The Palatine Fire Department purchased a tower ladder from SpartanERV which is currently in production. The body as been fabricated in South Dakota, and the aerial, torque box and outriggers were added to the chassis at the plant in Pennsylvania.
As the partially completed unit is traveling from PA to SD, it made a short detour Tuesday morning to Palatine so that fire department personnel and fleet mechanics could have an opportunity to look it over.
Rear view of the partially completed SpartanERV tower ladder for Palatine. Larry Shapiro photo
SpartanERV 100′ rear-mount tower ladder on a Gladiator Classic chassis for Palatine. This will be a straight truck company with no pump or water tank. Larry Shapiro photo
Final delivery is anticipated in late November.
#1 by ENG 17 on February 27, 2014 - 4:52 PM
Village of Palatine has scrapped the plan to move station 85 to the remodeled village hall. Not sure what that means for the future of the Colfax street station…
#2 by ENG 17 on October 17, 2013 - 8:41 AM
The one thing I wouldn’t do is read too much into Palatines staffing, or any depertments staffing for that matter. It seems the norm today in many departments is to be in a near constant state of flux. I don’t mean this to be an indictment, more just the way the economy has forced departments everywhere to “do more with less” and look at ways to maximixe coverage with what they have. Palatine has a pretty decent ISO rating (3 I believe) so I’m sure they will work to best cover the town and minimize response times with the equipment and personel they have.
#3 by DMc77 on October 16, 2013 - 11:48 PM
Oak Park is in the process of ordering an E-One 95′ platform without a pump, which is a change for us as we currently have a platform quint. Also it will be on a low profile chassis. As soon as the dealer returns an updated CAD drawing, I’ll do a post on it.
#4 by FF99PM on October 16, 2013 - 8:51 PM
Scott and any other readers I offended, I apologize. I treat the comment section like the kitchen table at the fire house and I think a lot of us forget that at times. Let me clarify some of my comments. I responded to a comment about a concern of an available fire company in a district that has a jump company, not knowing how PFD responds and I made no attacks and only brought some questions/ideas.
Secondly, my response to the manning was short and not explained well. Again I know nothing about PFD’s response and tactics. But to the outsider, it seems as if manning would be better suited at station 81 with a staffed engine and ambo and a 3 or 4 man tower/truck/squad whatever they choose, to run out of 85. (I feel I’m bringing up a previous post on Trucks running ambo calls and wear and tear…but I’m not). We need all the manning we can get!
I enjoy a good discussion as does everyone that reads the comments or submits an idea, question or statement. I also know and at the same time, don’t know what I’m talking about regarding jump companies. The department I work for has fully staffed engines, trucks, and ambos, and no jump companies. And also, no squad, considered a luxury by some and unnecessary by others from where I’m from. I wish we had one, but we need 3 more ambos, two more trucks, and another engine, so no squad.
So, I rest my case on this post as I’ve gotten in over my head and out of my pay range, I’ll leave it to the chiefs to decide the reponse and tactics and return to the backseat. Thank you creators for an entertaining and informative website. Keep up the good work.
Stay safe brothers and sisters.
#5 by Scott on October 16, 2013 - 7:21 PM
FF99PM… what is unusal for the number of personnel? a 3man (maybe 4 man) truck, 2 on a squad and a B/C??? You must be from an area where there is terrible manning and jumps co’s! Northwest burbs, that is good/normal manning. But as most F/F’s who read this know, 4 on the Tower would be better as would more than 2 on the Sqd.
#6 by Martin Nowak on October 16, 2013 - 7:07 PM
One of our instructors is from this department. He told us about this rig.
#7 by FF99PM on October 16, 2013 - 6:46 PM
Wow that’s a lot of personnel on two vehicles that aren’t an ambulance or a vehicle with a pump.
#8 by Scott on October 16, 2013 - 6:02 PM
3 to 4 on Tower 85, 2 on the Sqd & the B/C. The current Sqd is only a 2 person cab, another reason they are getting a new Squad with a bigger cab.
#9 by Bill on October 16, 2013 - 5:37 PM
How many people are manning the tower and squad at 85, excluding the BC
#10 by Dan on October 16, 2013 - 5:29 PM
How is this ahead of squad 85? Is that done yet? We heard about that a while ago but this is the first I heard of a new tower. Oh well, looks good!
#11 by FF99PM on October 16, 2013 - 12:41 PM
@ m, that definitely is a concern for residents. I’ve never understood engine/ambo jump companies. Engine/truck, ok it’s still a fire company. 81 should be an ALS engine/quint only and wait on an ambo from another district. I believe all FFs are medics there and can begin all treatment prior to arrival of the ambo and then remain available for another call. And here’s a question, does ambo 81 get a follow company from another district? Therefore drawing a pump from another district? When an ambo could come from another district instead? Just thinking aloud here…
And for 0.02 when you question my background, I’m full-time in a large western suburb with 3 ALS engines that wait for an ambo from out of district.
#12 by Markus on October 16, 2013 - 12:10 PM
The Only problem I see with this tower not having a pump or the Squad not having a pump is this. Station 81 is a jump company and when they are at the hospital there is no engine in that district. I live at the edge of 81 district that boarders 85’s. So If AMB 81 is out I will have to wait awhile for water to be coming. Guess its time to look into add sprinklers into my house.
#13 by ENG 17 on October 16, 2013 - 11:53 AM
New Squad 85 should be just around the corner as well…
#14 by 0.02 on October 16, 2013 - 11:13 AM
See what happens. Having the tower without a pump a tank is probably a good idea. It reduces the cost of the overall apparatus, maintaince cost and there are probably few times the pump on that apparatus would actually be used. This firehouse is in the middle of the city so they are surrounded by engine or quints that can pump. I’m sure they’ll keep some hose and a nozzle so if they have to they can tie into a hydrant and just go off hydrant pressure in case of emergency. As for adding an engine if/ when the new house gets built, you never know.
#15 by cmk420 on October 16, 2013 - 11:04 AM
Wow–that certainly is a diversion from the norm these days, in regards to pumps on aerial apparatus. I guess the big question is how can you replace a tower ladder, that has a pump, with a tower ladder that doesn’t? Looking their pages (as well as their website), they only have one reserve engine & a reserve quint. It will be interesting.
#16 by Bob on October 16, 2013 - 9:46 AM
It looks naked.
#17 by ENG 17 on October 16, 2013 - 8:25 AM
…to finish my thought, I do not know if there is a plan to add an engine or change the current apperatus makeup…
#18 by ENG 17 on October 16, 2013 - 8:23 AM
Current plan in Palatine is to remodel the current village hall on Wood street which would include adding a fire station and moving station 85 there. I believe it is currently in the plan stages.
#19 by FF99PM on October 16, 2013 - 7:51 AM
A really nice looking rig. Now that there will be no pump running out of station 85, I wonder if there will be a reorganization in their future.
#20 by Tyler Tobolt on October 16, 2013 - 7:40 AM
I Would assume this is in replace of Tower 85?