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6 Comments

• #1 by Bill Post on December 15, 2013 - 1:08 AM

  

  I missed this article myself. Last January. I was out of town for a few weeks and didn’t get back onto the site until I got back from my trip.I remember that I got back that day after the Warehouse fire at 37th and Ashland where 671 was put to work. You are correct Matt. as to when the CFD radio system began. While I don’t have many details myself I understand that first 3 rigs that had 2 way fire radios on them were Squad 2,6 and 7 which had 3 1952 model Auto Car Squads that had been just delivered.
  Squad 6’s rig was totaled in an accident in October of 1955 and after that they were using a 1949 Mack Squad until the mid 1966. I remember seeing Squad 6’s rig when I was a kid and it was using the 1949 Mack at the time. It wasn’t until years later that I had found out about their 1952 Autocar Squad.

• #2 by Matt Collins on December 14, 2013 - 8:28 PM

  

  A little late to this one. Don’t know how I missed it originally. This was my grandfather’s company. Story has been passed down over the years. Drew, the CFD radio system came up in June of ’52, I believe

• #3 by Mike Mc on January 23, 2013 - 12:23 AM

  

  One of the criticisms of the LaSalle Hotel fire of 1946 was that the CFD needed radios. Unfortunately, Commissioner Corrigan was not impressed with such new contraptions. He held a similar view on air masks. I believe the CFD started implementing two way radios in 1953 and it took several years for all the companies to have them.

  They probably used a fire alarm box at Lake and Hamlin to request the 2-11, 3-11, and 4-11 alarms. My guess would be that the fire alarm box became unreachable as the fire spread.

  I believe all on duty firefighters were required to have a dime on the person at all times, in case they would be ordered to call the fire alarm office.

• #4 by jeff harkey on January 22, 2013 - 3:32 PM

  

  Sorry for the delay in responding.

  This article was published on March 4, 1947.

  The incident was the Accurate Spring Manufacturing Co Fire on March 3, 1947. 5-11 alarm fire and one special at 3811 Lake St.

• #5 by tom sullivan on January 20, 2013 - 8:19 AM

  

  i don’t know eactly when cfd chiefs were issued portable radios, but they definately had them in the late 1960s.
  the only fire company that had one was ss1.
  the first portable radios issued to all fire companies were second hand police radios. in 1982 we got them after 2 ffs were killed after falling down an elevator shaft downtown.
  the company officer would communicate to the bttn. chief, who also had to carry a police radio. after 6 months or so, the fire companies received radios with fire ground channels.

• #6 by Drew Smith on January 19, 2013 - 2:56 PM

  

  Is the date of this article/fire available and can someone (perhaps Bill Post) tell us when the CFD began to use two-way radios? I assume that the chiefs or division marshals would have been the first to be issued radios.

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