Posts Tagged Alive 21

A look at several old and new CFD firehouses

Steve Redick took advantage of some mild weather two weeks ago to visit some old and new firehouses in Chicago. He describes his journey:

… after leaving downtown I visited Eng 109’s old house. Not a bad shot considering the time of day.

Chicago Fire Department Engine 109's fire house

Engine 109's recently vacated house at 2538 S. Whipple. Steve Redick photo

I then ventured to the new house at 2343 S Kedzie where the companies exit the north doors. This place seems to have a hose tower mid structure and like the others is very sprawling.  All things considered I sure like the old house better but this is a much improved location for egress.
Chicago Fire Department new fire house Engine 109

Engine 109's new house at 2343 S. Kedzie Avenue was opened October 19, 2011. Steve Redick photo

Chicago Fire Department new fire house Engine 109

This shot encompasses the entire structure. Steve Redick photo

Chicago Fire Department new fire house Engine 109

The front of Engine 109's new house on Kedzie. Steve Redick photo

More information about the construction of and opening of this house and similar houses can be found HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE.

My last stop was old Engine 38…they really did a number on this place..Nice to see it taken care of but sad.
Chicago Fire Department former fire house of Engine 38

Engine 38's former house at 2111 S. Hamlin is now a community arts center. Steve Redick photo

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CFD Alive 21 fire station construction continued

In a previous post HERE, we outlined the variations in CFD fire house designs built under the Alive 21 program. The stations built were for Engines 18, 38, 63, 70, 84, 88, 102, 121, Air/Sea Rescue, and Engine 109 which has not yet been completed. Some of the differences that were highlighted included two similar designs that differed by the inclusion of a hose tower, the roof line, and the amount of glass along the top of the apparatus bays. A third design is being implemented for Engine 109’s new house and a new house for Engine 16. The building for Engine 16 though begins what the City of Chicago Public Building Commission (PBC) is calling the first of the ‘Prototype B’ engine company houses (which is confusing because the house for Engine 109 is the same design).

Square footage for each house varies depending exactly on the individual needs of the companies assigned. Ranging from 14,000 square feet for Engine 102’s house to 18,000 square feet for Engine 121’s house, the differences incorporate the office space, meeting space, and training spaces allocated to each facility. Engine 16’s new house will have 18,500 square feet of space which includes Haz-mat unit operations with associated storage and EMS Field Division South offices.

Chicago Fire Department fire station for Engine 109

The site sign depicting the new house for Engine 109.

When the Alive 21 program began, the rear entry to the three apparatus bays included only two doors that are both wider than a single sized door. These designs are in effect for the stations of Engines 38, 63, 84, and 88.

Chicago Fire Department station for Engine 63

The rear apparatus bay doors of Engine 63's house shows the original two-door design. Steve Redick photo

A design change then altered this to incorporate three single width bay doors at the rear of the apparatus bays matching the three doors on the front of the bays. Houses for Engines 18, 70, 102, and 121 were each built with three doors at the rear of the apparatus bays.

Chicago Fire Department station for Engine 121

Engine 121's house shows the updated design which features three bays doors on both sides of the apparatus bays. Hank Sajovic photo

The Chicago Public Building Commission website has links to the Fire Station projects HERE for the completed houses and HERE for the two active projects. The links for the two current projects include galleries of site photos chronicling the progress of each job.

Chicago Fire Department station for Engine 88

The house for Engine 88 at 3637 W. 59th Street has the hose tower. Karl Klotz photo

Chicago Fire Department station for Engine 102

The design for Engine 102 at 7340 N. Clark Street is without a hose tower. Larry Shapiro photo

Chicago Fire Department station for Engine 121

Engine 121's house is at 1700 W. 95th Street. The apron design here has different landscaping along the driveway with a large grassy area unlike other houses with more concrete immediately outside the apparatus bays. This house also has the large solar panels on the roof. Hank Sajovic photo

Hank Sajovic points out that at one point the ‘front’ of the building was reversed for Engine 84’s house since the apparatus exits their building to the west even though the watch room is on the east side. All of the stations were built to have the ‘front’ on the left hand side of the building when viewed straight-on from the street, facing the flag poles.

Chicago Fire Department station for Engine 84

Apparatus in Engine 84's house runs out of the east side of the building, opposite of the side with the watch room. Hank Sajovic photo

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