Jan 18
From Macqueeneq.com:
Elgin FD Quint 1
Pierce composite
Elgin FD photo
- Job Number: 35087
- Chassis: Enforcer™
- Body: Ascendant® 107’ Heavy-Duty Aerial Ladder
- Engine: Cummins L9
- Horsepower: 450 hp
- Front Suspension: Leaf
- Rear Suspension: Spring
- Electrical System: Command Zone™
- Pump: Pierce PUC™ Midship
- Pump GPM: 1,500-GPM
- Tank: Water
- Tank Size: 500 gallons
thanks Zach
Oct 30
Excerpts from abc7chicago.com:
Elgin firefighters went above and beyond to lift the spirits of a patient at a suburban rehabilitation hospital.
The only way for patients to visit with family members at that the Avondale Estates facility is to do so through a window, which makes Mary Moore’s third-floor room a big hurdle. She has been suffering from serious respiratory illness and transferred there this week. She’s the matriarch of a large, tightly-knit family. Concerned relatives flew in from around the country to see her, except they weren’t really going to be able to see much looking up from the parking lot. When Elgin’s fire chief heard about it, he offered the solution; a ladder truck to bring them to the window.
The family kept the visit a secret, waiting to just appear in front of her window Thursday afternoon – and the reaction was worth it.
While her family was only here to visit Mary Moore, administrators said everybody in the facility got a boost at a time when many may need it the most.
“It’s not something we can do every day, take another ladder truck out of service,” Elgin Fire Chief Robb Cagann said. “But the circumstances around this particular situation gave us the opportunity to do it and we thought it warranted our ability to do that.”
Sep 26
From the Fire Service, Inc Facebook page:
Congratulations Elgin Fire Department on the recent delivery of a new 2020 Wheeled Coach Type I!
We are proud to provide an emergency vehicle your department community can depend on!
Specs: Ford F-450 4×4 chassis, CoolBAR HVAC, DuraSeam doors, liquid spring suspension, Whelen LED warning light package, Stryker Powerload, & marine-grade plywood cabinets.
Fire Service, Inc. photo
Fire Service, Inc. photo
Fire Service, Inc. photo
Fire Service, Inc. photo
Excerpts from the DailyHerald.com:
Water rescues near dams can be harrowing as churning waters pull in people and rescuers. The Elgin Fire Department is painfully familiar with that, after two of its own died in 1974 during a rescue near the city’s dam in the Fox River.
The department now has a Waterwog 3 rescue boat made by Creature Craft, a new boat to enhance safety. Its most salient feature is an overhead roll cage. The nearly 14-foot boat has backup safety in the form of a rope about 300 feet long that can be pulled from shore. The total cost was $33,800 including training, but the city spent $14,910 after a grant from the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation. The new boat replaced a 20-year-old dam entry watercraft, one of three Elgin Fire Department boats.
Elgin’s water rescue and recovery team has responded to 69 calls in the last decade, mostly in Elgin but also in Algonquin, Carpentersville, St. Charles, Bartlett, Gilberts, South Elgin, and Wilmington. The team also receives requests for trainings.
Excerpts from the ChicagoTribune.com:
A third Elgin firefighter tested positive for COVID-19. One firefighter is under quarantine at a hotel where the city reserved a block of rooms for personnel that allows them to keep their family safe from any possible exposure. Two other firefighters chose to isolate at home.
Over the last few weeks, the Elgin Fire Department has had seven firefighters who’ve been isolated due to possible exposure to COVID-19. Only those who showed symptoms were tested. The test results are available within 24 hours, and the positive cases came back April 23, April 30, and May 1.The fire department has notified its employees and has recommended that they stay home should they begin to feel ill. Shifts are being covered with overtime if needed.
Mar 23
From the Fire Service, Inc. Facebook page:
Congratulations to Elgin Fire Department on the order of their 2020 Wheeled Coach Type 1 Ambulance!
We are eager to begin the process of building an emergency vehicle your community can depend on and is familiar with! Thank you for your continued loyalty!
Specs: Patented Cool Bar HVAC system, 4-point IMMI restraints, Stryker PowerLoad System, Whelen warning lights, Change Notice 11 Compliant, and 6 “ drop skirt design to help maximize storage and ease of entrance.
Feb 16
Excerpts from the DailyHerald.com:
Interim Elgin Fire Chief Robert Cagann has been appointed on a permanent basis. Cagann has been with the city since 1993. He served as assistant fire chief since 2017, worked as a firefighter for eight years before being promoted to lieutenant in 2001, captain in 2008, and then battalion chief in 2015. He led the department’s training division for 15 years.
Feb 6
From CityofElgin.org:
click to download
click to download
click to download
click to download
click to download
thanks Ron
Excerpts from the ChicagoTribune.com:
Elgin Fire Department Assistant Fire Chief Robert Cagann, a 27-year veteran of the of the department, has been named interim chief until a replacement is found for retired Chief David Schmidt. Cagann started his career as an Elgin firefighter in 1993 and was promoted to lieutenant in 2001, captain in 2008, battalion chief in 2015, and assistant chief in 2017. During his time as assistant chief, he distinguished himself as a leader in implementing department efficiencies and advancements. He will run a department of 133 fire and emergency personnel at seven fire stations that cover 38 square miles. The department’s annual operating budget is nearly $30 million.
Excerpts from the Dailyherald.com:
When now-former Elgin Fire Chief Dave Schmidt started his career in Elgin in 1989, he was like a kid in a candy store whose only goal was to make a difference. Thirty years later, during his retirement ceremony Friday afternoon, he said he was honored to have worked for what he called the best fire department in the country.
Family members, residents, and colleagues showed up to say goodbye during the open house and retirement flag ceremony held at Fire Station 1.
Schmidt starts Monday as fire chief in Carrboro, North Carolina, which will allow his family to be closer to his son who lives in Tennessee.
After the ceremony, the city manager announced that Assistant Chief Robert Cagann will serve as interim fire chief, effective immediately.
For the finest department portraits and composites contact Tim Olk or Larry Shapiro.
