Posts Tagged laSalle Fire Department

LaSalle Fire Department news

Excerpts from the newstrib.com:

La Salle wants to place its 88-year-old antique fire truck in a new display building across from the fire station. The truck is already on public display behind large windows in the public works garage.

The city wants to build a better display building for the old engine on a city lot at the southwest corner of Fifth Street (U.S. 6) and Sterling Street, across from the fire station. To pay for this project, the city is raising money and in-kind donations. Monetary donations will be recognized on a plaque on the exterior.

The city purchased the truck for $15,250 on June 2, 1928. It was made by American-LaFrance & Foamite Co. of Elmira. N.Y. Foamite is a fire extinguishing chemical. It was replaced and retired in 1976.

The truck features a 65-foot extendable wooden ladder, manually deployed by firemen. First, the spring-loaded ladder was released, said Fire Chief Andy Bacidore. Then, firemen would turn hand cranks to extend the ladder.

The front wheels are steel but the rear wheels have wooden spokes. The tires are solid rubber. The truck is gasoline-powered and the front wheels are chain-driven.

In 1975, a film crew recorded the truck with Fire Chief Jim Flower and firemen Don Pittman, Ray Perez, and Nick LaCosta for a Mr. Coffee television commercial. It is one of many Mr. Coffee commercials from the 1970s featuring retired baseball great Joe DiMaggio, although DiMaggio did not film his part in La Salle.

The old truck was placed in the public works building in the late 1990s. Bacidore remembers moving it in there.

“That was the last time it actually ran,” Bacidore said. “My father knew how to work on it. He drove it and ran it.”

Once the fire truck was inside, they built walls around it. The public works garage also once housed a second old fire truck, a 1926 engine on loan. But the family asked for it back when an estate was settled.

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New Engine for the LaSalle Fire Department

This from Bill Fricker:

Hello here’s a photo of the new Engine Co. 412 at La Salle, IL. It’s a 2016 Pierce Saber (28881TR-01)  1250-gpm / 1000-gbt / 25 gal foam   Vin: 4P1BAAFF2GAO16039  Waterous: 154539  Enjoy!
LaSalle Fire Department fire engine

Engine Co. 412 at La Salle, IL – 2016 Pierce Saber (28881TR-01) 1,250/1,000/25F Bill Fricker photo

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5-Alarm ++ fire in Peru (IL) – update

Tim Olk took a drive on Monday to visit the fire scene in Peru, IL. When he went down there, they were over 30 hours into the fire and had requested a 4th Alarm for tankers to the scene. Tim found fires still burning and producing large amounts of smoke throughout many areas of the complex. He took a large amount of photos during the time he was on-scene which will be online in the coming hours. Here are a few samples of what he found in Peru. Earlier coverage of the fire can be found HERE.

Massive fire in Peru IL Western Clock Company

A Pierce tower ladder from the Mendota Fire Department works an elevated master stream into one building in the Westclox complex in Peru, IL. Tim Olk photo

Massive fire in Peru IL Western Clock Company

Another Pierce tower ladder, this one belonging to the Peru Fire Department, works at an adjacent building. Tim Olk photo

Massive fire in Peru IL Western Clock Company

Firefighters direct a hand line into one of the buildings in an effort to extinguish some of the fire that still burns more than day after the fire broke out. Tim Olk photo

Massive fire in Peru IL Western Clock Company

A section of the former clock company that has been totally destroyed. Tim Olk photo

Massive fire in Peru IL Western Clock Company

An engine from LaSalle pumps water from the porta-tanks that are constantly refilled by one of the many tankers on the scene. Tim Olk photo

Massive fire in Peru IL Western Clock Company

A tanker from the Oglesby Fire District takes a turn at the porta-tanks. Tim Olk photo

Massive fire in Peru IL Western Clock Company

The water supply officer prepares to send this tanker from the Standard Fire Protection District to dump it's water. Tim Olk photo

Massive fire in Peru IL Western Clock Company

A Darley engine from the Dixon Rural Fire District pumps at the fire scene. Tim Olk photo

Massive fire in Peru IL Western Clock Company

Firefighters were kept at a distance during the height of the fire due to the intense heat and are just now able to move in and hit all of the remaining fires. Here they douse a dumpster in a loading dock area near several burned trailers. Tim Olk photo

Massive fire in Peru IL Western Clock Company

Well over a day after the initial fire was intentionally set, parts of the scene are still shrouded in thick smoke. Tim Olk photo

Massive fire in Peru, IL Western Clock Company

A Pierce Arrow engine from Peru pumps from another porta-tank set up in a different section of the complex. Tim Olk photo

Tim has a large gallery of images that can be found HERE.

 

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