Archive for November, 2010

Glenview Deputy Chief is loaned to Winnetka

Nov 17

Posted by bgshap in Fire Department News | Comments off

Winnetka Fire Chief Scott Smith is retiring at the end of November and it is not until that time that the new village manager for Winnetka will begin his job. One of the duties of the village manager includes hiring a new fire chief. In order to have someone assume the responsibilities of the fire chief during the selection process, Glenview Deputy Chief Ralph Ensign will be the acting chief of Winnetka through the end of January.

For all of the details and information about this arrangement, you can read a full article HERE from the Pioneer Press.

Tags: Glenview Fire Department, Glenview Fire Departyment Deputy Chief Ralph Ensign, Winnetka Fire Chief Scott Smith, Winnetka Fire Department

Tri-State has a new tower ladder

Nov 17

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

The Tri-State FPD, in MABAS Division 10 received a new 100′ tower ladder this year which was built by Smeal. It has a Spartan Chassis with a Gladiator Evolution cab which has trim offered exclusively to Smeal which is called their Sirius cab.

Tri-State FPD Spartan Smeal tower ladder

Tri-State Tower 529 is a 2010 Spartan/Smeal with a 2,000-GPM pump and a 300-gallon water tank. The ladder is 100'. Bill Friedrich photo

Tri-State Fire Protection District apparatus

The Tri-State FPD fleet includes two Pierce engines, the Smeal tower ladder and a Pierce engine with a Sky-Boom aerial device. Bill Friedrich photo

Tags: Bill Friedrich, Evolution, Gladiator, MABAS Division 10, Pierce, Sirius, Sky-Boom, Smeal, Spartan, tower ladder, Tri-State Fire Protection District

Darien-Woodridge has been added to the site

Nov 16

Posted by bgshap in Fire Department News, New Listing, Site News | 1 Comment

In MABAS Division 10, the Darien-Woodridge Fire Protection District has three stations. This is an E-ONE department dating back many years. They currently have an E-ONE quint, three E-ONE engines, and two E-ONE ambulances. This department used to have lime green apparatus with white roofs and has transitioned to replace the green with red over the past several years. There are two vehicles left with the original color scheme.

Their district includes parts of Darien and Woodridge as well as the unincorporated areas of Downers Grove and some of unincorporated Westmont. They are staffed with both full-time and part-time personnel, and in 2009, they ran 2,450 total runs.

Darien-Woodridge Station 1 is also home to the Southwest United FIre Districts Fire Training Academy which has three rigs of their own.

Darien-Woodridge FPD Station 1 houses fire department headquarters and the Southwest United Fire Districts Fire Training Academy. Larry Shapiro photo

Southwest United Districts Fire Training Academy engine 1

Tags: Belmont Fire District, Darien, Darien-Woodridge FPD, Downers Grove, E-ONE, Karl Klotz, Larry Shapiro, MABAS Division 10, Oshkosh, Rosemont, Southwest United Fire Districts Fire Training Academy, Westmont, Woodridge

New Oak Park engines

Nov 15

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

The first of two new HME Ahrens Fox engines received by Oak Park (MABAS Division 11) has been lettered for Engine 602 and is currently having the equipment mounted. Engine 603’s new rig will be lettered soon. These new engines will replace a pair of 2001, HME 1871 Penetrator/Central States engines which are going to an apparatus broker. Until the 2001 units leave, there are currently six rigs in Oak Park with HME chassis. (that would make a nice photograph)

Oak Park Engine 602's new 2010, HME 1871, Ahrens Fox, 1,500-GPM engine has a 500-gallon water tank in addition to two, 30-gallon foam tanks. Larry Shapiro photo

Engine 603 will be lettered now that the lettering has been completed on Engine 602. This is how the engine cam from HME. Larry Shapiro photo

Tags: Ahrens Fox, Central States, HME, HME 1871, HME 1871 Penetrator, Larry Shapiro, MABAS Division 11, Oak Park

Gurnee MVA on Rt 120

Nov 15

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

Jeff Rudolph sent these images from an MVA this morning with this description:

Gurnee 1321 and 1342 responded to a morning MVA caused by black ice on RT. 120 at a railroad overpass in Park City. Three vehicles were involved; two sustained heavy damage. Extrication was required by Engine 1321. Waukegan and North Chicago ambulances where requested for a total of three ambulances transporting to Condell and Vista East.

