Chicago Heights Local 711 Firefighter Paramedics battle against layoffs and privatization of EMS
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Posts Tagged Chicago Heights Fire Department
This from Brad Steinweg:
Pictures from the Heights’ house fire @ 1446 East End AV on 8/1. I saw a small header while on the way but it was pretty much knocked and only a little bit of smoke still showing.
-Brad S.
Brad Steinweg photo
Brad Steinweg photo
Brad Steinweg photo
Brad Steinweg photo
Brad Steinweg photo
Brad Steinweg photo
Flossmoor’s former ambulance 1372 that was replaced with the Dodge Ram a few years ago. It now belongs to the Chicago Heights FD. 1998 Ford E-350. Brad Steinweg photo
Excerpts from the ChicagoTribune.com:
The Chicago Heights Fire Department has a new honorary lieutenant among its ranks.
Ten year-old Rocco Debergh, a cancer survivor who spearheaded a community-wide collection of coloring books for hospitalized children, celebrated his honorary position June 1 with more than two dozen friends and family at the city’s fire station at 51 E. 19th Place.
Chicago Heights Fire Chief Jeffrey Springer said Rocco’s helpful spirit is exactly what he looks for in a great fireman.
“I just thought this was so special, a boy, 10 years old going through what he’s going through and thinking about others,” Springer said. “That’s what we do in the fire service, we think about others. It’s such an honor to be here for him. . . From what he’s been through, it’s just such a blessing that he is still here and is in good spirits.”
The Chicago Heights boy said he used coloring books to take his mind off of the cancer while he was receiving chemotherapy, and wanted to share that joy with others. Rocco, who marks two years being cancer-free this summer, was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in 2009.
After writing a letter to his principal at Greenbriar Elementary School in Chicago Heights inviting schoolmates to donate coloring books and crayons, the message spread like wildfire. On March 18, he and his family delivered 2,000 coloring books to the University of Chicago Medicine’s Comer Children’s Hospital.
When then-interim Chicago Heights Fire Chief Tim Kennedy heard Rocco’s story, he felt moved to celebrate the youngster’s actions.
“He is just such a great inspiration for all of us,” Kennedy said. “And with his uncle (Ron Lucarini) being one of the chiefs here, it just makes tonight really special.”
Rocco wasn’t the only one appointed honorary lieutenant; his younger brother, Bronx, 7, also was pinned with a ceremonial honor for being a great supporter of his brother.
thanks Dan
This from Eric Haak:
The Chicago Heights Fire Department had a MABAS Box on Saturday morning (2/6) for a fire in a Walmart that is under construction at 21000 S. Western Avenue. As far as I could tell, it was probably construction materials on the interior and did not involve the structure. There were two aerials up and ready but no water was used on the roof. I was not allowed to get any closer than the construction fence so the images you see here were taken from a distance. Was able to at least shoot a few rigs.
Eric Haak photo
Eric Haak photo
Eric Haak photo
Eric Haak photo
Tim Olk went to south for a commercial fire in Chicago Heights this morning at 1131 Arnold Street.
No one was injured when a fire erupted in a glass factory Tuesday morning at 1131 Arnold St., fire officials said.
Chicago Heights Fire Chief James Angell said firefighters were called around 9 a.m. to the Gerresheimer Glass Co. after a furnace broke and molten glass started spewing out like lava. They immediately poured water on the furnace upon arrival. But on the third floor of the furnace, a steam explosion erupted, blowing the molten glass onto the structure and causing a fire, he said.
Firefighters fought the blaze for about 45 minutes before they were able to put it out. Firefighters remained on scene helping plant personnel restart the furnace so the molten glass would not solidify, he said. The plant, which has been at that location since the 1900s, produces primary glass packaging for pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.
Angell said they called for reinforcements from area departments due to the weather and the size of the factory. He said Matteson, Park Forest, Glenwood, Homewood, Flossmoor, Sauk Village, Frankfort, Steger and Hazel Crest firefighters were on the scene. Crete, Richton Park, Crete Township, University Park and Richton Park Township fire departments handled calls for Chicago Heights.
