Archive for October, 2010

Action image submission

Oct 31

Posted by bgshap in Apparatus on-scene, Reader submission | Comments off

Drew Gresik has again sent some images from a recent MVA that was responed to by both Riverside and North Riverside companies.

A few weeks back, there was a 3 car collision on Des Plaines Avenue between Riverside and North Riverside. It was in the middle of morning rush hour and caused quite a backup. On scene were both the Fire and Police Departments of North Riverside and Riverside. Engine 1621 of Riverside Fire/Rescue as well as Engine 807 from North Riverside Fire Department responded, as did both town's primary ambulances. Many police units were on scene to help with the flow of traffic.

Riverside Fire Department Engine 1623 E-ONE Cyclone

Riverside Engine 1621 leaving the scene. Drew Greski photo

Tags: ambulance, Drew Gresik, North Riverside, Riverside

Gurnee ambulance

Oct 30

Posted by bgshap in Fire Department News, New Apparatus Order | Comments off

The Gurnee Fire Department in Division 4 (Lake County) has ordered a new ambulance. They are expecting delivery of a 2010, IHC 4300/Wheeled Coach, Type I unit in December. This will replace their Ambulance 1343 which is a 1998, IHC 4700 LoProfile, Road Rescue Type I unit.

Tags: Division 4, Gurnee, IHC 4300, IHC 4700, Lake County, Road Rescue, Wheeled Coach

Carol Stream is on the site

Oct 29

Posted by bgshap in Fire Department News, New Listing, Patch | Comments off

In Dupage County (Division 12), the Carol Stream Fire District has three stations. They staff one engine company, one two-piece squad company, one tower ladder, three ambulances, plus a battalion chief. Their apparatus consists of two E-ONE engines, an E-ONE tower ladder, an Alexis engine, plus an Alexis heavy rescue. All of the ambulances are from Life Line on various IHC chassis.

The headquarters station has four drive-through bays, the administrative offices, and a complete training facility which includes a burn tower. This station staffs a battalion car, an ambulance, and a tower ladder quint. It is home to a spare ambulance, an OEM Mobile Command Unit, a spare engine, and two antiques in addition to FPB and other staff vehicles.

Carol Stream Fire District headquarters station and training facility

Carol Stream Station 1 at 35 N. Kuhn Road, has the administrative offices and an extensive training facility complete with a burn tower. Larry Shapiro photo

Keeneyville Fire Protection District 1947 Ford Darley antique pumper

The Carol Stream Fire District web site has a nice history of the department which tells the story of the Keeneyville Fire Protection District and the Carol Stream Company. The fire apparatus for many years was painted black over yellow until 1996 when the yellow was changed to red.

At Station 3 which is located at 1045 Lies Road, Carol Stream runs a two-piece squad company. These units always respond together. The first piece of the company is the squad 235, a 2006 Spartan Gladiator Classic/Alexis 1500/750 pumper squad. The second piece is rescue 235, their brand new 2010 Spartan Metro Star Alexis HDR. The ‘squad’ has a complete complement of hydraulic rescue tools and the ‘rescue’ has supplemental equipment, and air cascade system, and is more of a specialty unit with extensive TRT materials and supplies.

Carol Stream Fire District 2010 Spartan Metro Star Alexis technical rescue unit

Rescue 235 is the 2nd piece of the squad company. It was built by Alexis on a Spartan chassis with a stubby, 2-dr, Metro Star cab. Larry SHapiro photo

Both sides of the rescue are packed solid with technical rescue equipment. The hydraulic rescue tools for auto extrications are located on Squad 235 which is the 1st piece of this company. Larry Shapiro photo

The rear door of the rescue is designed like a rear ramp on a trailer to permit access to the large lumber stored down the center of the unit. Roof access to reach the top storage compartments is via the folding ladder at the rear. Larry Shapiro photo

Tags: Alexis, antique, Carol Stream, Darley, Division 12, Dupage County, E-ONE, EONE, Ford, IHC, Keeneyville, Life Line, Metro Star, patch, Shapiro, Spartan, technical rescue

Homewood has been added to the site

Oct 28

Posted by bgshap in Fire Department News, New Listing, Site News | Comments off

In Division 24, the Homewood Fire Department has been added to the site. They cover 5 square miles with a combination of career and part-time personnel. Their apparatus is from Pierce, Smeal, Crimson, and 3D. An interesting aspect of their fleet is the number of different chassis manufacturers that are represented in their station. The Pierce utilizes a Lance chassis, and they also have one cab and chassis from HME, Spartan, and Pemfab. They have two ambulances in their station plus a reserve ambulance which they share with Flossmoor and Hazel Crest. This unit is housed in the Hazel Crest station. All images were submitted by Karl Klotz.

