Archive for May, 2015

House bill introduced to allow veteran’s more access to firefighting jobs

Excerpts from WGEM.com:

A bill that could allow some older veterans to become firefighters has just passed the Illinois Senate on Tuesday.

House Bill 3203 says that active duty or reserve members of the military between the ages of 35-40 would be allowed to take the firefighting exam, and if they pass could become firefighters. As of now, no one over the age of 35 is allowed to take the firefighting exam.

Quincy Fire Chief Joe Henning says any bill that helps veterans is a good idea.

“A lot of times veterans forgo the traditional route of seeking a job, they may not go to college right out of the back, they may enlist directly into the military and these are people that are willing to lay down their lives to go out and serve their citizens of their country,” Henning said. “And if we can give them a little bit of a hand up, but not a handout by any means because they’re certainly working to get these jobs.”

House Bill 3203 is now going to the governor’s desk, no word on if or when he’ll sign.

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Discussion on scanning public safety radios

Excerpts from the ChicagoTribune.com:

Tyler Clancy’s Kendall County Scanner Incident Facebook page is filled with reports of traffic crashes, shootings and other calls for help. He and his group of moderators say their mission is to inform residents about police events by posting updates based on police scanner chatter.

The pages, which have been made for both Kane and Kendall County residents, sometimes bring out gawkers and often spin the rumor mill, but they have garnered thousands of followers since their January 2014 inception.

“When I first started the (Kendall County) page, I honestly thought 1,000 followers would be cool,” said Clancy, 18, who is training to become a firefighter. “Now we’re at 13,000. It just grew like crazy.”

But some local law enforcement departments aren’t necessarily on board with the pages’ popularity.

The social media trend of sharing police scanner talk is one reason many police departments are encrypting their dispatch radio broadcasts.

Before the Elgin Police Department began encrypting its police radio in January 2014, Elgin Police Deputy Chief Bill Wolf said crooks had begun using scanner applications to their advantage. Some burglary suspects had learned to listen to the scanner and were able to flee the scene of the crime as soon as they heard the call dispatched, Wolf explained.

Naperville and Aurora police also are taking measures to limit who hears their broadcasts.

“The digital radio system we use is encrypted, meaning you can’t access the transmissions from a typical scanner,” said Deputy Chief Brian Cunningham of the Naperville Police Department.

When Aurora police switched to their encrypted system, department spokesman Dan Ferrelli said it alleviated the spread of a lot of confidential information. However, because many Kendall and Kane County police agencies’ broadcasts are public, that can become Aurora’s problem. “We have had assistance from other agencies and have experienced information going public because the neighboring agencies do not have encrypted communication,” Ferrelli said. “Some of that information that got out we really would have rather kept close to the vest.”

Still, Clancy and Kane County Scanner Incident Facebook page creator Dan Simon said they do their best to make sure sensitive information isn’t leaked.

Kane County Sheriff’s Lt. Patrick Gengler said he is pleased with how the pages are being handled, especially being run by such young adults. He believes the pages are moderated responsibly.

Long gone are the days when it cost more than $200 to purchase equipment capable of picking up dispatch calls. The bulky scanners had to be plugged in at home, making them difficult to listen to on the go. These days, free cellphone applications allow access to anyone, anywhere, at any time. With Simon and Clancy’s pages accessible on Facebook, residents don’t even need scanner applications.

“We always try to mention that something is unconfirmed until we are 100 percent sure it’s true,” Simon said.

 

 

 

 

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Elk Grove buys new tower ladder

The Elk Grove Village Fire Department has purchased a Pierce Velocity, 100′ rear-mount tower ladder from Pierce. The stock unit has a pump and water tank, a first for Elk Grove Village in many years.

Here are several of the previous trucks:

Mack Pirsch tractor-drawn aerial

1970 Mack CF/Pirsch 100′ TDA. jack Connors photo

Mack Pirsch tractor-drawn aerial

Jack Connors photo

Spartan Pirsch tractor-drawn aerial

Elk Grove Village FD Truck 138 was a 1970 Mack CF/Pirsch 100′ TDA that was upgraded in 1987 with a new Spartan tractor. Jack Connors photo

Spartan Pirsch tractor-drawn aerial

Larry Shapiro photo

1983 Emergency One aerial with a Spartan CFC chassis

Assigned as Truck 9, this was a 1983 Spartan CFD/Emergency One 110′ rear mount (0/0). Jack Connors photo

1983 Emergency One aerial with a Spartan CFC chassis

Delivery photo of the 1983 Spartan CFC/Emergency One 110′ 0/0 rear mount aerial. Larry Shapiro photo

In other news, Elk Grove will be purchasing an as of yet underdetermined type small squad to be housed with the new tower ladder at Station 7 as a jump company to handle EMS responses.

