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11 Comments

• #1 by Drew Smith on October 26, 2013 - 11:37 PM

  

  PH staffing:

  Station 9 (HQ) is six minimum and seven max: BC, LT-Engr.-FF on E9/S9, 2 FFs on A9 jumping to Tnk/Twr. When staffing is at 7 the tanker and tower have three members.

  Staffing at 39 is always three: LT-Engr.-FF on E39 jumping to CT 39 or to A39. A39 is second-due citywide and first due to airport on non-ARFF calls and into Potawatomi Woods (forest preserve east of DP river between Lake-Cook and Dundee roads). In this area are about 20 homes and a Boy Scount camp.

  100% of FT and 90% of PT members are paramedics.

• #2 by Bill on October 25, 2013 - 11:17 PM

  

  What is the minimum manning that Prospect Hts has, how many at each station?

• #3 by Drew Smith on October 25, 2013 - 9:06 PM

  

  Here is the spec. It stores rolled up in a 2 ft X 2ft X 4 ft duffle. We call it the “boat in a bag.” Inflates with SCBA cylinder in 60 seconds. We don’t carry motor on the squad-kept in station-usually don’t need for immediate deployments.

  I believe CFD Sqd. 1A has one too.

  http://zodiacmilpro.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/TDS-EN-ERB-400-HPP-floor-Z850282.pdf

• #4 by 0.02 on October 25, 2013 - 4:56 PM

  

  chief, got any specs and pitcures of the boat carried on the squad?

• #5 by Drew Smith on October 25, 2013 - 4:39 PM

  

  Yes, Engine 9 is comparable in size and design to the current Squad 9. The main differences are (E9 vs. s9):
  750 vs. 500 gallon water tank
  120 vs. 60 gallon foam tank
  1500 GPM vs. 500 GPM foam system
  No reels for extrication tools, electric, or air
  No cascade
  Smaller light tower
  No inflatable boat
  S9 has some specialty gear not on E9

  When there is a reported fire the A9 crew jumps to the tanker or tower ladder. When there is a reported extrication E9 jumps to S9. So to answer your question, depending on the nature of the call about half the rigs at Station 9 do not move until call back members eventually arrive and staff them. We do not rely on call backs for immediate response; it’s nice to get them but we don’t count on them. As for Station 39, it’s three-member crew is assigned to E39 and jumps to CT39 or A39 as needed. When it is our turn to house one of the MABAS Division 3 specialty rigs we keep it at Station 39 and they would jump to it too.

  Prospect Heights is an original member of MABAS, even before there were divisions. When I joined PHFD the rigs still had cards affixed to the dash that said basically how to work the radio when there was a MABAS box. These cards just said MABAS; no divisions were listed. PHFD was a member of Division 1 until 1996 or so. While we were in Division 1, we joined RED Center in 1982 (fifth member after Niles, MG, NM, and GV/GB). This resulted in chaos when we would upgrade the alarm from a working fire to a box. We would lose RED and move over to NWCD. We were also a member of the RED Center special teams (Haz Mat, dive, and Special Rescue [to become TRT). All three teams started as RED Center teams then became D3 teams. Being in RED Center and participating with the D3 special teams it was an operational decision to switch divisions.

• #6 by Bill Post on October 25, 2013 - 11:55 AM

  

  Thanks for the information Drew. I was afraid that the Logo may have been removed. Perhaps it will see service in another small community. I must admit that Engine 9 is comparable in size and design to the current Squad 9.
  Does Prospect Heights still send the entire station 9 to structure fires in Station 9’s district? I would assume that a few of the companies would be jump companies. I know that Crash 39 is a jump company with Engine 39, what about Station 9? Aside from running the Ambulance with 2 men and Engine 9 with ( I assume 3 men) how many more men are at station 9 who can man the rest of the companies? Are Engine 9 and Squad 9 Jump companies to each other or do they run them together?
  Wasn’t Prospect Heights at one time in MABAS Division 1 as they are situated closer to many Division 1 (and even some Division 4 fire departments) then to Division 3. Since Wheeling is in Division 1 and Prospect Heights and Wheeling go on many of the same runs as they are share the border each other in many places I would figure that they would be in the same Division.

• #7 by Drew Smith on October 25, 2013 - 8:31 AM

  

  I am unsure about exactly when the current squad will be removed from the fleet. There is rust jacking in the frame and the only way to repair it is to replace both frame rails at an estimated cost of $85,000 to $100,000. The rig is 17 years old and had a $95,000 refurb five years ago to extend its service life. Our fear is that if we invested that kind of money what would go wrong next on a nearly 20 year old rig.

  As part of the refurb the Squadzilla decal was removed. It was not replaced due to the cost to do so and that the art work was copyright protected and we could not locate the artist to get permission. The original decal was applied after delivery from Pierce and was paid for by a member, not the fire district. It was a unique feature that many were proud of and sad to see go.

  I would say that if I were a small FD that ran 100 or so calls a year I would buy it used, have the frame replaced, and while the rig is torn apart, have the motor rebuilt. After doing that, and that the transmission is less than five years old, the pump was completely rebuilt as part of the refurb, and the whole cab and body made corrosion-free with new paint and updated wiring and most warning lights, you would have a nice rig with large pump, large hose bed, foam system, cascade, light tower, and a 15K generator. It would cost you between $200,000 and $250,000 but that’s less than half a new rig and with low use would last ten-plus years easily.

• #8 by ENG 17 on October 25, 2013 - 8:12 AM

  

  From another previous post by Drew:
  “The current Squad 9 (1996 Pierce) was scheduled for replacement in 2017. However, a rust condition on the frame requires it be replaced sooner. This vehicle was originally planned as a special teams squad but when the above condition was discovered in 2012 during scheduled maintenance of the 1996 Pierce the plan (and capital replacement budget) was modified.”

  Would guess from the sound of it they won’t keep it around if the frame is rotting….

• #9 by Bill Post on October 24, 2013 - 8:40 PM

  

  Drew what are the plans for “Squadzilla”? I hope that Prospect Heights keeps it as a spare. That’s too nice of a rig to just sent to a scrap yard. Like it or not the new Squad 9 will not be a “Squadzilla”. If Prospect Heights doesn’t keep “Squadzilla” then it should be sold with the stipulation that the name Squadzilla remains on the rig.

• #10 by ENG 17 on October 24, 2013 - 3:04 PM

  

  From Drew in a previous post:

  “The commercial chassis is all about cost and complying with a State of IL no-interest loan. The development of this purchase did not follow the usual procedure we use (see previous post on this website). We are also trying to reduce future fuel and maintenance costs. The only functional difference between this new squad and our current squad will be 1000 feet less of 5-inch hose and no cascade (since we have access to MABAS Air 3).”
  .

• #11 by Rj on October 24, 2013 - 10:37 AM

  

  Drew,

  Why did Phts decide to go with a commercial chassis?

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