Archive for May 11th, 2012

New engine for Munster

The Munster Fire Department in MABAS Division 24 has taken delivery of a new engine. Built by Custom Fire of Osceola, WI, it is on a Spartan chassis with a Metro Star cab, a 1,750-GPM pump, 750 gallons of water, and 30 gallons of foam. The engine has been delivered but is not yet in service.

Munster Fire Department new engine from Custom Fire on a Spartan chassis

Munster Fire Department's new engine 2223 from Custom Fire on a Spartan chassis. It features a Metro Star cab, 750-gallon water tank, 30-gallon foam tank, and 1,750-GPM pump. Custom Fire photo

thanks Rob

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Storage yard fire for Central Stickney 5-10-12

The Central Stickney Fire Protection District was assisted by several neighboring fire departments yesterday afternoon fighting a large fire in a storage yard. The fire produced heavy smoke which could be seen for many miles. WGN has an article with a video HERE and the Chicago Tribune has an article with a video HERE. Tim Olk went to the fire and submitted several images. The fire was at 6200 W. 51st Street.

storage yard fire in Stickney Central Stickney FPD

Smoke engulfs several fire companies working at the storage yard fire. Tim Olk photo

storage yard fire in Stickney Central Stickney FPD

Firefighters deploy a hand line. Tim Olk photo

storage yard fire in Stickney Central Stickney FPD

The deck gun working off Central Stickney Engine 907. Tim Olk photo

storage yard fire in Stickney Central Stickney FPD

Central Stickney Tower Ladder 906, a 1995 Simon-Duplex 75' LTI. Tim Olk photo

storage yard fire in Stickney Central Stickney FPD

Forest Park firefighters move in close with a hand line. Tim Olk photo

Tim has a large gallery with more images HERE.

 thanks Chris

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The color of fire trucks (part 7)

MABAS Division 5 encompasses McHenry County. There are 18 departments in the division and several had non-red apparatus over the years. Only three departments had fleets that were lime green and white or yellow; the Nunda Rural Fire Protection District, the Lake in the Hills station of the Algonquin-Lake in the Hills Fire Protection District, and the Woodstock Rural Fire Protection District (now part of the Woodstock Fire/Rescue District). According to the Woodstock Fire/Rescue District website, in October of 1993, the Woodstock Rural Fire Protection District, Woodstock City Fire Department, and Woodstock Rescue Squad merged together to form the Woodstock Fire/Rescue District.

Eight other departments had red fleets, but at one time each had a unit that was painted differently. (Crystal Lake, Hebron, Harvard, the Marengo Rescue Squad, Richmond, Spring Grove, Union, and Woodstock City)

The Crystal Lake Fire Rescue Department  purchased a small rescue squad in 1982 that conformed to the Department of Transportation (DOT) specifications, one of which required that it be delivered painted lime green.

Crystal Lake Fire Rescue Department 1982 E-ONE rescue squad

Crystal Lake bought this 'DOT' spec rescue squad from E-ONE in 1982. Bill Friedrich photo

 

The Hebron-Alden-Greenwood Fire Protection District had a brush truck which was blue in contrast to the rest of the fleet that was painted red.

Hebron Alden Greenwood Fire Protection District brush unit 805

Hebron-Alden-Greenwood Brush 805 was a unique unit within their fleet painted blue. It was on a 1973 GMC chassis with a Stahl body. It carried 250 gallons of water with a pumping capacity of 450 gallons-per-minute. Bill Friedrich photo

 

The Harvard Fire Protection District and the Harvard Rescue Squad ran out of the same station. The Rescue Squad had an orange and white squad which was the only piece with this paint scheme.

Harvard Rescue Squad 1977 Welch

The Harvard Rescue Squad had this 1977 Ford/Welch unit. Bill Friedrich photo

 

The Richmond Fire Protection District had a rescue squad that was painted white.

Richmond Fire Protection District rescue squad

This 1967 Dodge/Stahl unit ran as Squad 1451 for the Richmond Fire Protection District. Bill Friedrich photo

 

The Spring Grove Fire Protection District had a squad unit and a tanker that were painted white.

Spring Grove Fire Protection District Rescue 1807

The Spring Grove Fire Protection District had this 1977 GMC Step Van that was modified by department personnel. It was Rescue 1807. Bill Friedrich photo

 

The Union Fire Protection District ran a white Ford/Darley engine in 19__ which was the only lime green piece in the fleet.

Union Fire Protection District 1975 Ford Darley tanker

Engine 1505, a 1975 Darley on a Ford L-Series chassis was the only lime green unit that the Union Fire Protection District ran with. It had a 750-GPM pump and carried 1,000 gallons of water. Bill Friedrich photo

 

The Woodstock City Fire Department purchased a Seagrave quad in 1967 that was painted white, and  they also had a white brush truck, a 1969 Dodge W300/Welch 250/200.

City of Woodstock Fire Department 1967 Seagrave Quad

The City of Woodstock Fire Department ran this 1967 Seagrave Quad as Engine 1734. It had a 1,000-GPM pump and 300 gallons of water. Bill Friedrich photo

 

The Algonquin-Lake in the Hills Fire District had two stations in years past. The apparatus at the Lake in the Hills station was painted yellow. They had a 1968 IHC/Welch squad and there were two additional pumpers at the Lake In the Hills station that were painted chrome yellow;  a 1972, IHC Cargostar-Alexis  750/750, and a 1975, IHC Cargostar-Bean  750/1000.

Algonquin-Lake in the Hills Fire Protection District 1968 Welch rescue squad

Trucks at the Lake in the Hills fire station used to be yellow and the apparatus at the Algonquin station were red. This 1968 IHC/Welch rescue squad was on of three yellow units. Bill Friedrich photo

 

The Nunda Rural Fire Protection District changed their fleet from lime green/white to red/black.

Nunda Rural Fire Protection District Engine 1336 FMC

The Nunda Rural Fire Protection District trucks used to be painted lime green and white like the 1984 Ford C8000/Darley 1250/1000 shown here. Bill Friedrich photo

 

When the Woodstock Rural Fire Protection and the Woodstock City Fire Department were separate entities, the rural apparatus was painted lime green & white.

Woodstock Rural Fire Protection District Spartan Darley top-mount engine

The Woodstock Rural Fire Protection District ran this 1986 Darley with a Spartan 4-dr CFC cab. The top-mount pump panel controlled a 1,000-GPM pump and the engine carried 1,00 gallons of water. Larry Shapiro photo

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