Archive for June, 2011

Airport fire training

Jun 17

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

Prospect Heights Fire Department Crash Truck 39. Photo by Larry Shapiro

Prospect Heights and Wheeling firefighters went to O’Hare Airport on Thursday to train with the aircraft props. Both fire departments share responsibility for the firefighting operations at the Chicago Executive Airport (formerly Palwaukee Airport) which resides in both their districts. Both Wheeling Crash Truck 23 and Prospect Height Crash Truck 39 were taken to the airport. Firefighters practiced with handlines for engine fires, brake fires, and full-scale aircraft fires. Then they deployed both ARFF units to attack a simulated crash.

Chicago Fire Department O'Hare firefighting

CFD ARFF 657R is deployed by firefighters from Champaign. Larry Shapiro photo

Firefighters from Champaign were also at the training site today and did three evolutions using 657R, a CFD reserve Oshkosh T-3000.

Larry Shapiro was invited to the training and took several hundred photos in addition to a video.

Crash Truck 39 attacks the pit fire. Larry Shapiro Photo

Wheeling Crash Truck 23 moves in to knock down the pit fire. Larry Shapiro photo

Wheeling firefighters advance a hand line. Larry Shapiro photo

Prospect Heights firefighters work on an engine fire alongside brakes that are burning. Larry Shapiro photo

Larry has a gallery with over 250 images HERE.

Tags: ARFF training, CFD O'Hare Airport firefighting, Champaign Fire Department airport firefighting, Chicago Executive Airport, E-ONE Titan, Larry Shapiro, Oshkosh, Palwaukee Airport, Prospect Heights Fire Department, Wheeling Fire Department

Looking back at another area rig

Jun 16

Posted by bgshap in Fire Department History, Fire Department News, Fire Service News | 2 Comments

Firegeezer.com has again posted a Chicago area rig in his section called ‘Looking Back.’ This time, he’s posted an ad for W.S. Darley & Company that was printed in the April issue of Fire Engineering from 1972. In the ad, there’s a traditional Darley delivery photo of a squad from Itasca.

WS Darley ad from Fire Engineering magazine April 1972

Itasca Fire Protection District 1972 Chevy Darley squad

The unit featured in the ad as photographed some years later. Larry Shapiro collection

The Itasca squad featured in the 1972 Darley ad was re-numbered to Squad 8 and had updated emergency lighting added sometime prior to this photo being taken by Larry Shapiro

Tags: antique fire apparatus, Fire Engineering Magazine, Firegeezer.com, Itasca Fire Department, Larry Shapiro, W.S. Darley

New brush rig in Long Grove

Jun 16

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

Long Grove Fire Protection District Alexis brush rig

Long Grove Brush 55 prior to delivery from Alexis Fire Apparatus ... equipped with a snow plow. Alexis photo

We recently posted the new Long Grove/Alexis Brush 55 HERE. Martin Nowak found the complete delivery specs with photos on the Alexis website HERE.

Long Grove FPD Alexis brush unit specifications

Tags: Alexis Fire Apparatus, Long Grove Fire Protection District, Martin Nowak

New Ferrara engine for Lemont

Jun 15

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

A previous post mentioned a new Ferrara MVP pumper on order for Lemont (H-4758). Martin Nowak found the unit in production on the Ferrara website HERE. The unit will feature an Igniter chassis and have a 1,500-GPM Pump with 750 gallons of water on-board. The production shots show the cab shell has been made.

The cab shell for Lemont's Ferrar Igniter engine has been completed. Ferrara photo

Tags: Ferrara Fire Apparatus, Ferrara Igniter chassis, Ferrara MVP pumper, Lemont Fire Department, Lemont Fire Protection District, Martin Nowak

Wheeling Local 3079 has new site

Jun 15

Posted by bgshap in Fire Department News | Comments off

The Wheeling Firefighters IAFF local 3079 has recently created a website. Although all of the links and sections have not yet been completed, the site is live and can be viewed by clicking HERE.

Tags: fire union website, Wheeling Fire Department, Wheeling IAFF Local 3079

Lake Zurich chief to retire

Jun 15

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

The Daily Herald has an article from over a week ago as does the Lake County News Sun which states that Lake Zurich Fire Chief Tony Mastandrea will retire on July 15.

From the Daily Herald:

Longtime fire chief Terry Mastandrea will retire effective July 15 as the fire chief/director of emergency services for the village of Lake Zurich.

