From Steve Redick:
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Some Morton Grove rigs … the old squad and the Pirsch quint … followed those rigs when they were brand new on my 2 wheeler bike … those were the days … Morton Grove Engine 5 Hendrickson E1 …
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Summit’s old squad … I loved those old Gerstenschlager type units …
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CFD H&L2 just after being vacated … no longer standing …
I kinda like looking at these old shots … if you enjoy these photos, why not share some memories with the rest of us ….
Steve
Steve Redick photo
Steve Redick photo
Steve Redick photo
Steve Redick photo
Steve Redick photo
Steve Redick photo
#1 by tom sullivan on December 13, 2013 - 7:56 AM
bill, the old masks used by fire depts. up until the 70’s were some strange devices, lots of chemistry going on !
the “filter canister” masks were taken out because they did not provide 02, only filtered out smoke particles. there were cases of ffs being overcome while operating in low 02 environments. it was possible to fabricate a cheater mask using a filter canister and ww2 aircraft o2 hose & nose pieces. there was an order against the use of them in the cfd.
the msa “chemox” mask, known as the “oba” (oxygen generating apparatus) in the navy, was used by the navy from ww2 until the 80’s. it’s advantage was indefinate shelf life for the o2 generating cannisters and no need for breathing air compressors aboard ships where space was limited. since then the navy has upgraded shipboard firefighting significantly,,(but that is another story!)
probably one of the last cfd uses of the “chemox” mask ( that I know of) was at a basement fire on Belmont av. west of Ashland, in early 1970. a couple of men went into the basement with the masks to work a line, but didn’t last too long before being driven out by conditions. the “chemox” mask was a complicated device and while being used attention had to be paid to it’s functioning, certain adjustments had to made to keep it working. while in the basement one of the members had problems with it’s operation, ran into difficulty and had to be pulled out by the other.
#2 by Drew Smith on December 12, 2013 - 9:35 PM
Tibbits:
The “1-Adam-12” style call signs were a product of the Federal EMS grants in the early 1970s. The VHF ambulance-to-hospital radios were funded via “MERCI” Medical Emergency Radio Communications for Illinois. Each ambulance was given a callsign and a manual. While many Chicago-area FDs do not use these number if you look at many of Bill Friedrich’s ambulance photos you will see that many others statewide still use these numbers. When I began as an EMT we would use the number to call the hospital but not on the fire radio.
According to the MABAS Division 3 website, Evanston still maintains Box 625 as their citywide box for structure fires along with Box 624 for target hazard and high rise fires.
Finally, I was at Alexis Fire Equipment’s factory last week and the old MGFD Pirsch ladder truck is still their in the bone yard. It’s just screams “rescue me.” If I only had some spare cash and a big garage…
#3 by Bill Post on December 12, 2013 - 8:46 PM
Yes Tom I remember that very well when only Squads carried the SCBA (self contained breathing apparatus). Actually the Snorkel Squads and the Flying Squads and the short lived Salvage Squads had carried the “State of the Art” scba’s. The old Squad companies did carry several World War 2 era Mask’s of a few different varieties. The Masks that were carried were Mc Caa Masks which were worn on the front of the chest of the fire fighter which had a 60 cubic inch bottle of oxygen attached to it and was capable of lasing up to an hour.
They were self contained breathing apparatus as opposed to filter type masks that were also carried on the old Squads and the Trucks. The filter type masks that Chicago used at the time were the “Burrell Mask” and they were small and very light. The Snorkel Squads also carried them in the beginning however I think that either they or the more sophisticated Chemox masks were banned because of fire fighters being overcome by fumes while wearing them.
The Chemox mask were somewhat of an unusual device by today’s standards and they were supposed carry a chemical compound in them that was supposed to generate it’s own oxygen. It was also worn in the front and had two breathing bags (one on each side) which in and of itself looked unusual.
The chemical was potassium tetroxide and was organized in 5 layers separated by “copper screens” and in the last layer of the potassium tetroxide was a “catalyst” that would aid in activating the chemical reaction inside the canister in order to generate the oxygen.
I never saw the Old (conventional) Squad companies using the more modern SCBA which the Snorkel Squads all used. At the time the Snorkel Squads were using the famous “Scott Air Pak”. When they Flying Squads were put in service in 1969 they were all given the SCBAs and the Salvage Squads were given them also.
