Sep 3
The Northwest Homer Fire Protection District has taken delivery of a new Pierce Impel pumper. Carrying Pierce job #23201, the engine has a 1,500-GPM pump with a 750-gallon water tank.
The new Pierce Impel pumper for Northwest Homer with new graphics. Pierce photo
There are many new pieces of apparatus for our area currently on display at the Fire Rescue International 2010 trade show at McCormick Place. Among them are:
The first Spartan Gladiator Crimson 103′ rear mount aerial ladder built for Chicago was displayed at the Fire Rescue International (FRI) 2010 trade show. Larry Shapiro photo
This Freightliner/Medtec Type I ambulance for the Algonquin lake-in-the-Hills Fire Department was on display in the Pierce booth. There were a total of three units on the trade show floor for this department. Larry Shapiro photo
The smaller than normal pump enclosure and built-in cross lays on the new Ferrara engine for the Algonquin Lake-in-the-Hills Fire Department resembles a trend in apparatus design which was first introduced several years ago by Pierce. Larry Shapiro photo
A Spartan Super Vac (SVI) heavy rescue for Cherry Valley with walk-around body, light tower, front bumper hydraulic rescue tools, air cascade system and an abundance of slide-out shelving and trays. Larry Shapiro photo
A gallery showing several of these units can be seen on Larry Shapiro’s site HERE.
Another department has been added to Division 21. Thanks to Bill Friedrich and Karl Klotz for images representing the Roberts Park Fire Protection District which serves Hickory Hills and Justice. They run out of two stations with 17 career personnel and 60 part-time personnel. Most of the fire suppression apparatus is Pierce with one engine built by Crimson. Of interest is Ladder 31, a 2008 Pierce Arrow XT 100′ rear mount aerial with no pump and no water tank. This is one of the units that has been featured as the apparatus on the TV show “Rescue Me.”
Although both stations are located in Justice, Station 32 on Archer Avenue used to house the Justice Fire Department.
Aug 24
The South Holland Fire Department is reportedly going to take delivery of a new Pierce Velocity 100′ tower ladder at the International Fire Chief’s Conference this week at McCormick Place. We will post photos as soon as we get them.
Alexis Fire Equipment has been refurbishing and updating a Pierce Arrow engine for the North Maine Fire Protection District as reported HERE and HERE. District Chief Mike Fox recently returned from inspecting the progress of the unit and submitted the photos shown below.
Chief Fox offered the following notes on the work:
The rig will be in the paint shop next week. After that, three and a half to four weeks before we get it back. Ladder rack is a single arm instead of a double. The 5 inch re-piping is all done. The rear lights will be modified and lowered. Many of the doors are already in the paint shop getting primed. There will be monster gauges on three sides of the vehicle. The wireless Firecomm system is ordered. The artist is coming along on the lettering.
Addison Fire District Station 2
In Division 12, the Addison Fire District No. 1 runs out of three stations. They staff one truck, three engines, three ambulances (medic units) and a battalion chief covering 13 square miles. There are a bunch of missing photos though in this listing as Larry Shapiro visited the department Monday with limited time and was not able to complete the photography. A few of the apparatus photos represent the units on-scene at fires over the past year or so. The images will be updated with more flattering shots when new photos are submitted. Addison runs Medtec Type I ambulances and E-ONE engines; two of which are on Cyclone chassis and the newest unit has a Spartan Gladiator chassis. They have a Pierce 100′ tower ladder as their frontline piece with an E-ONE tower in reserve.
Interestingly, their E-ONE tower ladder is unique to this area. By far, the best selling tower ladder for E-ONE for many years has been the 95′ rear mount tower. Addison was one of the few departments in the US that took advantage of a newer EONE model in 1993 when they introduced a longer tower ladder with a reach of 105′. The 105′ model in the E-ONE product line was replaced by the HP100 (100′) tower ladder over 10 years later.
Jul 31
There are several newsworthy items to note regarding the Evanston Fire Department.
Jul 22
Schiller Park (Division 20) received a new Impel engine from Pierce in March. From a distance, the Impel and the Velocity appear identical since they use the same cab, but the available features and trim are among items that represent the differences in cost between the two.
The new Pierce Impel 1,500/500/30A engine in Schiller Park. Larry Shapiro photo
Engine 455 features a low hose bed design which has become popular in recent years. This is similar to a design which has been used for many years in New York Cty. Larry Shapiro photo
The pump panel for Engine 455 shows a foam system and color coded gauges. Larry Shapiro photo
Engine 455 spent time yesterday in Bensenville/Chicago while Schiller Park firefighters trained with Chicago and Bensenville firefighters in the buildings being torn down as part of the O’Hare Modernization Project. A large photo gallery plus a video segment of the training evolutions and the apparatus on-hand can be seen HERE.
The engine supplied hand lines for the training evolution. This was built in 2007 and used as a demonstrator for Pierce which explains the absence of chevron striping on the rear. Schiller Park received the unit in March of this year. Larry Shapiro photo
Schiller Park Engine 455 is a 2007 Pierce Impel, shown here training with firefighters from Chicago and Bensenville. Larry Shapiro photo
Jul 20
McHenry Township FPD Station 1 in downtown McHenry is also the headquarters for the fire district. Larry Shapiro photo
The largest fire department in McHenry County Division 5 is the McHenry Township FIre Protection District. With over 150 part-time firefighters running out of four stations, this department responded to 4,369 calls for service in 2009 in a district that is roughly 56 square miles. Their fleet of suppression equipment is 99% Pierce with the one exception being a 1986 S&S tanker running out of Station 2. The newest additions are a pair of twin 2009 Pierce Velocity engines and a 2010 Ford F350/Medtec Type I ambulance. Prior to the purchase of these Velocity units, all McHenry Township engines were on Pierce Lance chassis. They have two squad units; one Pierce Arrow and one Pierce Saber.
Jul 18
There are three stations serving the Woodstock Fire District in Division 5 (McHenry County). They cover over 86 miles with a combination paid and part-time staff. Each station runs an ambulance and there is a 105′ Pierce Arrow XT quint at Station 1. Both of the other stations have a Pierce engine, a tanker, and a brush rig. Station 2 houses two antique units which have not yet been photographed. In addition, Hazmat 5, which serves both Divisions 4 and 5 is housed at Woodstock Station 1.
Woodstock Station 2 on Dean Street is the same basic design as Station except that Station 3 has only two bays. Larry Shapiro photo
Stations 2 and 3 share the same design with one exception; Station 2 has three bays and Station 3 has only two. Both have drive-thru bays.
Station 1 has their own creative decal representing the companies assigned there.
Station 3 also has a unique decal.
The newest units in Woodstock are a 2009 Pierce Arrow XT engine and a matching 105′ RM aerial.
For the finest department portraits and composites contact Tim Olk or Larry Shapiro.