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CNN Mike Rowe trains with CFD divers

Mike Rowe of CNN ‘Somebody’s Gotta Do It’ visited the Chicago Fire Department Dive Unit

CNN’s Mike Rowe is in for a long, icy swim training with the Chicago Fire Department’s Air & Sea Rescue unit. “Somebody’s Gotta Do It” airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

thanks Dan

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Chicago Still Alarm fire, 5-12-15

This from Code Photography:

These are from a still alarm a couple weeks ago, we arrived a little late but still got some interesting overhaul shots.

More photos:

-Code Photography

firemen after a fire

Code Photography

house destroyed by fire

Code Photography

firemen overhaul house after fire

Code Photography

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Car fire in Chicago, 5-23-15

This from Tim Olk:

In an alley behind 68th, east of State

minivan engulfed in flames

Tim Olk photo

firemen extinguish a minivan engulfed in flames

Tim Olk photo

firemen extinguish a minivan engulfed in flames

Tim Olk photo

firemen extinguish a minivan engulfed in flames

Tim Olk photo

firemen extinguish a minivan engulfed in flames

Tim Olk photo

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Code 4 fire in Wilmette, 5-28-15

This from Larry Shapiro:

Wilmette firefighters were called to 506 5th Street Friday afternoon (5/28/15) by a resident that had smoke in their 2nd floor apartment. Companies arrived and found a small fire in the basement that was traveling up the pipe chase to the fourth floor.

The alarm was upgraded to a Code 4 for the working fire bringing units from Skokie, Winnetka, Glenview, Glencoe, Northbrook, and Evanston as they opened walls on all floors to get at the fire.

E-ONE Cyclone II e-Max fire engine

Larry Shapiro photo

E-ONE Cyclone II e-Max fire engine

Larry Shapiro photo

E-ONE Cyclone II tower ladder

Larry Shapiro photo

panoramic image of fire scene

Larry Shapiro photo

courtyard building fire scene

Larry Shapiro photo

Northbrook FD Lieutenant

Larry Shapiro photo

Pierce Enforcer fire engine

Larry Shapiro photo

more photos are at shapirophotography.net

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Haz Mat Box Alarm in Lincolnshire, 5/28/15

The Lincolnshire-Riverwoods FPD requested a Haz mat Box Alarm Thursday evening (5/28/15) at the Lincolnshire Marriott Hotel for a chemical reaction.

Excerpts from the DailyHerald.com:

A Lincolnshire Marriott employee accidentally mixed two chemicals at the resort’s indoor pool early Thursday night, prompting hazardous materials crews to evacuate and ventilate the area.

The employee was supposed to pour muriatic acid into a large drum of water but instead, poured it in another drum containing a chemical similar to bleach, Lincolnshire Riverwoods Fire Battalion Chief Duane Christensen said. Realizing the mistake, the employee quickly shut and locked a door leading into the hotel’s first floor and opened a second door to let the gas vent outside, Christensen said.

The employee got a whiff of the chemical reaction and was treated at the resort by paramedics as a precaution after he began coughing. The mixture could have caused difficulty breathing for hotel guests if the employee hadn’t secured the area, said Christensen, crediting his prompt actions. No other symptoms or injuries were reported.

[Firefighters] removed the container of chemicals to a safe location … [and a] cleanup company was [called] to properly dispose of the container.

fire chief and incident commander

Tim Olk photo

Lincolnshier Riverwoods FPD Squad 51

Tim Olk photo

firemen prepare to remove hazardous chemical from building

Tim Olk photo

female fire chief

Tim Olk photo

firefighter wearing full PPE

Tim Olk photo

firemen prepare to remove hazardous chemical from building

Tim Olk photo

firemen at haz mat scene

Tim Olk photo

firemen vent room with fan

Tim Olk photo

fire department Lieutenant Andy Russell

Tim Olk photo

firemen remove hazardous chemical from building

Tim Olk photo

firemen remove hazardous chemical from building

Tim Olk photo

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As seen around … Hinsdale

This from Josh Boyajian:

Here is a shot of Hinsdale’s new Engine 1012.  2014 Pierce Saber 1500/750.
Josh
Pierce Saber fire engine Hinsdale fire department

Hinsdale FD Engine 1012 – 2014 Pierce Saber 1500/750. Josh Boyajian photo

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Rockford FD builds new station

Excerpts from WREX.com:

This weekend residents got the chance to tour the Rockford Fire Departments new station on the city’s southwest side. Firefighters say the hope behind the move is quicker response times. It’s been nearly 30 years since the department built one from the ground up.

“Over the past couple of years we’ve done an in-depth analysis and this is one area that needed a better response,” said Rockford Fire Chief Derek Bergsten. “Further south and west of the city.”

Station #3 is currently located in a commercial area on South Main Street. But the widening of that road took away needed space for firefighters and their equipment. It was difficult for fire trucks to maneuver in and out of the building.

The station, now located in a residential area, gives community members a better sense of safety.

Station #3 hopes to be moved into the new facility in two and a half weeks.

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