When there were particularly smoky extra alarm fires such as fires in large basements etc the commanding officer on the scene would request that Flying Squads and Salvage Squads be dispatcher for the use of their ‘Air Mask
I remember that around 1969/70 give or take a year there had been a 2-11 alarm fire in a store basement at Wabash near Washington late one night and that the Commander had requested all 6 of the Flying Squads (at the time) respond to the fire for their masks.
Tom I remember that Flying Squad 6 wasn’t dispatched east of Ashland avenue until BrynMawr and that their still district went east to the lake going north from there to the city limits at 7800 north near Sheridan road. And you know it was because the Engines 83 78 were normally supposed to be 5 man companies so the Flying Squad wasn’t supposed to follow them on stills. You also remember that Salvage Squad 3 was located with Engine 83 and did respond with them however Salvage Squad 3 was relocated to Engine 22’s new house from Engine 83’s new house in July of 1971 only about 2 and a half years after Engine 83’s house was opened.
That was also a very stupid move as Engine 22 wasn’t far from Snorkel Squad 1 and they would get Snorkel Squad 1 responding on their stills. Engine 83 was much more centrally located in the old 3rd Division and was a busier company then Engine 22 so Salvage Squad 3 should have stayed at Engine 83’s house.
I think that Salvage Squad 3 was moved to Engine 22 in order to make the station “look full” as Engine 22 was given a large new station with only Engine 22 assigned to it. Ambulance 11 wasn’t relocated to Engine 22 almost a year after Salvage Squad 3 was taken out of service. Ambulance 11 then had become new Ambulance 43 about a year after the relocation.
Engine 22 did deserve and need a new station but as you know Engine 4 and Truck 10 (now Tower Ladder 10) was only a mile south of them and I agree that Engine 4’s house was a better location for Truck 10. Engine 55 and Truck 44 were only 10 blocks northwest of Engine 22 also. It just didn’t make sense (at the time) to have Truck 10 next door to Truck 44. Truck 21 was still only about a mile and a half northwest of Truck 44 as well so you didn’t want to have too many Trucks that close together. The lopsided Squad response districts had to do the 4 and 5 man companies and I’m glad that the companies had the 5th man restored after the strike of 1980 but they shouldn’t have waited that long to push for the restoration of the 5th man. Let’s hope that they don’t sacrifice the 5th man again. It was a long and hard fight to get the 5th man back and the companies had many more working fires then as well.
#4 by tom sullivan on December 12, 2013 - 6:22 PM
up to the early/mid 70’s , the squad companies were the only ones with scba (the trucks did carry a couple of the ww2 era “chemox” masks, but those were only used as a last resort, if at all). e-78 & e-83 had many high rises but no squad on a still alarm, ss-1 came up on a S & B. the odd thing was that fms-6 was in the house with e-110 who often went on the box , but the squad did not. there were more than a few high rise fires fought with no masks and 2 engs and 1 truck,,, not like todays mega responses.
#5 by Mike Mc on December 12, 2013 - 11:01 AM
Thanks for the information Bill. I was told that Commissioner Quinn originally wanted to have seven snorkel squads, one for each division. The cost of apparatus and equipment was prohibitive and he could not do it.
I was told by several people, including serious insiders, that Quinn did not like the old squad companies. He was an old truckman and he thought the squad companies were prima donnas and not worth the seven men assigned per shift. The snorkel squads were not just intended to update the equipment and tools, they were also so that Qunn could control the officers, staffing, and any additional – outside of the firehouse – assignments and details. He did so through Bill Quinn, the head of media affairs/community relations.
The salvage squads were not sufficently staffed. They would detail firefighters to other companies and would sometime run with only four and even three men. Maatman originally wanted the flying squads to perform manpower, extrication, and salvage duties. With only six squads! One of the biggest problems with the Maatman report, besides telling Quinn what he wanted to hear instead of what he needed to hear, was that Maatman did not foresee how quickly the city would change. I am sure that he never dreamed of how many fires there would be in the Pullman/Roseland area or that Engines 101, 116, and 126 woud be among the busiest or that the old 4th Battalion would have the most fires.
