4-11 Alarm fire at 1441 S Wabash
This from Steve Redick:
I have opened my audio archive to share the radio traffic from this job. One of the FAO voices to recognize was Phil McMahon, many old timers will remember him. Dick Hyland answered the 911 call and gave out the still. On the field side many will recognize Louis Galante as the responding deputy in his days prior to being fire commissioner. Ed Altman was 221 that day.
More from Steve Redick for #TBT:
I found my archive of the famous West Town gas explosions 1-17-92 at 937 N. Racine. A valve failed causing high pressure gas supply to an entire neighborhood resulting in explosions and fires over a large area. The radio traffic is pretty intense. Some of the voices I recognize in the office Dan Bull, Lee Madison, and Mike Kerr, in the field Bob Hoff Batt 6. Bob Walters Truck 19, Wally Lynch E43, Ed Fitzgerald 271, Ray Orozco JR on Truck 7, and Duke Scneider on E57.
We were at the fire Duke had and I’ll never forget he said to us at the time “there are 61 trucks in this friggin city and you can’t find me at least one?” He was on his own at a well involved factory fire. Many will also recall Bob Hoff found a fire, made rescues, drove them to the hospital, and returned back to manage that and a few other incidents. This whole event was really something to see. I was there early on with the watch from work as we were passing nearby on the way home. Unfortunately I did not have my camera.
This from Steve Redick:
This was a real dandy. The Fire Alarm office calltaker and dispatcher was the late Dick Hyland. You can also hear Bob Phelan as well as Matt Tomlin briefly on the radio and Al Andersen was the switchboard guy that handled most of the radio stuff. I took this job in. What a night this was! The DDC was Ed Altman way before his commissioner days and the responding District Chief was Louis Galante (which explains why this wasn’t a 5-11). Some other voices you may find familiar Jim Corbett on truck 12, Bob Welch as “3a”, Bill O’Boyle on Squad 1.I’m sure there are many more to be recognized upon further review. This fire turned into a real spectacle. It ignited a scrapyard at 14th & State that went to a box and it also burned up El ties along the tracks for about 2 blocks. To top it off Snorkel 1 got stuck in the partially raised position and members had to be rescued via ground ladder as the radiant heat was getting brutal. After the building collapsed they found a guy who was sleeping in a vehicle next to the fire building who had to be extricated with a hurst tool since the car was squashed by the falling wall.I was standing too close at the time of the collapse and as I was running saw a member get knocked down by flying bricks. I believe he broke his leg … a narrow miss for me. This was a real all time classic job. I will never forget it.
Steve
Steve Redick photo
Steve Redick photo
Steve Redick photo
Steve Redick photo
Steve Redick photo
This from Steve Redick:
So I have finally started cleaning up some of my accumulation of fire stuff, now that I am an old retired guy. I came across my old home made recording of the 4-11 alarm at Z Frank Chevy, Granville and Western in 1978. I remember I was on my way to college classes and “took this in”. It was snowing like crazy. I took a few images and then had to continue to school. The Main FAO radio voices were Dan Evans and George Brown. I’m not sure who the chief was in the 27th. Enjoy the historySteve
4-11 Alarm fire at Z-Frank Chevrolet at 6141 N. Western Avenue in 1978. Steve Redick photo
4-11 Alarm fire at Z-Frank Chevrolet at 6141 N. Western Avenue in 1978. Steve Redick photo
4-11 Alarm fire at Z-Frank Chevrolet at 6141 N. Western Avenue in 1978. Steve Redick photo
4-11 Alarm fire at Z-Frank Chevrolet at 6141 N. Western Avenue in 1978. Steve Redick photo
Radioman911.com has provided us with an audio recording of the radio traffic and CAD history of the entire incident.
Previous posts with images from this fire can be found HERE and HERE.
For the finest department portraits and composites contact Tim Olk or Larry Shapiro.