Homewood Fire Department Pierce Lance aerial

Homewood Truck 550 was delivered in 1987 with an open rear jump seat and lettering for both Homewood and Flossmoor. Larry Shapiro collection

This week, they sold their 1982 Mack MR engine to Ford Heights, and in March of next year, they are expecting delivery of a new aerial from Pierce.

Homewood Engine 536, built in 1982 on a Mack MR chassis was recently sold to Ford Heights. Karl Klotz photo

Tags: 3D, Crimson, Flossmoor, Ford Heights, Hazel Crest, HME, Homewood, Klotz, Lance, Mack MR, Pemfab, Pierce, Smeal, Spartan

Manhattan new units

Oct 28

Posted by bgshap in Fire Department News, New Delivery | 2 Comments

The Manhattan Fire Protection District in Will County has received several new vehicles. Last year they took delivery of a 2009 Spartan Gladiator heavy rescue unit from SVI (Super Vac) Trucks in Loveland, Co.

This year they have received a 2010, IHC 4300 Type I MICU from Horton which is assigned as Ambulance 1224 at their Station 2. This replaces a 2002, IHC 4300 Type I MICU from Road Rescue which has been moved to Station 1 and renumbered as Ambulance 1215.

The newest delivery for Manhattan is a 2010, Spartan Gladiator Classic/Alexis engine with a 1,500-GPM pump and a 750-gallon water tank.

Manhattan FPD Engine 1221 is a 2010 Spartan Gladiator Classic/Alexis 1500/750. Manhattan FPD photo

The Manhattan FPD will be added to the site within the next few days. Karl Klotz has submitted images for all of the apparatus with the exception of the two new 2010 vehicles which he hopes to photograph in the next week or so.

Tags: Alexis, Gladiator Classic, Horton, IHC, Klotz, Manhattan, Road Rescue, Spartan, Super Vac, SVI, Will County

First fire for Buffalo Grove tower

Oct 27

Posted by bgshap in Apparatus on-scene, Fire, Fire Department News | Comments off

In honor of breast cancer awareness month, Buffalo Grove firefighters join other fire departments around the country by wearing pink. Larry Shapiro

At the height of the morning storm yesterday and within a ½ hour of shift change, four calls for service came into Northwest Central Dispatch for the Buffalo Grove Fire Department within minutes of each other. There were two ambulance calls, a reported transformer fire with extension to a shed, and a working fire in a townhouse. As companies scrambled to each call, the transformer fire was just that and had not extended to the shed, but smoke met firefighters on arrival at a center unit in a four-unit townhouse. The fire was upgraded immediately and companies that were already en-route to the shed fire were rerouted providing quick back-up to first-due units.

Buffalo Grove’s 2010 Ferrara Inferno tower ladder was the first fire suppression unit on the scene and was deployed for the first time at a Buffalo Grove fire.

Buffalo Grove Fire Department 2010 Ferrara Inferno tower ladder townhouse fire

Tower Ladder 25 (235) is deployed at a townhouse fire at 161 Old Oak Court E during the storm on Tuesday morning. Larry Shapiro photo

Buffalo Grove townhouse fire at 161 Old Oak Court E

The storm did not let up during fire fighting operations Tuesday morning as high winds knocked out power to thousands of homes and businesses. Larry Shapiro photo

More images from this fire can be seen HERE.

Tags: BGFD, Breast Cancer Awareness, Buffalo Grove, Ferrara, Inferno, Northwest Central Dispatch, Shapiro, storm, storm damage, townhouse fire

Knollwood engine on-scene

Oct 27

Posted by bgshap in Apparatus on-scene, Reader submission | Comments off

Jeff Rudolph answers our call for on-scene apparatus images with a few shots of Knollwood Engine 44 responding to storm related downed wires.

Knollwood Engine 44 standing by at a 'wires-down' call awaiting the arrival of the power company. Jeff Rudolph photo

Knollwood E44 at the scene of energized power lines down on a wood fence and shed. Address of 1012 Safford Av. Crews were forced to wait until Com Ed killed the power. Jeff Rudolph photo

Knollwood Engine 44 is a 2007 E-ONE Typhoon with a 2000-GPM pump and a 1,000-gallon water tank. Jeff Rudolph photo

Tags: downed power lines, E-ONE, EONE, Knollwood, on-scene, Rudolph, storm damage, storm related, Typhoon

CFD staffing reduction proposal cut down

Oct 27

Posted by bgshap in Fire Department News | Comments off

Firegeezer has a posting HERE about a proposal by the Chicago Inspector General to reduce CFD company staffing.