#6 by Bill Post on December 12, 2013 - 1:24 AM
Mike Mc I just had come across a question that you had asked me on July 31st that I had missed. It was to the effect of , if Fire Commissioner Robert J Quinn had decided to keep the Old Autocar Squad companies in service during the mid 1960’s what do I think the replacements would have looked like.
Yes I had given thought to that idea several times as well. I can definitely see how you could have thought or imagined how any new Chicago Squads that would have been purchased in the mid 1960’s could have been the Gerstenslager open cutaway body design as Chicago’s traditional Squad companies were also of an open body cutaway design which probably was approximately the closest in resemblance to Chicago’s conventional Squad companies. The Summit Illinois Squad body would have to be modified quite a bit up toward the front in order for the Squad to have permanently mounted turret or “Deck Gun” installed on it. As you well known the fixed Turret was also a major feature of Chicago’s Traditional Squad companies and since the 1940’s when the CFD purchased the first black over red Squads (Macks) with crew (sedan) cabs. It’s funny but It looked to me like the crew cabs were rarely used except perhaps during snow storms and very frigid weather. I had heard that the Squads would occasionally make patient removals to hospitals so I would guess that when they did that they would put the patient rear crew cab. As you know the Squads were second due on most “inhalator runs” (ems resuscitation runs) when the closet ambulance wasn’t available. Up until mid 1955 the Squads had been first due on most of the “inhalator runs”. As I had mentioned in another post the CFD ambulance service was begun as a “public service” in 1946. However until 1955 they would be first due only on accidents and personal injury calls. Before 1946 the Ambulances were used strictly for sick and injured firefighters.
As this is pure speculation about what might have been done, but not done, as you well know Commissioner Quinn’s major Squad company achievement was the development and formation of the Snorkel Squad and it was the Snorkel Squads (as well as the Snorkel companies that were his ‘babies”. While the traditional Squad companies were a seemingly indispensable part of the Chicago fire department all but 4 of them were out of service by early 1968 and the of the remaining Squads which were Salvage Squads 1 and 2 and Squads 4 and 9 , Squad 4 had become in effect Salvage Squad 3 on Oct 1st 1968 , while Squad 9 had in effect become Salvage Squad 7. Salvage Squads 4,5 and 6 also were created on October 1st 1968 however of the 7 Salvage Squads at the time only Salvage Squad 1 was using a traditional 1954 Auto Car Squad with the fixed turret on the rear behind the cab. Salvage Squad 2 had been using a 1956 International Harvester ex HIgh Pressure Wagon but was then given an old 1950’s vintage pumper while Salvage Squads 3, 6 and possibly 7 were given new Dodge Duravan “bread wagons” and Salvage Squads 4 and 5 were using two old International Harvester ex Chicago Civil Defense Rescue Squads.
The last of the Auto Car Squads went of out service when Salvage Squad 1 was taken out of service to form Flying Manpower Squad 4 on May 1st 1969. Salvage Squad 1’s Autocar may have run as Flying Manpower Squad 4 for a short while but it didn’t last long as Flying Squad 4 was reassigned a 1953 FWD pumper just as all of the other Flying Squads were assigned old pumpers from the late 1940’s and pumpers.
Mike it wasn’t the original 1964 Maatman Report consultant study that had recommend that the Squads be taken out of service but it seemed to me that Commissioner Quinn had taken them out of service to have their manpower reassigned to Engines and Trucks both to make up for fire fighters who had put in overtime during the blizzard of 1967 and more importantly during 1967 the city had agreed to the firemen another day off after so many tours of duty but they didn’t want to hire any more fire fighters so Commissioner Quinn had taken them out of service. Because the city started running with 4 man companies the consultant had recommended in a second study that was done in 1968 that 6 and later 7 Flying Manpower Squads be created. The consultant had recommended using Squad type trucks with the possibility of having a “fixed monitor turret to provide additional heavy stream capabilities. As you know it took a 3rd follow up study done in 1971 which had finally gotten the Chicago fire department to purchase new Squads for the Flying Manpower Squads which were delivered around 1973. In that the 1971 study the consultant even specified what kind of equipment he wanted the Flying Squads to carry and he even had submitted a diagram which essentially was for a box style Squad similar to the new Flying Squads that were finally delivered about 2 years later.
