatus replacement policy so that they are getting new apparatus on a routine. For example, arrange in the contract so that the city gets a new engine every other month. That would get 6 engines per year. I’m not sure 6 rigs a year is enough for a 15 year rotation but you get the gist.
How many engines, ladders, and towers does the city have in frontline service?
#9 by John Keller on March 4, 2024 - 6:48 PM
Austin,
TL 14s house has a substantial drop off in the bay about 5 feet in due to concrete settling, if you drive out if quarters to fast you’ll risk hitting the lip which will bump you into the garage door if you aren’t careful and that’s exactly what happened puling out on a run, the rig went out a little too fast and hit the lip which sent the basket into the top of the door.
#10 by Tim on March 4, 2024 - 7:38 AM
Before I make my comment on the Detroit story just a short disclaimer…being assigned to both a straight stick and a tower, I’ll take a tower any day.
I find the story in Detroit about over dramatic. If I didn’t know any better, sounds like you can’t rescue anyone with a straight stick. I get the union is trying to make a point and get rigs back in service faster. Then they’re going to move a tower out of (and I don’t know) possibly a busier fire duty neighborhood to a downtown house?? Gimme a break. Didn’t look like the tower was going to fit in the house anyway. The DFD should have explained things better to the reporter. The shop guy could have said “we’re waiting on back ordered parts.”
#11 by crabbymilton on March 4, 2024 - 6:20 AM
This whole things boils down to city leadership having misguided priorities. Sad but true that people who vote for these clowns get exactly what they deserve. Unfortunately, police and fire departments get caught in the middle.
#12 by Austin on March 3, 2024 - 11:11 PM
I am just curious, does anyone know how Tower 14 had an accident in Quarters?
#13 by John Antkowski on March 3, 2024 - 8:03 PM
I have to say that the condition the fire department is in can be summed up in 2 thoughts. If the City of Chicago didn’t have the cash cow of O’hare international airport, they would be screwed. If the apparatus service was a higher priority maybe it would be better. They should rethink or revamp the existing program of replacing equipment. I remember before the big E/One order was placed the department was in the same situation as they’re in now. The constant disregard for the rules of the road and stupid accidents should have been addressed a long time ago. If a company has a regular driver that knows their district then it falls on the officer. If it takes 30-40 seconds to get to the scene safely and losing your right for being first due it might be something to consider. Remember you can’t help anyone if can’t get there safely. Just saying.
#14 by Harry on March 3, 2024 - 7:50 PM
Heck even NYC has these issues the other day out of 7 squad engines 5 were in spares and even using regular engines
#15 by Cmk420 on March 3, 2024 - 12:31 PM
Is Tower 10 using the old Pierce AT1 right now? I saw a recent video & I am pretty sure it was at Tower 10’s house.
#16 by Aidan Hughes on March 2, 2024 - 11:42 PM
As of February 17, only two frontline tower ladders were in operation at Towers 21 and 39. Last week the spare 1996 HME Tower Ladder which was used by Tower 23 broke down on the Expressway and they had to use a straight stick aerial from the spare fleet. Tower 54 just received their new rig four days ago and just now it was pulled from service due to electrical and suspension issues and they are currently running a 1996 Seagrave Aerial Ladder Truck which shouldn’t be on the streets much longer. Tower 10 leaked oil which screwed up the brakes and caused the transmission to fail and has been OOS for about two months. The frontlines for Tower Ladders 5 and 24 had their mains replaced after being involved in two separate accidents in September while Tower 14 is at the dealership having their mains replaced after an accident in quarters back in December. Hopefully the shortage of Tower Ladders doesn’t get any worse with Tower 54’s old rig joining the spare fleet.