A short video clip from Jim McCall shows the conditions early into the 2-Alarm house fire at 2820 Harrison in Evanston (3/20/15) as firefighters leave the roof surrounded by heavy smoke.
Posts Tagged Evanston Fire and Life Safety Department
The Shelbyville Daily Union has an article about one fire department coming to the aid of another
Eleven packages of new gear plus a big check for $10,000 equals a lot of happy firefighters.
Several pieces of Shelbyville Fire Department gear were damaged and stained with oil during the oil rig fire near Clarksburg in April. The contaminated gear posed a threat to firefighters going into any other fire because of the flammability. Only the second line firefighters – those not going directly into a fire – could wear the gear.
“I am ecstatic to get the gear,” said Shelbyville Fire Chief Gary Lynch. “We’re very happy thanks to the Evanston Fire Department.”
The gift was made possible by way of a Chicagoland visitor to the Balloonfest in October. The Shelbyville Fire Department held a cookout and displayed a truck and ladder and their smokehouse during the event and shared the story of the oil rig fire with the visitor. The visitor, who is a part of the Evanston Fire Department, contacted his chief and suggested that they donate some of their extra new gear to the Shelbyville department.
On Monday the gear arrived and Wednesday evening the squad got a chance to check it out.
The department was also presented a check for $10,000 from Shelby Electric Cooperative, Shelbyville Area Community Foundation, and CoBank Sharing Success Program.
“The cookout during the Balloonfest brought us $4,000, just shy of the $5,000 goal amount to get a matching grant from CoBank,” said Shelby Electric Cooperative spokesperson Kevin Bernson.
“We (Shelbyville Area Community Foundation) filled in to make sure they got the $5,000 so they could get the full match,” said Noel Bolinger of the Foundation.
The $10,000 will help purchase another 10 sets of gear.
Lynch noted that firefighter’s gear has a 7-year life before it needs to be traded out. He added that older gear that is still in good shape will be donated to the State Fire Marshall to be sent to another department.
The main source of funds for the fire department rests on the taxpayers. Any fundraisers the department does helps pay for the necessary extras to do their job. Many of the firefighting personnel are volunteers.
“This wouldn’t have been possible if it wasn’t for Shelby Electric Cooperative, the Foundation, and CoBank. We are grateful and thankful,” Lynch said.
This from the Daily Northwestern:
When more than 20 police cars and fire trucks showed up on the street where 10-year-old Julian Sims lives Thursday, the commotion confused him. But when the officers and firefighters showed up on his doorstep with balloons and bags of gifts, he knew they were there for him.
“We want to show him we’re 110 percent behind him,” Evanston Police officer Heidi Bernhardt said.
EPD officers and Evanston fire department officials participated in a motorcade Thursday, blocking off the 1500 block of Church Street to have a surprise visit to Julian at his home.
Julian, a fifth-grade student at Dewey Elementary School, was diagnosed with leukemia in October 2013. The Sims family has been looking for a match for a bone marrow transplant since November, holding bone marrow drives and raising money to get people tested. Two months ago, the incessant searching paid off, and the family found a match.
Julian starts the transplant process Friday when he reports to the hospital, where he will be confined to a room for more than a month without any visitors besides his parents. Bernhardt said the police and fire departments raised more than $3,000 in gifts for Julian and his family that would improve the time spent in the hospital. The items included gift cards, Chicago Blackhawks memorabilia and Xbox Live games that would allow Julian to talk and play with friends and his brother Miles.
“I was blown away,” Julian’s father Rich Sims said. “I had no idea it was going to be that big and with so many people.”
Officers lined up outside the Sims’ house to take turns greeting Julian and shaking his hand. Julian was presented with a police uniform top, complete with a personalized ID tag and a t-shirt signed by all of the firefighters.
After posing in a picture with all the officers, Julian, with a smile on his face, climbed into a fire truck and took a ride around Evanston.
“I feel that a lot of people respect me,” Julian said. “They’re trying to help me get through it.”
Julian’s story was brought to the officers’ attention by police officers Joseph Panek and Sean O’Brien. The two policemen, after reading articles about Julian online, showed up at the Sims’ house to volunteer to help Julian and his family.
When they found out Julian had found a match and was going to the hospital for his transplant, the officers reached out to the police department to organize something. They then reached out to captain/paramedic Jeffrey Boetto of the Evanston fire department, who gathered officers and five trucks to join the motorcade and support Julian.
“It’s a way to give back to the community,” Boetto said. “We wanted to give him some inspiration.”
Julian’s mother, Romy Sims, said her family has been lucky throughout the entire process. The Sims family, through the Be the Match Foundation, has raised more than $6,000 and has not had to pay for Julian’s transplant at all.
