Archive for June, 2011

CFD site updates

There are many CFD photos waiting to be updated on the site, and as time permits they will all find their place. Several images have been updated now:

  • Dan McInerney submitted a new image of Engine 29‘s house
  • Bill Freidrich updated the photo of High-Rise unit 6-4-16 at Engine 18’s house which was discussed in several earlier comments
Chicago Fire Department High-Rise Unit 6-4-16

This 2007 Ford E-350/Supreme Body unit is the current piece for 6-4-16, the High-Rise Unit. Bill Friedrich photo

  • Bill Friedrich and Hank Sajovic both provided images of 5-2-4, the converted sewer vac that was obtained from Streets & Sanitation last year
Chicago Fire Department RescueVac 5-2-4

On display last week at the Chicago muster was 5-2-4. This was built in 1994 by Vac-Con for the Department of Streets and Sanitation on a Ford L-8000 chassis. Last year it was obtained by the CFD and updated by RescueVac Inc. for emergency trench rescues. Hank Sajovic photo

Chicago Fire Department RescueVac 5-2-4

A rear view showing the tank assembly of 5-2-4 which carries CFD shop #G-575. Hank Sajovic photo

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Crimson update – Crystal Lake engine

Images of the new engine being built for Crystal Lake by Crimson have been updated HERE. The engine is being built on a Spartan chassis with a Metro Star cab and will have a 1,500-GPM pump with 750 gallons of water.

Thanks to Martin Nowak for spotting this.

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Elk Grove Fire Chief to retire

Elk Grove Fire Chief David Miller is retiring July 1st. The Daily Herald published an article chronicling his career on Thursday.

Elk Grove Village officials announced the resignation of Fire Chief David Miller after 38 years of service during Tuesday night’s village board meeting.

Miller, who joined the Elk Grove Fire Department in 1973 as a firefighter/paramedic, rose up the ranks to the top firefighter post in June 2006. His last day with the department is July 1.

Under his leadership, the fire department has been able to maintain a Class 2 ISO rating held by less than 1 percent of fire departments nationwide.

The full Daily Herald article can be found HERE.

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Mt Prospect house fire 6-23-11

Mt Prospect Fire Department house fire 6-23-11 601 N Elmhurst Avenue

Firefighters complete roof ventilation as others inspect the living room after the fire was declared under control. Larry Shapiro photo

In a neighborhood that sustained heavy storm damage and was still without power two nights after a huge storm system brought a tornado through Mt. Prospect, a house fire was reported around 9PM. Neighbors reported smoke coming from the ranch house at 601 N. Elmhurst Avenue, (which is four streets west of Elmhurst Road/Route 83) at the corner of west Highland Street.

Mt Prospect Fire Department house fire 6-23-11 601 N Elmhurst Avenue

Mt Prospect Tower 13, a Pierce Velocity, was setup in front of the house on Highland and provided lighting for the firefighters that were working on the roof. Larry Shapiro photo

Mt Prospect Fire Department house fire 6-23-11 601 N Elmhurst Avenue

Mt Prospect Engine 13 was around the corner on Elmhurst with two lengths of LDH to the hydrant on the opposite corner. Larry Shapiro photo

Mt Prospect Fire Department house fire 6-23-11 601 N Elmhurst Avenue

Companies could have had difficulty getting a secure water supply if they had encountered a hydrant like this one on the next block. Larry Shapiro photo

Initial reports were that a dog was in the house and that the residents were not at home. Engine 14 arrived moments before Tower 13 and found fire venting through windows on the east side of the house. The Code 3 was upgraded to a Code 4 bringing mutual aid companies from Prospect Heights, Arlington Heights, and Des Plaines to the scene in addition to change companies covering the Mt Prospect stations.

Mt Prospect Fire Department house fire 6-23-11 601 N Elmhurst Avenue

Off-duty personnel brought the Mt Prospect Squad to the scene to fill air bottles. Larry Shapiro photo

Mt Prospect Fire Department house fire 6-23-11 601 N Elmhurst Avenue

Fire was blowing out the east side of the house when companies arrived. Larry Shapiro photo

The fire was knocked down in under 15 minutes and the out of town units were released shortly thereafter. Both sides of each street throughout the neighborhood were lined with tree limbs and other storm related debris.

Mt Prospect Fire Department house fire 6-23-11 601 N Elmhurst Avenue

Throughout the entire neighborhood, storm damage was apparent overhead. Larry Shapiro photo

Mt Prospect Fire Department house fire 6-23-11 601 N Elmhurst Avenue

Debris from the storm two nights earlier lined both sides of each street in this neighborhood. Larry Shapiro photo

Mt Prospect Fire Department house fire 6-23-11 601 N Elmhurst Avenue

A large tree lays across a hydrant around the corner from the house fire. The first engine had to keep an eye out for a hydrant that was not obstructed. Larry Shapiro photo

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Arlington Heights firefighters raise money for MDA

The Daily Herald reports that Arlington Heights firefighters:

This year, the fire department MDA effort raised $14,000 for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Last year the effort raised $4,800 and three years ago they reached their previous high water mark of $6,800.

