Archive for June, 2015

Commercial building fire in Cicero, 6-17-15

Jun 17

Posted by Admin in Apparatus on-scene, Fire, Fire Scene photos | 4 Comments

This from Josh Boyajian:

The Cicero Fire Department responded to a very well involved building fire on Ogden Avenue (5419 W 30th Street) during afternoon rush hour traffic today (6/17/15). As companies went enroute they reported a large black header in the sky. The fire was in a two-story ordinary, 100×75, auto body shop. Companies encountered heavy fire on arrival and used three master streams and multiple handlines to knock down most of the fire. Companies on scene were: Cicero E1, E2, E3, T1, T2, F-7, F-1, F-12, and Berwyn T904.

Josh Boyajian photo

Josh Boyajian photo

Josh Boyajian photo

Josh Boyajian photo

Josh Boyajian photo

Josh Boyajian photo

Josh Boyajian photo

Tags: Cicero Fire Department, commercial building fire in Cicero, fire scene photos, fire trucks at fire scene, Josh Boyajian

New engine for Wheaton

Jun 17

Posted by Admin in Fire Department News, Fire Truck photos, New Delivery | 2 Comments

From the Pierce Flickr page:

new fire engine for the Wheaton Fire Department

New Pierce Impel engine for Wheaton, so 28395. Pierce composite

thanks Al

Tags: new engine for Wheaton, Pierce Impel PUC pumper, Wheaton Fire Department

LaGrange Full Still Alarm, 6-16-15

Jun 17

Posted by Admin in Apparatus on-scene, Fire, Fire Scene photos | 2 Comments

This from Josh Boyajian:

La Grange was toned out for a garage fire Tuesday evening to 102 Blackstone. They arrived on-scene and had a 25×25 garage fully-involved. The first engine lead out a line and applied foam while Pleasantview’s quint led out a second line. Here are some shots.

Josh Boyajian photo

firemen battle a garage fully engulfed in flames

Josh Boyajian photo

Josh Boyajian photo

Tags: 2 cars destroyed in La Grange garage fire, alley garage on fire, fire scene photos, garage fully engulfed in flames, Josh Boyajian, La Grange Fire Department

Fox River & Countryside Fire Rescue District … tough decisions

Jun 16

Posted by Admin in Fire Department News | 5 Comments

Excerpts from the Kane County Chronicle:

Officials at the the Fox River and Countryside Fire/Rescue District are bracing for critical budget issues caused by the failure of its April referendum, they said.

Board President Jim Gaffney said the district would ask voters for an increase again, this time on the March 15 primary ballot in 2016. Voters defeated the rate hike request by a 3-1 margin in April, records show.

“If it doesn’t pass next March, then we will not meet payroll at all by 2017-18,” Gaffney said.

The board will consider a tentative 2015-16 budget that reflects reduced spending and deferring equipment replacment at its next meeting, 7 p.m. Monday, June 22, at Fire Station Three, 34W500 Carl Lee Road, St. Charles.

Gaffney said the district could be dissolved, but it would have to be by voter initiative.

“Then the state fire marshal comes in and breaks us up, and re-appropriates us into different districts (Elburn, South Elgin, Bartlett and West Chicago),” Gaffney said.

The Fox River district, which formed four years ago, covers parts of St. Charles, Campton, and Wayne townships in Kane and DuPage counties, and sections of Wayne and Campton Hills.

The unaudited 2015 year-end totals show the fire district had $47,877, while the original 2016 budget projections, without cuts, would put the district nearly $500,000 in deficit.

The district cannot replace staff when they leave for better-paying jobs, and has to defer replacement of fire trucks and ambulances, Gaffney said.

A captain, a lieutenant and three firefighter/paramedics left for better paying jobs, Gaffney said. None will be replaced, saving the district $240,000, Gaffney said. But that is not enough to cover the replacement cost of fire trucks at $450,000 and ambulances at $250,000 each, he said.

The fire district’s attorney, Ken Shepro, said equipment replacement is critical.