It was the consultant Gerald Maatman who had to keep after Commissioner Quinn to purchase new Flying Squads.
So it isn’t easy to make out what Robert Quinns intentions really were. There had even been a rumor or two that Commissioner Quinn had wanted didn’t like the old Squad companies but I really don’t know if it was true or just pointless talk as Robert Quinn was really gung ho about his Snorkel Squads. The Snorkel Squads did have more equipment on board and they had become the CFDS Heavy Rescue companies while the old Squads didn’t have as much equipment or they didn’t have as much space for the equipment either. There were even some rumours that Fire Commissioner Quinn had wanted to put a few more Snorkel Squads in service which would have made plenty of sense and that Snorkel Squads were more advanced in equipment and in training then the old Squad companies,
The only thing that the Squads did that the Snorkel Squads didn’t do was respond to “inhalator runs” and that was because they didn’t want the to have the Snorkel Squads always go out on EMS runs which the Squads were going out on. So when the Squads were taken out of service inhalators (resuscitators) where finally given to the Battalion Chiefs to respond with in their station wagons that would be used as secondary ambulances.
For your information Chicago had a high of 13 Squad companies. Squad 12 was taken out of service in 1964 to create Truck 62 and Squad 7 was taken out service on May 16th 1965 to create Snorkel Squad 3.
Squads 1 and 2 were redisignated as Salvage Squads 1 and 2 around the beginning of 1967. Squad 3 was totaled in an accident in April of 1967. Squads 6 and 13 were taken out of service in mid 1967 while Squads 5,8, 10 and 11 remained in service until early 1968 however Squads 5,8 and 10 began running as one man companies with only a driver assigned to them in June of 1967. They would respond to Still and Box Alarms in their former Still Districts and in effect were supply wagons as they only responded with at driver. As was previously mentioned only Squads 4 and 9 survived intact through October of 1968.
#7 by Bill Post on December 11, 2013 - 12:02 AM
Thanks for the interesting information Phil .Those Skokie numbers definitely sound familiar to me.
#8 by Phil Stenholm on December 10, 2013 - 5:43 PM
BILL: Evanston instituted the 20-series for its engines, trucks, and squad in 1952 when radios were installed, and the Police patrol-ambulances (1958-76) were numbered “31,” “32,” and “33” and (initially) were equipped with both police & fire radios. but when the Evanston Fire Dept. ambulances were place into service (replacing the police ambulances) in 1976-77, they were numbered “Ambulance 1,” ” Ambulance 2,” and “Ambulance 3,” and NOT Ambulance 21, Ambulance 22, and Ambulance 23. :
The EFD staff cars were numbered “F-1” (stretcher-equipped Chief’s station wagon) and “F-2” (Shift Commander’s station wagon) as far back as the 1952 (F-1 was called that on the radio even when it was just the chief’s buggy-driver responding on an ambuance run, so F-1 referred to the chief’s vehicle, as well as to the chief himself), and there were other units numbered F-3 (stretcher-equipped Fire Prevention Inspector’s station wagon at Station #5), F-4 (Fire Prevention Chief’s station-wagon at Station #2), F-5 (stretcher-equipped Training Officer’s station wagon at Station #1), F-7 (the DUKW at Station #1), F-8 (Boston whaler), and F-10 (Divemaster).
Untis on a portable radio would attach an “X” to their call-sign (so “F-2-X” was the shift commander onportable and “Engine 23-X” was the company officer of Engine 23 on a portable radio).
Beginning in 1978, the radio call-signs of the EFD staff cars (other than the Chief and Shift Comnmander buggies) were numbered the same as the last two numbers of the individual’s telephone extension, so the Training Officer (formerly F-5) became F-25, the Medical Officer was F-22, the Personnel Officer was F-26, the Deputy Chief was F-27, the Mechanic was F-17, the Fire Prevention Chief was F-33, the Fire Prevention Inspector was F-34, and the Fire Investigator was F-35.
When I dispatched for Evanston back in the 1980’s, we had MABAS box cards, but we almost never used them. An Evanston rig went on a MABAS box response to another city maybe once a year in the six years I was there, and Evanston chiefs were reluctant to request a MABAS box (except for a “Divers Box,” which we request fairly often) partly because they didn’t want to have to deal with the communications issues involved when MABAS (RED Center) became involved, and partly to give off-duty Evanston firefighters a chance to earn some overtime by getting called-in to be the “replacement crew” rotating with the guys who responded initially to the fire, or to staff the reserve rigs (engines, truck, and ambulance) that were placed into service during the fire.