Further, the MDA Summer Camp is being held this week in Ingleside. The camp, which runs one week a year for children over 6, allows the kids to do activities they normally would not be able to do. Some of the Boot Drive money goes toward sending kids to camp.

The complete article can be found HERE.

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Overtime and holiday pay for CFD chiefs in the news

The Chicago Tribune has an article which calls into question the pay for top CFD officials for overtime and holidays which was higher than the savings achieved from unpaid days off that were imposed of ver the last two years.

Holiday and overtime pay for some of the Chicago Fire Department’s top personnel wiped out hundreds of thousands of dollars in savings from making them take unpaid days off work, according to a new report from the city’s top internal watchdog.

As the number of unpaid days off swelled to 24 last year, so too did overtime and holiday pay for dozens of deputy district chiefs, assistant deputy chief paramedics, internal affairs investigators and administrative workers.

Imposing 15 unpaid days in 2009 and 24 the next year saved the city nearly $806,000. But holiday and overtime pay topped $1.1 million during those two years, for a net loss of about $335,000, according to the report by Inspector General Joseph Ferguson.

The complete article can be found HERE.

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Oshkosh purchases Snozzle

A news release from the end of April announced that Oshkosh (parent of Pierce,  Medtec, Frontline Communications and more) purchased Snozzle from Crash Rescue Equipment Services, Inc. There is an announcement HERE and another HERE. Excerpts from both articles include:

Production will be relocated to the Oshkosh Fire & Emergency Campus in Wis. and phased in over the next 6-12 months.

The SNOZZLE apparatus is available with a piercing nozzle that can strategically enter an aircraft’s passenger cabin, cargo compartment or other structure for direct application of firefighting agents. The lightweight, highly flexible extendable turret is able to operate as an elevated water tower through a doorway or over a wing exit without endangering firefighters. The product’s patented ability to shoot a full master stream at ground level allows for quick and effective cooling of burning aircraft tires and hot brakes. In addition, the SNOZZLE will reach down, at or below grade, where it can successfully employ the “seat of the fire” method of attacking a fuel spill fire.

Robert Conley, President of Crash Rescue, stated, “We are very proud to have Oshkosh as the buyer of this critical piece of ARFF technology. Grady North and Bob Relyea were instrumental in developing the market for this product within the ARFF industry and we know they are proud to see it continue with a strong owner like Oshkosh.  We wanted to be a good steward of the Snozzle by finding a great home for it. We decided to do this because we needed to focus our personnel and resources on our core business, which has always been remanufacturing.  Our newly ISO 9001:2008 certified remanufacturing operation provides the total remanufacturing of Airport Rescue Fire Fighting (ARFF) vehicles worldwide.  Our intent is to grow and further concentrate on this critically needed service for military, industrial, and commercial customers. Crash Rescue has been proud to serve our customers, and we are extremely gratified to know that the SNOZZLE® will continue to save lives, property, and keep our fire fighters safe.”

Mostly in use with ARFF units, the Snozzle has until now been available to all manufacturers.

Chicago Fire Department O'Hare Airport Oshkosh ARFF 6-5-5 with Snozzle

Chicago purchased this 1994 Oshkosh T3000 with a Snozzle for service as 6-5-5 at O'Hare. Larry Shapiro photo

Miami International Airport E-ONE Titan 8x8 ARFF with Snozzle

This E-ONE Titan 8x8 went into service at Miami International Airport in 2002. With the recent Oshkosh purchase, the Snozzle will only be available to Oshkosh subsidiaries. Larry Shapiro photo

Chicago Fire Department Midway Airport Oshkosh Striker 3000 ARFF with Snozzle

In 2010, Chicago placed this Oshkosh Striker 3000 with a Snozzle at Midway Airport. Gordon J. Nord, Jr. photo

Over the years since the Snozzle was introduced, several fire departments incorporated the telescoping waterway for structural applications by having one mounted on a custom pumper.

