More from Steve Redick:
Hank Sajovic shared the fire alarm office extra alarm tab and box card with us for the 5-11 Alarm at O’Hare Field 3/9/63. It looks like the companies due on the 5-11 never went to work, look at the times. A friend who was on 56 that day says all 5-11 companies were held up as he recalls.Steve
#1 by MABAS 21 on September 5, 2019 - 11:32 AM
Steve, Bill and Phil, the three of you never cease to amaze the readers on this blog with your thorough fire service history. As always thank you for contributing and sharing what you know!
#2 by Bill Post on September 5, 2019 - 1:13 AM
Phil. Engine 12 also was used on quite a few change of quarters. I’m sure you remember that when Engine 79 moved into Engine 83’s new quarters in 1969, they would automatically change quarters to Engine 102’s house whenever 102 went out on a still alarm. That was done automatically without waiting to see if it was a working fire or not.
Engines 112 and 128 also went on a quite a few changes and so did Engines 49 and 39. As there were so many engines in service at the time, most had smaller districts in the older sections of the city. Even now there are areas with a high concentration of stations with shorter distances between them. The near south side, near west side, and near north side were always like that. Even though quite a few engines have been taken out of service or relocated, the near southwest and northwest areas still have a higher concentration of houses and engines such as in Bridgeport, McKinley Park, and the Back of the Yards. Engines 28, 29, 39, 49, 65, 123, and 50 are all pretty close to each other despite the fact that Engine 59 was moved out of the area in 1979 and Engines 9, 48, 52, 53 were taken out of service from those areas years ago. Engine 2 was also in that general area as well.
The highest numbered in service engine is Engine 129 however Engines 37, 41, and 58 were fire boats. As recently as 1963 Chicago was running with 123 land based engine companies. While Engines 37, 41, and 58 were boats, Engines 3, 31, and 90 were out of service so there were 123 engines. Currently there are 96 land based engine companies. Since 1963, 27 engine companies have been taken out of service. The first to go was Engine 2 on November 16, 1963. I am deliberately not including Engines 31 and 3 which were taken of service in the 1950s and Engine 90 which hasn’t been in service since 1932. Taking Engine 3 out of service allowed the fire department to use the manpower to create Truck 58 with the manpower.
#3 by Phil Stenholm on September 4, 2019 - 10:13 PM
BILL: It wasn’t listed on the box cards, but back in the 1960’s it wasn’t that unusual for engine companies to change quarters on a working fire still alarm, especially in cases where there were two engine companies in the same firehouse, but also if the firehouses of two engine companies were close to each other and/or if a company’s still district was unusually small.
For example, Engine Co. 79 used to routinely change quarters to Engine 70 whenever 70 and 102 were at a working fire or to Engine 83 when 83 and 78 were at a working fire still.
On the night of the McCormick Place fire in 1967, Engine Co. 9 (which was first-due to McCormick Place) was on a change of quarters to Engine 19 when the still & box alarm was struck because Engine 19 and Engine 16 were at a working fire elsewhere in 19’s still district, so Engine 8 (not Engine 9) was the first engine company on the scene. In fact because Engine 19 was so busy, Engine Co. 9 spent almost as much time at Engine 19’s house as they did in the own quarters!
Besides 9 and 79, other engine companies that would routinely change quarters to busier firehouses during working fire still alarms in the 1960’s were 17, 20, 27, 33, 48, 52, 87, 105, 111, 114, and 117.
#4 by Bill Post on September 4, 2019 - 7:09 PM
In the 1950s companies on the running cards started changing quarters on the 2-11 and any changes on the Still and Box were done at the discretion of the Fire Alarm Office. In later years companies that were to change on the Still and Box were listed on the card. Since O’Hare Field was actually outside the city limits but considered city property, at the bottom of this card in small print are change of quarters companies on the Still and Box Alarm.
My point is that even though Engine 117 was due on the fire while closer engines were not, the card states that Engine 117 was due on the Still & Box to change quarters to Engine 86. They would then be coming from Engine 86’s quarters or at least they would have been on their way when the 2-11 alarm was struck. Engine 111 did the same thing from Engine 94’s quarters.
Quite a few engine companies would change quarters on a box, 2-11 or a 3-11 and be due to the fire on the next alarm on many of Chicago’s running cards. In some places that is known as leap frogging when a company changes quarters and then gets moved to the fire on a subsequent alarm.
#5 by John Antkowski on September 4, 2019 - 1:20 PM
Cool addition to the story. Chicago Fire Department history was Ken Little’s bread and butter. Great memories. Thank you very much! John
#6 by Mike L on September 4, 2019 - 5:30 AM
I agree, Chuck. Looking at the 2-11, Eng 117 had to drive by 68 and 125; neither of which were even on the card. Eng 7 also got passed over. Great stuff, Steve! Thank you!
#7 by Chuck on September 4, 2019 - 12:46 AM
Sometimes the most interesting part of an extra alarm is not who responds but the Changes of Quarters. This one is no exception.