Mastandrea has served the village and the Lake Zurich Rural Fire Protection District as chief the last 21 years of a 34-year career.

From The Lake County News Sun

He took over the department when it was still small and medical service and fire service were two separate entities. He successfully combined the two and was chief of the village department and the Lake Zurich Rural Fire Protection District.

There were only four full-timers on per day in 1990 and now there are four stations covering the 25 square miles of the district that handles an average of 3,500 calls a year with a 4- to 6-minute response time. He wrote the original rules, regulations and command structure for the department.

Tags: Fire Chief Tony Mastandrea, Lake Zurich Fire Department

North Aurora updates

Jun 15

Posted by bgshap in Fire Department News, Fire Service News, Reader submission, updated listing | 4 Comments

When a department is added to the website, we strive for accuracy in our postings. When North Aurora was posted yesterday, we had listed several units as being assigned to the annex building. Evidently, the information we had is already out of date. We are always glad to have readers provide us with pertinent information including corrections.

Such was the case when Brian Kazmierzak of the Clay Fire Territory in South Bend viewed the site and noticed a familiar unit. He sent us a note with a photo of Clay Fire Tactical Rescue 2 (T2) which bears a striking resemblance to North Aurora Technical Rescue 540.

The Clay Fire Territory acquired the unit from North Aurora in July of 2010 and since September of 2010 it responds as part of the MABAS Division 201 Tactical Rescue Team.

Clay Fire Territory Tactical Rescue Unit

Clay Fire Territory (IN) Tactical Rescue 2, formerly North Aurora Fire Protection District (IL) Technical Rescue 540.

North Aurora Fire Protection District Technical Rescue 540

Brian also informed us that Technical Rescue 544 (1997 Freightliner FLD/Fruehauf) is now in Aurora.

Tags: Brian Kazmierzak, Clay Fire Territory, Freightliner FLD, MABAS Division 201, North Aurora Fire Department, North Aurora Fire Protection District, Sterling Acterra

North Aurora is added to the site

Jun 14

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

North Aurora Fire Protection District Station 1

North Aurora Station 1 houses both medic units, two engines, a tower ladder and the chief officers. Bill Friedrich photo

The North Aurora Fire Protection District in MABAS Division 13 (Kane County) has two stations. One station (#2) has only two engines; a front line and a reserve. The main station has both of the department’s ambulances, the battalion chief, two engines, and a tower ladder. In addition, they have a second building on the grounds which houses the special teams including several TRT units and a boat. The fire suppression apparatus was mostly purchased from Pierce with a 1986 Arrow engine, a 1996 Lance, a 2006 Dash, and a 2001 Dash tower ladder. The frontline engine out of Station 2 is an E-ONE.

Images were supplied by Bill Friedich and Larry Shapiro.

Tags: Bill Friedrich, Larry Shapiro, MABAS Division 13, North Aurora Fire Department, North Aurora Fire Protection District, Pierce Arrow, Pierce Dash tower ladder, Pierce Lance, technical rescue

New area Pierce aerials

Jun 14

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

As mentioned in previous posts HERE and HERE, the Homewood Fire Department and the Hillside Fire Department both received new rear mount aerials from Pierce. Ryan Wyckoff was kind enough to submit photos of both from his visit to Pierce last month. As of Monday, Pierce has posted the following images along with many others on the Pierce Flickr site.

Homewood Fire Department 2011 Pierce Arrow XT 105' quint

The new 2011 Pierce Arrow XT 105' rear mount quint form Homewood Ladder 555. Pierce photo

Hillside Fire Department 2011 Pierce Velocity XT 105' quint

Hillside's new Truck 403 is a 2011 Pierce Velocity 105' rear mount quint. Pierce photo

Tags: Hillside Fire Department, Homewood Fire Department, Pierce Arrow XT quint, Pierce Flickr, Pierce Manufacturing, Pierce Velocity aerial ladder, Ryan Wyckoff

Berwyn boat fire 6-13-11

Jun 13

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

The Berwyn Fire Department was dispatched for a fire in an alley on the 7000 Block of 34th St this evening.

Josh Boyajian, who lives in Berwyn sent us the following summary and imges:

When I walked out of my house, there was a huge header visible. They (Berwyn companies) arrived on-scene to find a boat on fire, fully involved. They used two lines on the fire. The boat was under construction at the time. North Riverside was auto-aid.