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Posts Tagged Oak Park Fire Department history

New home for Oak Park truck

Jul 26

Posted by Admin in Fire Department History, Fire Truck photos | 5 Comments

The former Oak Park FD Truck 631 is now Sergeant Bluffs Fire Department Tower 64 in Iowa.

Sergeant Bluff FD Tower 64

John Degenhardt photo

Excerpts from kscj.com:

SGT. BLUFF’S FIRE DEPARTMENT ASSISTANT CHIEF DREW BAIER SAYS THE DEPARTMENT ACTUALLY OBTAINED THE TRUCK LAST OCTOBER, AND HAS USED IT A COUPLE OF TIMES IN THE FIELD.

THE AERIAL ALSO HAS WATER PUMPING CAPABILITIES AND CAN CARRY A CREW OF UP TO SIX FIREFIGHTERS FROM THE VOLUNTEER DEPARTMENT:

THE TRUCK WAS OBTAINED FROM THE OAK PARK ILLINOIS FIRE DEPARTMENT FOR AROUND $193-THOUSAND DOLLARS.

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Oak Park FD history

Dec 10

Posted by Admin in Historic fire apparatus | 5 Comments

This from Wayne Stuart:

I was going thru some more old pix and found this delivery photo of what appears to be Oak Park E2. I obtained a bunch of photos probably 40 years ago.

American LaFrance delivery photo Oak Park FD

American LaFrance delivery photo.

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New home for old fire house

Apr 12

Posted by Admin in Fire Department History | Comments off

An article from OakPark.com outlines a new occupant for a historic Oak Park firehouse.

There was a lot less history to account for in the villages of Oak Park and River Forest in 1970 — the year the local historical society set up shop in a single room of the landmark Pleasant Home at 217 Home Ave. But over more than four decades, the society’s collection of historic material, including tens of thousands of photos, grew, and the single bedroom expanded to the entire second and third floors of the mansion, explained Frank Lipo, executive director of the Historical Society.

Lipo said that if all goes well … the society [will] relocate to the historic Cicero Firehouse, 129 Lake St., (also known as the pump house) at the corner of Lombard Avenue in Oak Park.

The Pleasant Home site currently offers about 5,000 square feet for the group, but the fire house location would provide roughly 7,500 square feet, said Lipo, noting that the society also aims to eventually build an addition that would give the group more exhibition space.

To prime the pump (house), they held an open house of the new location on Saturday and another is planned for Thursday, April 24, from 4 to 7 p.m.

Lipo said the group has raised $500,000 to set up a geothermal heating and cooling system at the new location and to facilitate the demolition and renovation of interior walls and remove drop ceilings.

thanks John

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