Bill Freidrich will be offering a new posting segment from time to time
I will be starting to send various vehicles to feature in a “Down Memory Lane” segment. First up is Truck 14. Other truck Companies that had identical rigs were as follows:Truck 32 EF-212 after Truck 14 got a new rig.Truck 41 EF-211Truck 42 EF-213Truck 53 EF-214Truck 54 EF-215Not sure which one was used in the movie Backdraft.
Truck 14 was a 1975 Seagrave 100' tractor-drawn aerial with a 1976 IHC Cargostar tractor. Bill Friedrich collection
#1 by Grumpy grizzly on February 22, 2012 - 5:04 AM
The tiller was assigned to Ladder 54
#2 by Scott on February 21, 2012 - 8:45 PM
Great pic Bill! Having grown up in Oak Park, I did get to see Trk 53’s tiller plenty of times in Austin, Galewood & Sayre Park & Montclair neighborhoods. It was a great site to see that rig making a run!
#3 by Jeff on February 21, 2012 - 4:09 PM
Bill, are you going to do a specific segment on the history of the Snorkel- Squads??? That would be really interesting, thanks. Keep up the good work!!!
#4 by Bill Post on February 21, 2012 - 2:06 PM
Besides the 5 International/Seagrave aerial ladder trucks that are mentioned in this posting. The Chicago Fire Department did have 2, 1969 model International/Pierce engines that were originally assigned to Engines 4 and 25.
We also had a 1967 model International/Pitman 75-foot Snorkel that was assigned to our “Old Snorkel 4” that had served as a first line company until around 1974. It was our first large (over 55 feet) Snorkel that wasn’t built on a Ford chassis.
The CFD also had around 4 International/Fire Boss Dry Chemical/Foam pumpers that were officially classified as Dry Chemical units and were located at Meigs Field, Midway Airport, and various fire stations. During the 1960’s the CFD had purchased at least 14 International/Bean or International/Darley, High Pressure Fog (mini type) booster pumpers of which three of them were regularly assigned as the second pieces to our original 3 Snorkel Squad companies. We had a total of 12 Fog Pressure companies of which all but one were built on International chassis.
The CFD also had 3, 1956 (International) large Light Wagons that were used for many years in Chicago.
In 1955 the CFD had purchased 5 International High Pressure Wagons, which were really nothing more then hose wagons with a large turret built on the top. Two of the “High Pressure Wagons” were taken out of service in 1961 and had 40-foot Snorkels with “Squad” style bodies with cabinets installed and they became the first pieces of the original Snorkel Squads 1 and 2. Both of the pieces that were originally assigned to SS-1 and SS-2 were built on International chassis. They used their famous cab-over engine design that was popular at the time.
The famous “Big John” super deluge also was built on an International “surplus” chassis. Our current Hazardous Materials Support Unit 511A is also built on an International Chassis.
Many of the old Civil Defense Fire Rescue service units were also built on International Chassis.
As you can see most of the CFD’s International “fleet” was what would be called special purpose apparatus.
#5 by Martin on February 21, 2012 - 11:25 AM
Never knew they had these units. Does anyone know why they don’t have Internationals, well besides the one truck with black over red?