Tim Olk photo
Tim Olk photo
Tim Olk photo
This from Drew Gresik:
I got some nice rig shots of rigs from the South Suburbs at the 2-11 Fire and Haz-Mat Box at 900 E 14th Street in Chicago Heights. All these rigs are currently missing from the site so feel free to use them when the next update comes around. Thanks again!Drew GresikChicago Heights Engine 651, Truck 672, and Ambulance 685. Crete Township Ambulance 173.
Drew Gresik photo
Drew Gresik photo
Drew Gresik photo
Drew Gresik photo
This from Dennis McGuire, Jr.
I was in the area when Park Forest, Illinois transmitted a Box Alarm for their working fire at 354 Winoa St. I arrived after the fire was knocked but was able to get a few pictures. The fire was in a single family 1 sty ordinary with reports of a trapped occupant. The first arriving crews which were Park Forest Engine 50 and Richton Park Truck 35 made an aggressive interior attack to rescue the victim but it turned out the person was already out and safe. Great job by all companies on the scene. As a side is a shot of the new squad company in Chicago Heights using the X-Tinley Park engine.
354 Winoa in Park Forest. Dennis McGuire, Jr. photo
Chicago Heights Squad 652 is X-Tinley Park. Dennis McGuire, Jr. photo
Crews doing a wash down on side B. Dennis McGuire, Jr. photo
Crews doing overhaul. You can see they had heavy fire in Side A. Dennis McGuire, Jr. photo
Richton Park Truck 35 was first truck on the scene. Dennis McGuire, Jr. photo
University Park Truck 85 was 2nd truck on the scene. Dennis McGuire, Jr. photo
This from the Chicago Heights.com
City Council Approves Purchase of Pre-Owned Fire Truck
The Chicago Heights City Council approved the purchase of a $50,000 pre-owned fire truck from the Village of Tinley Park.The Chicago Heights fire department could have an addition to its fleet of fire trucks in the coming weeks, should the village of Tinley Park approve the sale of a 1994 Spartan Diamond … [Darley] Pumper … to Chicago Heights at its Tuesday, March 19 city council meeting.Chicago Heights City Council members approved the purchase of the truck at its Monday, March 18 meeting. The truck will cost the city $50,000.“This would kind of put a buffer in our fleet, in case anything goes wrong,” Chicago Heights Fire Chief James Angell said.The truck, which has only 17,000 miles on it, comes with all the ‘bells and whistles,’ Angell said, stating the truck will come with almost all of the hoses, radios and ladders still on it. He added that the price of the truck is well under the cost of purchasing a new truck, which could cost the city between $325,000 and $375,000.
thanks Bill
Tinley Park Engine 211, a 1994 Spartan Diamond/Darley with a 1,500-GPM pump and 500 gallons of water may be purchased by the Chicago Heights Fire Department. Bill Friedrich photo
Firegeezer.com has sent an interesting image of a copy of Fire Engineering Magazine from November 1953
An image of the cover of Fire Engineering Magazine from November of 1953.
The caption reads:
Firemen of Chicago Heights, Ill., use [a] heavy plank as [a] battering ram to force [a] door to [the] basement of City Hall. Two prisoners were trapped in the cells located therein, one perishing before help could reach him.
We’re wondering if any of our readers has more information on this incident?
An article in the Chicago Heights Patch announces that will James Angell has become the new fire chief in that town.
In his 26th year as a firefighter, James “Jamie” Angell is now the Chief of the Chicago Heights Fire Department.
Angell has been with the department for eight years, recently serving as assistant chief to Tom Martello up until August of 2011, when Martello retired.
Since Martello’s departure the city has received more than 50 applicants for the coveted position, with a selection committee narrowing down the list of candidates for Mayor David Gonzalez to choose from.
The entire article can be found HERE.