North Chicago Ambulance 1546 on-scene at an early morning multiple vehicle accident in Park City was one of three units that transported patients. Jeff Rudolph photo

One of three vehicles involved in an MVA on Route 120 in Park City. Jeff Rudolph photo

Gurnee Engine 1321 on the scene of an MVA on Route 120 in Park City that involved three vehicles. Jeff Rudolph photo

Gurnee Fire Department Engine 1321 at MVA

Firefighters used tools from Gurnee Engine 1321 to free at least one victim that was trapped in a vehicle as the result of a collision this morning on Route 120 in Park City. Jeff Rudolph photo

Tags: ambulance, E-ONE, extrication, Gurnee, Jeff Rudolph, MVA, North Chicago, Waukegan

Site updates

Nov 15

Posted by bgshap in Fire Department News, Site News, updated listing | Comments off

Several updates have been made to existing fire department listings on the site:

The Manhattan FPD, in Division 19, now has images of Brush 1218, Engine 1221, and Ambulance 1224 (from Karl Klotz & Bill Friedrich)
Carol Stream Station 3, in Division 12, has new images of Ambulance 230 and Rescue 235 (from Bill Friedrich)
Naperville Station 4, in Division 16, has an image of the new Crimson engine (from Bill Friedrich)
Homewood, in Division 24, has been completed now with images of the shift commander unit, the utility, the ambulance and the memorial decal for FF Brian Carey (from Karl Klotz)

Tags: Bill Friedrich, Carol Stream FD, Crimson, Homewood FD, Karl Klotz, MABAS Division 12, MABAS Division 16, MABAS Division 19, MABAS Division 24, Manhattan FPD, Naperville FD

Lakewood to disband fire department

Nov 14

Posted by bgshap in Fire Department News, Fire Service News | Comments off

The Village of Lakewood, in McHenry County, created a new fire department four years ago. Prior to that, they had contracted for many years with Crystal Lake for fire protection. They are currently looking into an intergovernmental agreement with the Woodstock Fire Rescue District to provide these services beginning the first of next year. An article in the Northwest Herald can be seen HERE.

Thanks to Bill Friedrich for bringing this to our attention.

Lakewood Engine 1041 came from Tallman, NY. It was origiinally a 1977 Hahn 1500/1000 that was refurbished by Pierce in 1991 with a new Pierce Arrow cab. Larry Shapiro photo

Lakewood Engine 1042 is a 1987 Pierce Arrow 1500/500 which was formerly owned by Arlington Heights, IL. Larry Shapiro photo

This is Lakewood Brush 1061 which is built around a Ford F350 -pickup. Larry Shapiro photo

Tags: Arlington Heights, Bill Friedrich, Crystal Lake, Hahn, Lakewood Fire Department, Larry Shapiro, MABAS Division 5, Mchenry County, Northwest Herald, Pierce Arrow, Tallman NY, Woodstock Fire Rescue District

Box Alarm in Glenview

Nov 14

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

At the Glenview Box Alarm last week which occurred at a park district storage facility, Steve Redick made his way around the scene and documented the engines that were pumping.