Tags: CFD, Chicago, Chicago Inspector General, Firegeezer

Beach Park Fire Department is on the site

Oct 27

Posted by bgshap in Fire Department News, New Fire Station, New Listing | Comments off

Beach Park Fire Protection District decal

Another Lake County, MABAS Division 4 department has been added to the site. Formerly known as the Bonnie Brook Fire Protection District, The Beach Park Fire Department covers roughly 14 square miles in northeast Lake County which includes unincorporated areas of the county as well as Beach Park. They do not though currently provide coverage for the entire town of Beach Park as the Winthrop Harbor Fire Department has responsibility for a portion of the town.

According to the Beach Park Village Link Newsletter in the winter of 2003:

The New Beach Park Fire Department

In the last months of 2002, there were plenty of positive changes in the fire protection services for our village. Formerly known as the “Bonnie Brook Fire Protection District”, the name was officially changed to the “Beach Park Fire Department” (BPFD) last November to better define the department’s capabilities and service areas.

Beach Park has a mixture of apparatus in the fleet including Alexis, Pierce, Seagrave, Medtec, and Osage. The newest rig is Engine 1222 which is a 2008 Seagrave Maurauder II engine. Currently, Beach Park Engine 1212, a 2002 HME/Alexis engine is undergoing work at Alexis Fire Apparatus.

Beach Park Fire Protection District Seagrave Maurauder II engine

Beach Park Fire Protection District Pierce Saber engine

Bonnie Brook Fire Protection District Pierce Saber pumper

Engine 1211 prior to the creation of the Beach Park FD was lettered for the Bonnie Brook FPD. Larry Shapiro photo

Bonnie Brook Fire Protection District Pierce Saber engine

Bonnie Brook FPD Engine 1211 shortly after being delivered by Pierce in 1993. Larry Shapiro collection

In recent Beach Park FD news, they have opened a second station at 13110 W. Major Avenue in Beach Park. This interesting station originated as an existing house with an attached garage. The garage was modified as a lobby and office area and a two-bay addition was then added for the apparatus. At the present time, this station has a crew of two or three which are a jump company, staffing either the engine or ambulance based on the nature of a request for service.

Beach Park Fire Protection District Station 2

Beach Park Station 2 at 13110 W. Major Avenue opened in April of 2010. Larry Shapiro photo

Beach Park Fire Protect District Station 2

Beach Park Fire Department Station 2

Tags: Alexis, Beach Park, Bonnie Brook, decal, HME, Lake County, MABAS Division 4, Maurauder II, MedTec, new station, Osage, Pierce, Saber, Seagrave, Winthrop Harbor

MABAS Division 7 is added to the site

Oct 26

Posted by bgshap in Fire Department News, New Listing, Site News | Comments off

Just when we thought we had a large enough project to undertake … listing each department, each station and every piece of rolling stock in 19 MABAS Divisions … Karl Klotz begins submitting department profiles from a 20th Division, MABAS Division 7 in Kankakee County!

So, we welcome the departments of Division 7 and have posted three of them to get things started.

The Grant Park Fire Protection District covers 62 square miles from two stations with 32 paid-on-call firefighters and officers. They have three E-ONE rigs, an engine from American LaFrance, plus ambulances from Horton and Road Rescue. They recently opened a new headquarters station which we mentioned HERE.

Grant Park Fire Department American LaFrance Eagle engine

The Limestone Township Fire Protection District covers a mere 36 square miles from one station with 40 part-time firefighters and officers. They are running with Pierce, Quality, and Ferrara apparatus and Road Rescue ambulances. Their newest piece is a Ferrara Inferno pumper squad that was mentioned HERE.The Limestone Township Fire Protection District station houses two ambulances, two engines, a pumper squad, a tanker, a brush unit and a pickup. Karl Klotz photo

In Momence, the fire department covers a whopping 92 square miles with a roster of 35 paid-on-call personnel from one station. They have three engines, a brush rig, two tankers, and a rescue squad. The apparatus was built by E-ONE, Pierce, and 4-Guys, plus one tanker that was built in 1964 by W.S.Darley and re-chassisied in 1989 on a Ford C8000 by Quality Manufacturing. Quality was purchased in 2003 by Spartan and now (with what was Luverne Fire Apparatus) have become what is known as Crimson.