When we had a big fire where mutual-aid was needed, we usually by-passed MABAS and were advised by Command to just called Wilmette (for an engine), Skokie (for a truck and/or an engine), and maybe Winnetka (for their snorkel) directly, even though the agencies we called would have been the same ones who would have responded first on a MABAS box.
It was easier dealing with Wilmette and Winnetka than with Skokie because Wilmette and Winnetka were on our radio ferequency (Skokie was not). We NEVER called Glencoe or Northfield for a fire, although they would have responded into Evanston on a MABAS Divers Box.
We also called Wilmette (first) and Skokie (second) whenever we ran out of ambulances. Again, Wimette was easier for us because they were on our radio frequency and they almost always had ann ambulance available, so we would call Wilmette even if the EMS call was closer to Skokie.
The ratio of a Wilmette or a Skokie ambulance responding on a mutual-aid run into Evanston versus an Evanston ambulance responding into Skokie or Wilmette had to be at least 10-1 Wilmette or Skokie responding into Evanston versus Evanston going to Wilmette or Skoike, and when we did dispatch a mutual-aid run, it was lmost always to Skokie (not to Wilmette).
I don’t know how it is now, but back then Evanston F. D. had only one MABAS Box for fires (Box 625), but (in practice) we never actually used it. :
EVANSTON BOX 625 (location listed was 909 Lake Street – Evanston Fire Station #1)
BOX ALARM:
Wilmette Engine to Evanston Station #1
Skokie Truck to Evanston Station #1
NOTE: We never once called this box. It was all done directly by phone with Wilmette and Skokie.
SECOND ALARM:
Wilmette Engine to scene from Station #1
Skokie Truck to scene from Station #1
Skokie Engine to Evanston Station #1
NOTE: We did this, but (again) not through MABAS
THIRD ALARM:
Skokie Engine to scene from Station #1
Winnetka snorkel to scene
Morton Grove Engine to Evanston Station #1
NOTE: We did this, but (again) not through MABAS
FOURTH ALARM:
SPECIAL CALL (TBA)
NOTE: We never did this
Also, Glenview NAS ARFF foam rig was due to respond to Evanston whenever requested (which never happened when I was there).
We were due on all Divers Boxes in MABAS Division 3, but as far as fires were concerned, EFD (for example) was not due to respond to Des Plaines at all, but (again, just for example) we were listed responding a Truck Co. to Niles boxes 325, 326, and 327 on a 4th alarm, and were due to respond with an Engine Co. and Chief (F-2) on the 3rd alarm to Niles Box 325 and to a 5th alarm to Box 326 and 327, and a Truck Co. (only) on a 5th alarm to Niles Box 328, 329, 330, and 331. But I don’t think were ever actually went to a fire in Niles back then.
Another example: Evanston was due to respond an Engine Co. to a second alarm to MABAS Box 825 (Glencoe), an Engine Co. on a 4th alarm to Glenview 474 and 475 or to a 5th alarm to Glenview Box 476.
I remember back when I was there, Skokie and Wilmette units were both numbered in the 200-series (lucky they weren’t on the same radio frequency!), Winnetka was numbered in the 70’s, Glencoe was numbered in the 80’s, and Northfield was numbered in the 300-series, although their ambulance had some weird number (something like 1-Adam-12… it wasn’t that, but it was some odd number like that).
Wilmette F. D. staffed two engines and two ambulances 24/7 back then (which is why they almost never needed a mutual-aid ambulance to respond into Wilmette, but were almost always available to respond an ambulance into Evanston when requested). They didn’t tone-out routine calls (they just used the station-intercom speaker or else individual units would be called over the radio in they weren’t in quarters).
They would tone out a “Wilmette Fire Call! ,,, Wilmette Fire Call!” though for structure fires (and it was done with a lot of the enthusiasm), and that brought-in off-duty or reserves to staff the the truck and one of the reserve engines.
