Dec 29
Wauconda Fire District Deputy Chief Ed Dagdick retired Friday evening after 38 years with the department.
Tim Olk photo
Tim Olk photo
Tim Olk photo
Tim Olk photo
During Ed’s speech he talked about how he met his wife 22 years ago. He came into the hospital doing CPR on an infant and handed her the baby in the ER. Last night for the first time, Ed met that same person, now 22-years-old.
Tim Olk photo
Excerpts from Chicago.cbslocal.com:
A massive fire in Tower Lakes proved to be difficult to fight, when firefighters couldn’t access water in the area. One person was injured in the blaze, and a dog was missing.
The fire started shortly after 9 p.m. at a home in the 100 block of South Hills Drive. Wauconda Fire District officials said the area does not have hydrants, which slowed firefighting until more trucks arrived to provide extra water. Crews from 23 other fire departments helped fight the fire.
The people who live in the home escaped with all but one of their dogs, who was missing. One person who lives in the home was taken to the hospital for minor injuries.
The blaze caused about $250,000 in damage. The cause is under investigation.
Nov 22
Excerpts from there DailyHerald.com:
Wauconda Fire District Chief Mike Wahl is retiring after nearly 34 years with the department. He is stepping down effective Jan. 1, though a traditional walkout ceremony is planned for Dec. 15, his last day on the job.
He joined the department as a firefighter-paramedic in May 1984 and rose through the ranks. He’s been fire chief since 2015. Wahl also has served as Wauconda’s emergency management agency director, and he’s served on Illinois’ emergency services management and incident management teams, among other responsibilities.
The fire district board has selected David Geary, the agency’s business manager, to succeed Wahl. He joined the district in 1978 as a firefighter-paramedic and stayed on staff until 1990. He returned to the district in 2012 as business manager, a post with financial and administrative duties. Geary will be sworn in as the new chief Dec. 21.
Oct 24
Excerpts from the DailyHerald.com:
A neighbor reported the fire at 12:45 p.m. Saturday on the 5000 block of Little Drive in unincorporated McHenry County, according to a news release from the Wauconda Fire District.
When firefighters arrived, there was visible, heavy smoke coming from the attic. No one was inside the home when the fire started. A dog in the house escaped without injuries and is staying with a neighbor..
The fire was out in 15 minutes and caused about $50,000 in damage, rendering the home uninhabitable.
Excerpts from the DailyHerald.com:
A group of Wauconda firefighters responded to a supermarket cashier’s generosity this week by donating money to a Hurricane Harvey relief effort.
Lt. Joe Studer and two other firefighters from Wauconda Fire District station No. 2 were about to pay for groceries Wednesday morning when they were dispatched to a call.
Before abandoning their purchase at the register, they asked the cashier to ring up the groceries and promised to return to pay.
Calls during shopping happen occasionally, Studer said, and the firefighters always return for their goods, but this time, the cashier personally paid the bill, which came to nearly $50.
Firefighters traditionally pay for their own meals when on shift. Instead of pocketing the $50 they would have spent on food, they donated the money to the American Red Cross to help victims of Hurricane Harvey.
Wauconda firefighters and police officers stood at the intersection of Main Street and Route 176 on Friday to collect donations for the Red Cross, too.
Aug 13
Excerpts from the NWherald.com:
A high-speed police chase Wednesday morning ended in a fiery crash in front of the museum, 27582 Volo Village Road, Wauconda Police Chief David Wermes said.
A 22-year-old man from Wauconda was spotted by Wauconda police about 10:30 a.m. driving north on Route 12 at 84 mph. When police pursued the car, the driver sped up. A Wheeling police officer spotted the car driving about 100 mph.
The driver failed to navigate the intersection at Fox Lake and Volo Village roads, and crashed into a pole outside the auto museum.
When police caught up and took the driver from his car, a red 2014 Dodge Challenger, it caught on fire.
Wauconda Fire Lt. Dan Frey said firefighters responded to the crash and found a subject sitting on the side of the road with police. The man was taken to a local hospital with injuries that were not considered life-threatening. Firefighters extinguished the car fire without any injuries.
short video by Larry Shapiro from the 2-Alarm fire in Lake Zurich, 5-20-17 (Wauconda Fire District)
Wauconda firefighters were called for a house fire at 25860 Old McHenry Court in an unincorporated area of Lake Zurich Saturday night. Upon arrival of the first units, they reported a fully involved vacant house. The alarm was upgraded to a MABAS Box Alarm to the 2nd level for tenders (tankers) since there were no hydrants in the area.
Wauconda Tanker 341 was setup to nurse Squad 341 as lines were advanced on the house. As mutual aid companies arrived, portable tanks were dropped at the end of the street with a supply line from a Lake Zurich engine as the tanker shuttle was initiated.
Larry Shapiro photo
Larry Shapiro photo
Larry Shapiro photo
Larry Shapiro photo
Larry Shapiro photo
Larry Shapiro photo
Larry Shapiro photo
Larry Shapiro photo
Larry Shapiro photo
Larry Shapiro photo
more photos at Shapirophotography.net
Jan 12
Excerpts from the DailyHerald.com:
Micah Austin, 43, of San Tan Valley, Arizona, died while riding in the Salt River Canyon. Gila County sheriff’s police believe he got off his BMW motorcycle, slipped and fell 425 feet to his death.
His body was found by a drone in the canyon Jan. 2, a day after the motorcycle was discovered abandoned alongside a road, the Gila County sheriff’s office said.
A Texas native who later moved to Wauconda, Austin graduated from Wauconda High School in 1991. He worked for the Wauconda Fire Protection District between 1993 and 2000.
Austin moved to Arizona more than a year ago and had been working as a virtual design and construction engineer.
Visitation is scheduled for 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Kisselburg-Wauconda Funeral Home, 235 N. Main St. A private family gathering will follow.
Survivors include Austin’s wife, his parents, three sisters and a grandmother.
Instead of flowers, contributions may be made in Austin’s memory to the Backcountry Discovery Routes by calling (206) 383-6233 or visiting backcountrydiscoveryroutes.com.
thanks Dan
Excerpts from the ChicagoTribune.com:
An Island Lake woman was pronounced dead early Monday after being pulled by Wauconda Fire District personnel from a house fire in the 200 block of South Shore Drive.
According to a Wauconda Fire District news release, crews responded around 3:30 a.m. to an initial report of a tree on fire behind the home, located north of Route 176 and Roberts Road. Island Lake police reportedly arrived first to find heavy fire through the roof of the single-story home and the call was upgraded to a structure fire.
The release stated that a search of the structure was initiated and the crew encountered heavy smoke to the floor in the home. “During the primary search, a female victim was found and removed from the home,” the release stated. “Lifesaving procedures were initiated. The victim was transferred to the EMS crew on the scene, but the efforts were unsuccessful.”
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