Romy Sims also said the officers’ help was so great since they didn’t have to help Julian — they wanted to.
“It’s above and beyond their duty,” she said. “It came from the heart. It’s totally uplifting.”
One parting post on last weeks commercial fire in Evanston, some interesting apparatus shots from Steve Redick.
- Perhaps someone can comment on this, but the webmaster can’t remember another time (certainly in recent years) that all five Evanston engines were pumping at the same fire
- Steve has the first shot we’ve seen of the Glenview/Northfield Truck 14/29 in service and labeled as Truck 29
- Wilmette and Winnetka engines were also pumping at the scene, though Steve tells us that they were each substituted for Evanston engines that required fuel
- an interesting note, with the inclusion of the Wilmette and Winnetka engines, this fire utilized Engines 21, 22, 23, 24 25, 26, & 28 … almost a complete sequence of numerical units …
Evanston Engine 21. Steve Redick photo
Evanston Engine 22. Steve Redick photo
Evanston Engine 23. Steve Redick photo
Evanston Engine 24. Steve Redick photo
Evanston Engine 25. Steve Redick photo
Northfield Truck 29. Steve Redick photo
Wilmette Engine 26. Steve Redick photo
Winnetka Engine 28. Steve Redick photo
Steve Redick’s video from last night’s fire in Evanston.
First batch of images from Steve Redick from the commercial fire in Evanston.
The scene when I arrived.
The scene early into the fire. Steve Redick photo
The scene early into the fire showing Skokie TL 16 and Evanston Truck 22. Steve Redick photo
Evanston Truck 22. Steve Redick photo
The scene early into the fire. Steve Redick photo
Click the ‘video’ to see a brief clip from the scene. Video
An overnight fire on Davis in Evanston destroyed a commercial building. Here are early cell phone images from Steve Redick and Tim Olk.
From the Chicago Tribune:
A fire that erupted at a restaurant in north suburban Evanston and spread to two commercial buildings early this morning is still burning and sent one firefighter to a hospital with an ankle injury.
Evanston spokeswoman Martha Logan said the blaze started at 2:24 a.m. at the Pine Yard Restaurant near the corner of Davis Street and Oak Avenue and at 2:34 a.m. it was elevated to an extra alarm.
Their response was further escalated at 3:36 a.m. when flames spread, affecting a total of three commercial buildings in the 1000 block of Davis Street.
One firefighter who suffered an ankle injury while fighting the fire was taken to Evanston Hospital with injuries that are not life threatening, she said.
Tim Olk photo
Tim Olk photo
Tim Olk photo
Tim Olk photo
Steve Redick photo
Steve Redick photo
Steve Redick photo
Steve Redick photo
Tim Olk photo
Tim Olk photo
Tim Olk photo
Tim Olk photo
Tim Olk photo
Tim Olk photo
The first in a series of updates to the website:
The following departments have had apparatus images updated:
- Evanston Fire Department – all stations
- Skokie Fire Department – all stations
- Winnetka FIre Department – new & reserve ambulances
- Des Plaines Fire Department – Tower 83
- Niles Fire Department – Station 2
- Newport Township Fire District – new ambulance
- Lake Villa Fire District – new ambulance (sta 2)
- McHenry Township Fire Protection District – all stations
From Mike Lopina:
Here is a shot of the former quarters of Evanston Engine 23 at 2504 Green Bay Rd. Not sure when the Station was built but it closed in 1954 when Engine 25 relocated to the new firehouse at 2830 Central (from Station 21) & Engine 23 and Truck 23 relocated to the new firehouse at 1105 Central.
Mike Lopina
Former quarters of Evanston FD Engine 23 prior to 1954. Mike Lopina photo
Former Evanston FD Station's 21 and 22. 22's at 750 Chicago Av became a restaurant, while 21's at 909 Lake St was heavily remodeled into headquarters after being given to the PD for a short time. Thanks! Mike Lopina
Former quarters of Evanston FD Engine 23 prior to 1954. Mike Lopina photo
Former quarters of Evanston FD Engine 23 prior to 1954. Mike Lopina photo
Mike Lopina photo
Mike Lopina photo
Evanston FD updates
Jun 16
This from Karl Klotz:
Some updated information on the Evanston fleet:
- Here are the current Ambulance 21 (314) and Ambulance 23 (316). (The A23 on the site is gone.)
- There is a new Battalion 21 buggy, a 2013 Chevy Tahoe. It will be outfitted in the next couple weeks and placed into service.
- The fire investigations rig is at station 25.
- The former Engine 25 (1994 Dash) is now numbered E25R.
- The Tele-Squrt is now not numbered, and housed at Station 24 as a spare engine.
Karl
Evanston Ambulance 21. Karl Klotz photo
Evanston Ambulance 23. Karl Klotz photo