Wilmette also would broadcast a “Code 9! Code 9!” for severe weather warnings, even if it was just a Tornado Watch. (Nobody else did that, so I always called them the Wilmette Weather Bureau).
WILMETTE:
201 – Snorkel-Squad
202 – Engine
203 – Engine (reserve)
204 – Truck
205 – Engine
206 – Engine (reserve)
207 – Utility truck/snowplow
208 – Chief
209 – Ambulance
210 – Assistant Chief
211 – Ambulance
Skokie did not tone out their calls (not even structure fires). They dispatched calls by internal station-intercom speaker, or by calling the individual units on the radio if they weren’t in quarters.
SKOKIE
201 – Engine 1
202 – Engine 2
203 – Engine 3
204 – Engine 4 (reserve)
205 – Truck 2
206 – Salvage-Squad 2
207 – Ambulance 3
208 – staff car
209 – Truck 3
210-13 – staff cars
214 – Squad-Engine 3
215 – staff cars
Ambulance 1 and Snorkel-Truck 1 were numbered in the 216-217-218-219 range, but for some reason I’m blocking on those two and I can’t remember exactly what their radio numbers were.
Skokie went to the 16-17-18 series of radio call-signs (and Station 16, 17, and 18) around 1985.
Also, Skokie Civil Defense used the radio call-sign “Squad 26” when they responded into Evanston (usually with a mobile lighting unit).
Winnetka did tone-out their calls, and they would broadcast a “Winnetka Fire Call!”: when they had a structure fire that would call-in in reserves and off-duty personnel to respond to the fire or to man the reserve rigs.
WINNETKA:
70 – Truck (staffed by called-back)
71 – Ambulance
72 – Squad (reserve – staffed by call-back)
73 – Chief
74 – Snorkel-quint (staffed by ambulance crew)
75 – Aerial-quint (reserve rig)
76 – Engine (secondary engine – staffed by call-back)
77 – Engine (primary engine – always staffed)
I remember Glencoe was numbered in the 80’s (I believe their primary engine was “87”), and Highland Park was numbered in the 100-series at that time.
#9 by Wayne on December 12, 2013 - 12:31 PM
Phil – the “1-Adam-12” style of call sign is a state assigned number of some kind that are still used a lot once you hit the rural parts of the state. They are assigned to EMS units in the state (transporting or not) and many agencies elect to use them even if they have a numbering system in place. It is coded to the county the unit is assigned to. For example, all the ambulances that use that system in LaSalle county start with 3-Mary (regardless of their agency) and get a unique number at the end (3-Mary-20, for example). I don’t know the origin of this system or why they are used so much but they are prevalent in the rural parts of Illinois.
#10 by Bill Post on December 10, 2013 - 1:10 PM
Tom I had mistakenly called called the new station 1 on Niles Center station 3. It was station 1 of course but the new Snorkel was numbered 3 at the time.
I assume that the Snorkel at Niles Station 2 had done the Truck work for Niles before they purchased their Pirsch Tillered Aerial in 1970?
#11 by Tom Simmons on December 10, 2013 - 4:38 PM
Bill – I believe you’re correct about the snorkel in Niles doing the work of the tillered aerial truck.
#12 by Bill Post on December 10, 2013 - 12:43 PM
Tom since you are writing about the days before the MABAS system, I assume that the Morton Grove Squad did the Truck duty for fires in Morton Grove at the time? What were the procedures for asking for what would be the equivalent to a MABAS box or an extra alarm. I do believe that most of the suburbs did have mutual aide agreements anyway and I would assume that on the first mutual aide request or second alarm that they would be either getting the Truck from Niles or Skokie Truck 2 ( the present 18).
In those days most of the suburban fire departments didn’t have a coordinated numbering system and the companies in the stations such as in Skokie didn’t even go by a uniform numbering system yet. In Skokie Engine 2 and Truck 1 were together at the east side Station on Hamlin south of Main and Engine 3 was with Truck 2 and Squad 1 on Gross Point between Grove and Davis. When the new Station 3 was opened they were for Engine 1 and Snorkel 3.
It wasn’t until the late 1970’s that the fire companies were renumbered to reflect the station number that they were assigned to. I do remember that the Skokie radio call numbers were in the 200 series and I never actually lived there. The Evanston companies were uniformly numbered at the time however.
