Production photos of the new engine being built by Smeal for Winnetka
Winnetka FD photo
Winnetka FD photo
Winnetka FD photo
Final chassis inspection photos at Spartan
Winnetka FD photo
Winnetka FD photo
Winnetka FD photo
Winnetka FD photo
thanks Alan
Excerpts from the ChicagoTribune.com:
A 68-year old construction worker was killed on Wednesday while working with a crew building a house in the 300 block of Linden Street in Winnetka. Fire Chief Alan Berkowsky said the incident took place about 11:50 a.m., when the man fell roughly 12 feet and hit a beam while he was working on the base of the foundation of the home.
“The construction worker was seriously injured when the beam hit him,” Berkowsky said.
The man had to be extricated from the injury site, according to a statement from the Winnetka Fire Department and the man was then taken to Evanston Hospital. Marc Hornstein, shift commander with the Winnetka Police Department, said the man died a short time later.
Three local photographers are among the contributors to the Fire Trucks in Action 2016 calendar. Eric Haak, John Tulipano, and Larry Shapiro have images in the new calendar representing local shots showing Chicago, Winnetka, Schiller Park, Hometown, and Northbrook fire scenes plus Detroit.
Fire Trucks in Action 2016 Calendar
Fire Trucks in Action 2016 Calendar
Attention Readers:
The Winnetka Fire Department is looking for a nice antique fire engine that could be included in our 4th of July Parade.
Alan J. Berkowsky, Fire Chief, Winnetka Fire Department
Video by Larry Shapiro from the fire in Glencoe (4/30/15)
Glencoe was called to the construction site at 328 Tudor Court for a fire on the roof. Several pallets of styrofoam were burning which produced an impressive header with a good amount of smoke. Northfield and Winnetka had ladders to the roof with hand lines. Glencoe and Northfield were on hydrants. Wilmette dropped hose and made a hydrant but did not end up supplying water.
Highwood and Highland Park were also at the scene. One construction worker was transported by Glenview Ambulance 6 to Highland Park Hospital.
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
Larry Shapiro photo
Dec 12
The Chicago Tribune has this article:
The Winnetka Village Council on Tuesday unanimously approved the purchase of a $568,722 fire engine, and an appreciative local resident stepped up and offered to pay for the new vehicle’s bell.
Winnetka Fire Chief Alan Berkowsky said the purchase of a 2015 pumper fire engine from the village’s sole bidder, Smeal Fire Apparatus Company, is needed to maintain a reliable fleet, as the fire department is retiring a fire engine purchased in 1996.
The village will save roughly $17,000 by using Smeal’s pre-payment option, Berkowsky said, and the fire engine’s price is also less than the $615,000 the fire department had budgeted for the purchase.
The new fire engine will be rotated with a fire engine the department purchased in 2000, while officials hope to sell the 1996 vehicle for roughly $30,000, Berkowsky said.
Stepping up following the council’s unanimous approval of the purchase of the fire engine, Winnetka resident John Roberts expressed his gratitude to the fire department, which he said recently assisted his family during an emergency at their home. “I’d like to provide a bell in honor of the Winnetka firefighters from the past present and future,” Roberts said. “We had an occasion for the fire department to visit, and they were overwhelmingly professional and courteous, and showed kindness and empathy,” said Roberts, who did not specify the amount of his donation, nor the cost of the fire bell.
The Chicago Tribune has an article about a sprinkler initiative in Winnetka:
A proposed ordinance that would require commercial buildings in Winnetka to have fire sprinklers in the coming years is getting mixed reviews from local business leaders. Those in support of the plan say it’s a life safety issue, but opponents call it an unfunded mandate.
Winnetka Fire Chief Alan Berkowsky said officials mailed surveys over the summer to roughly 500 local business owners and landlords to gauge opinions of the proposed ordinance, which is slated to be discussed at the Nov. 11 village council meeting.
“The village’s downtown business district is in a rather unique situation because there is little or no separation between buildings,” Berkowsky said. “With no separation, the potential for the fire spreading is great,” Berkowsky added, noting a fire in February at a storefront restaurant in a historic building in downtown Mount Prospect, which quickly spread to adjacent businesses.
Some members of the village’s Business Community Development Commission also recently expressed their support for the proposed fire sprinkler ordinance.
Berkowsky said since the 1977 ordinance went into effect, many businesses have already installed fire sprinklers, including roughly 64 percent of those located in the village’s West Elm business district.
But landlord Glenn Weaver, who owns a 3,600 square-foot building in downtown Winnetka in the 500 block of Lincoln Avenue, said the change of use prompting the installation of fire sprinklers has already made it prohibitive for him to find tenants. “Because of the change of use ordinance requiring the installation of fire sprinklers, I’ve had space that has remained vacant for five years,” said Weaver, who said because a previous tenant’s business was considered a professional use, prospective retail businesses would have to install fire sprinklers. “These are scare tactics by the fire chief, who is suggesting that without fire sprinklers, the whole North Shore will blow up in a big fire,” said Weaver, who estimates he has already paid nearly $40,000 to install fire alarms and smoke detectors in his building.
Weaver also said he never received the fire department’s recent survey and questioned the distribution methods.
Berkowsky said officials attempted to mail the fire sprinkler ordinance survey to all the commercial businesses in town, and Winnetka business owners as well as landlords like Weaver also had the opportunity to express their opinions by taking an online survey.
More images by Tim Olk of Wnnetka’s Box Alarm at 558 Willow Road 10-4-14.
Tim Olk photo
Tim Olk photo
Tim Olk photo
Tim Olk photo
Tim Olk photo
Tim Olk photo
Tim Olk photo
Tim Olk photo
The Winnetka Fire Department had a house fire this morning at 558 Willow Road. As of 9AM the alarm had been upgraded to a Box Alarm. Tim Olk submitted some quick images from the scene … there will be more to follow.
Tim Olk photo
Tim Olk photo
Tim Olk photo
Tim Olk photo
Tim Olk photo
For the finest department portraits and composites contact Tim Olk or Larry Shapiro.