Orange Fire Department CA Seagrave engine with Snozzle

The Orange Fire Department in California has a large fleet of Seagrave apparatus. One of the engines shown here was built in 1994 and incorporated a 50' Snozzle. Larry Shapiro photo

LaGrange Fire Department Kentucky Seagrave engine with Snozzle

Another engine built by Seagrave with a 50' Snozzle was this unit for LaGrange, Kentucky. It was built in 2000 with a 1,500-GPM pump, 700 gallons of water, and 50 gallons of foam divided into one 30-gallon and one 20-gallon cell. Larry Shapiro photo

Marrero-Estelle Fire Department Louisiana E-ONE Cyclone II with Snozzle

The Marrero-Estelle Volunteer Fire Co. No. 1 in southern Louisiana purchased this 2008 E-ONE Cyclone II engine with a 65' Snozzle to complement their full E-ONE fleet. The tip has dual nozzles with a forward looking camera. Larry Shapiro photo

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Beecher FPD updated

The Beecher Fire Department listing in MABAS Division 27 has been updated with additional photos from Dennis McGuire, Jr.

Beecher Fire Department utility

 

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University Park Fire Department is added

University Park Fire Department station

University Park Station 1 at 698 Burnham Drive. Karl Klotz photo

In MABAS Division 27, the University Park Fire Department has been added to the site. This department has almost completed a change to black over red apparatus throughout the fleet. Previously, the rigs were black over white over lime green which was the color scheme used by the department under its’ former name. Prior to 1984, the village and subsequently the fire department was call Park Forest South. As a means to achieve autonomy, the village became University Park in 1984 and the fire department, being a municipal department, changed as well. A well documented department history is available on the fire department website HERE.

University Park Fire Department

The last piece of apparatus in the University Park fleet to carry the old color scheme is Engine 76. Karl Klotz photo

Recently, the department received a new E-ONE tower ladder. They traded three older pieces to the dealer; a Hendrickson/American/LTI tower ladder and two Hendrickson/FMC engines.

Park Forest South Fire Department

In 1980, the Park Forest South Fire Department received this unit for Engine 78. Built on a Hendrickson chassis with an 1871S cab, the body was fabricated by FMC. Larry Shapiro collection

University Park Fire Department Hendrickson FMC engine

University Park Engine 78 as it sits in the dealer's yard after being traded in. Karl Klotz photo

 

Park Forest South Fire Department

University Park recently replaced this 1976 Hendrickson/American Fire/LTI 85' tower ladder which was originally labeled for the Park Forest South Fire Department. Larry Shapiro collection

University Park Hendrickson American LTI

Old Tower 85 is also parked as its' fate is determined. Karl Klotz photo

 

University Park has a mixture of E-ONE and American LaFrance apparatus in addition to a Spartan/FMC/RPI/Pierce engine that formerly belonged to Beecher, IL. Both of the department’s ambulances are Type I units from Medtec on IHC chassis.

University Park Fire Department

Beecher Fire Department engine

Beecher Engine 406 began as a 1984 Spartan/FMC engine with open jump seats. In 1994, it was sent to RPI in Tipton, IN to have the cab enclosed. In 2001, it was rehabbed by Pierce with a new body. Bill Friedrich photo

Beecher Fire Department Spartan FMC Omega pumper

The Beecher Volunteer Fire Department took delivery of this FMC Omega pumper with a top-mount 'membrane' pump panel in 1984 on a Spartan chassis with a 2-dr CFC cab. Larry Shapiro collection

Karl Klotz provided the current department information and images.

 

 

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9/11 steel arriving in Darien and Welcome home for USAF veteran

Dennis McGuire, Jr. was asked to pass along the following information regarding two upcoming events:

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On Thursday, June 23, 2011 as part of the 9/11 Anniversary planning, the Warriors Watch Riders have been asked to escort a 600lb., 10′ section of steel from the NY World Center Twin Towers to our local Darien/Tri-State Fire Protection District for use in a permanent memorial to the victims of 9/11.

This piece of history will be passing through Chi-Town Harley Davidson to be escorted on to Darien, IL.

The staging information is as follows:

  • STAGING TIME: 11:15AM
  • STAGING LOCATION: CHI TOWN HARLEY DAVIDSON
  • STAGING ADDRESS: 17801 SO. LAGRANGE ROAD, TINLEY PARK, IL
  • STEEL ARRIVAL: 11:30-11:55AM
  • RIDE BRIEF: 11:30 AM
  • KSU:12:15
  • RC: TONY MARMO (HOGTONY) 708-473-1371.

FOLLOW THIS LINK FOR FULL INFORMATION REGARDING THIS HISTORICAL EVENT.

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On Friday, June 24th, please be on hand to welcome home TSGT. Robert Head, USAF.

Staging information is as follows:

  • STAGING TIME:5:30 PM
  • STAGING LOCATION:CHI-TOWN H-D
  • STAGING ADDRESS: 17801 SO. LAGRANGE ROAD, TINLEY PARK, IL
  • RIDE BRIEF: 6:15PM
  • KSU: 6:30PM FOR AN ESCORT TO WILLIAM MARTIN VFW, 19852 S. WOLF ROAD, MOKENA, IL.

FOR FULL INFORMATION ABOUT THIS EVEVT, FOLLOW THIS LINK

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