#13 by Tom Simmons on December 10, 2013 - 2:53 PM
I would guess that’s true regarding the squad performing truck duties. The squad always responded frontline with the engine from Station 4 (old station1) and an engine from Station 5 (old station 2). I don’t know what the protocol was for MABAS equivalent response for fires in MG but I think you’re right about mutual aid agreements that were likely in place that called for a response from Niles or Skokie. I believe call back personnel manned the aerial ladder truck (317) which was housed at station 5 (old 2), if needed.
When RED Center was formed in 1977 and operated out of Niles Station 2, the rig numbering was 100’s for North Maine, 300’s for Morton Grove, 400’s for Niles, and as you said 200’s for Skokie which did their own dispatching. Within a few years though, as you mentioned, the RED dispatched vehicles were renumbered to reflect station numbers.
#14 by Tom Simmons on December 10, 2013 - 10:42 AM
Correction on my comment regarding MG Squad 4 (1964 Ford). At that time, as I recall, the MG used 300 series to name the vehicles on the radio. The squad was 322, and was labeled Squad 1 on the rig as depicted in the picture above.
#15 by Tom Simmons on December 9, 2013 - 1:00 PM
Regarding MG fire units, I remember the aerial ladder being parked at Station 5 (then MG Station 2 on Shermer) back in the 1960’s. It was always considered a reserve vehicle. I can still recall following the front line MG rigs down Beckwith on my bike. The 1952 Ford engine that always backfired when it was slowing down, along with the Squad 4 (1964 Ford) and the Pirsch engine that would come from Station 4 (then MG Station 1). Lester Martin always drove the ’52. And of course the ambulance calls on the west side of town would bring the 1952 engine along with the Cadillac ambulance from the east station.
#16 by Mike Mc on July 31, 2013 - 9:47 AM
Bill: Had Commissioner Quinn decided to keep the old Autocar squads and if he purchased new rigs in the mid 1960’s, I always thought they would look similar to the Summit Gerstenslager. Possibly with a fixed monitor. Have you ever given any thought to, or had any theories as to, what might have been? Just curious.
#17 by Bill Post on July 29, 2013 - 7:27 PM
Those Hendrickson E Ones certainly were sharp looking , I never had a chance to see them in person I wonder how long Morton Grove had them.
I also wonder if the Squad and the mid mount Truck ever ran as a first line Truck and for how long as ever since red center was put in service it seems as if Niles Truck 2 was following Morton Grove on their still alarms.
I know that years ago Niles also had a Squad at station 2 however it was sold off.
The current Squad 4 is cross manned by both Engine (Quint) 4 and Ambulance 4 when a MABAS box is called for in much of MABAS Division 3.
#18 by Jim Johnson on July 29, 2013 - 6:22 PM
we had yellow helmets and coats when I started in Oak Forest we didn’t change to black until the 90s
#19 by John on July 29, 2013 - 3:16 PM
Man,that Pirsch is a handsome rig.
#20 by Dennis Saam on July 29, 2013 - 8:53 AM
Dear Steve,
You and Bill Fredrich, and any other old timers keep those old pictures coming. They mean a lot to those of us that never saw that history. I have some old shots from out here in Ogle and Winnebago County, but havent done a lot in close to the city and ‘burbs.
#21 by Drew Smith on July 28, 2013 - 11:19 PM
I remember when Morton Grove got rid of that squad and ladder when they bought the current Squad 4 and Niles’ former tiller. By the looks of the turnout gear worn by the men on the tailboard (yellow helmet and coat) they are probably ESDA volunteers. At one time Skokie’s ESDA wore yellow helmets too.
Seeing that Summit squad and a recent post of Mt. Prospect’s reminded me that in the late 1960s and 70s many departments had Gerstenslager rigs. The post of the Detroit mobile command/hospital looks like a Gerstenslager. I believe Highland Park had as rig made by them too. Here’s an old ad I found:
#22 by Andy on July 28, 2013 - 10:32 PM
Love these old pics. Thanks for posting.
#23 by Martin Nowak on July 28, 2013 - 10:20 PM
Wow, that old summit rig is nice.
#24 by Jim Johnson on July 28, 2013 - 2:02 PM
Great shots I do enjoy but How do you post pics?