Wilmette Fire Department engine 27 E-ONE

Wilmette Engine 27 was due on the box and laid a supply line to Glenview Truck 14. Wilmette has two stations. One runs an engine and houses the spare engine, while the other station (26) runs a tower ladder and has a spare tower ladder. Steve Redick photo

Glenview Fire Department Pierce Enforcer engine

Glenview Engine 7 was on a hydrant supplying Engine 6. This is a 2006 Pierce Enforcer. Steve Redick photo

Glenview Fire Department Pierce Arrow XT engine

Engine 8 is Glenview's newest. It is a 2009 Pierce Arrow XT rescue pumper with deeper compartments than their other units. Steve Redick photo

Glenview Fire Department Pierce Lance engine

Engine 13 is the oldest frontline engine in Glenview. This is a 1990 Pierce Lance unit which is slated to be replaced next year with a Pierce Arrow XT model similar to Engine 8. Steve Redick photo

Glenview has Pierce apparatus utilizing four different chassis styles; the Enforcer, Lance, Arrow XT, and Dash.

Tags: Arrow XT, Box Alarm, Dash, E-ONE, Enforcer, Glenview, Lance, Pierce, Steve Redick, Wilmette

Schiller Park fire scene

Nov 13

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

Steve Redick submitted several images from a fire in Schiller Park which occurred at 25th and Lawrence during the last week of October.

Schiller Park's newest engine is this Pierce Impel unit that was built in 2007. Steve Redick photo

Schiller Park's Pierce tower ladder is at work in sector one. Steve Redick photo

Schiller Park Fire Franklin Park Seagrave truck

Franklin Park's Seagrave truck was also in sector one. This truck was designed with a booster reel and a 300-gallon booster tank, similar to the design of trucks for the Detroit Fire Department. Steve Redick photo

Tags: Dash, Detroit Fire Department, Fire, Franklin Park, house fire, Impel, Pierce, Schiller Park, Seagrave, Steve Redick, tower ladder

Recent deliveries

Nov 12

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

Bill Friedrich has submitted photos of four recent deliveries to departments in Divisions 12, 13, and 19. It’s interesting to note that the first three of these new units are all painted black over red. Wheaton has had this color scheme for many years. St. Charles’ apparatus used to be white over lime green and they changed to black over red several years ago. Oak Brook Terrace has been white over red for many years, changing to black over red with this new engine.

Wheaton Fire Department Pierce Impel pumper PCU

Wheaton took delivery of this 2010 Pierce Impel PUC (sn 23210). Engine 431 has a 1,500-GPM pump and carries 750 gallons of water. Bill Friedrich photo

Oak Brook Terrace FPD Spartan Marion engine

The new engine in Oak Brook Terrace was built by Marion on a Spartan chassis with a Gladiator Classic MFDR cab. This has a 1,500-GPM pump with a 1,000-gallon water tank. It is the first rig in Oak Brook Terrace with a black cab roof, breaking tradition with the white roofs that they've had for many years. Bill Friedrich photo

More detail about the Spartan/Marion in Oak Brook Terrace

The engineer's compartment is nicely designed for easy access to each item. Larry Shapiro photo

The rear of Engine 311 shows a low hose bed design with NFPA mandated secure webbing. Larry Shapiro photo

Another view of Engine 311 showing the rear and the officer's side with the hydraulic ladder rack. Larry Shapiro photo

The curbside includes hydraulic tools for vehicle extrications. Larry Shapiro photo

St Charles Fire Department Pierce Arrow XT 100' quint

Truck 101 in St. Charles is running with this 2010 Pierce Arrow quint. It has a 1,500-GPM pump and a 500-gallon water tank. The 100' aerial is made of aluminum. Bill Friedrich photo

Manhattan FPD Spartan Gladiator Alexis engine

This is the new engine in Manhattan. It was built by Alexis on a Spartan chassis with a Gladiator Classic cab. Engine 1221 has a 1,500-GPM pump and a 750-gallon water tank. Bill Freidrich photo

Tags: aluminum ladder, Bill Friedrich, Impel, Larry Shapiro, low cross lays, low hose bed, MABAS Division 12, MABAS Division 13, MABAS Division 19, Marion, Oak Brook Terrace, Pierce, Pierce Arrow XT, Spartan Gladiator Classic, St. Charles, Wheaton