Starting Wednesday, the district will operate with its remaining 21 personnel, re-arranged in shifts so all stations are covered, with no layoffs.

thanks Dan

CFD reserve squad at the body shop (more)

Jun 16

Posted by Admin in Fire Department News | 22 Comments

From the Fire Service, Inc. Facebook page:

Chicago FD reserve squad after body work at Fire Service, Inc.

Check the previous post HERE

Tags: CFD squad at the body shop, Chicago FD reserve squad, Fire Service Inc.

Working fire in Lyons, 6-14-15

Jun 16

Posted by Admin in Fire Scene photos | Comments off

This from Josh Boyajian:

6-14-2015: The Lyons Fire Department was toned out for a smoke investigation in the area of 4016 S Gage. Before going en route, dispatch advised that they were receiving multiple 911 calls for a house fire. The police arrived on scene and reported they a working house fire. Lyons Engine 1312 arrived first in and led out a line to the front of the home. The front room window was popped and members fed the line through the window to knock down the visible fire. They proceeded to make entry, extinguish the fire, and check for extension. Riverside Truck 1629 opened the roof. Here are some shots.

Josh Boyajian photo

firemen prepare to take a line into a burning house

Josh Boyajian photo

Tags: firemen prepare to take a line into a burning house, house fire in Lyons IL, Josh Boyajian, Lyons Fire Department fire scene photos

Coal City FPD gets search-and-rescue dog

Jun 15

Posted by Admin in Fire Department News | 1 Comment

Excerpts from the Morris-HeraldNews.com:

Last year, Rikki, a 6-month-old German shepherd, was adopted from a rescue in Wisconsin. Now a year older, she’s working as a search-and-rescue dog for the Coal City Fire Protection District with her handler, Lt. Nick Doerfler. She has had more than 200 training hours to become a search-and-rescue dog and is undergoing additional training to become a cadaver dog.

“What brought it on was we had several drownings last year, and dogs had to be brought in to assist,” Doerfler said. “In addition to that, we have several children with autism in our area who have wandering tendencies. Rikki will be able to help find them.”

Doerfler said in her initial water training for human remains detection from a boat, she was able to alert to 1 millimeter of a scent that was 3 feet under water. He said a dog trained in water detection can pinpoint an area within a couple feet for each foot below the surface the body is. If a body is trapped 10 feet under water, the dog will give a 20-foot area to search with sonar or divers, narrowing the search on a large body of water.

As a MABAS 15 asset, she will be available to assist other fire protection districts as needed. Unlike the typical police dog, Rikki will not be used in any criminal cases.

Morris Fire Protection and Ambulance District Chief Tracey Steffes said while police agencies in the area have tracking dogs, having another one available is a great idea. With no other agency in Grundy County having a cadaver dog, Rikki will be valuable to the county.

Rikki, like other working dogs, will work only for her handler and is not trained to bite or attack. Doerfler takes care of Rikki, and she goes home with him where she is part of the family. When he brought the idea to the fire district, he had no idea if officials would let the program move forward or if they would let him be the handler. But he felt it was something the area truly needed. The district not only agreed to buy the dog for $375, but also agreed to let Doerfler be her handler and train with her.

thanks Dan

Tags: Coal City Fire Department, Coal City Fire Protection District, Coal City FPD has search-and-rescue dog, German shepherd search-and-rescue dog

Cancer message for firefighters

Jun 15

Posted by Admin in Fire Service News | 2 Comments

Excerpts from Your4State.com:

Fire Chief W. Kyd Dieterich with the Hagerstown Fire Department doesn’t have a sense of smell, has difficulty talking and has trouble getting ready in the morning.

“I had squamous cell carcinoma in my larynx, so laryngeal cancer,” Dieterich said.

Kyd has worked in the City of Hagerstown for 35 years and was diagnosed with the cancer in 2012. He says over the past ten years it has been discovered that firefighters have been exposed to a high level of carcinogens on a continual basis.

“The mentality used to be that dirty, filthy turnout gear was a badge of honor, that you got in there and you got the job done. When in fact, we’re killing ourselves because cancer rates among firefighters are much higher than the rest of the population,” he said.

Kyd says the European fire service is way ahead of Americans when it comes to cancer prevention. He added they have decontamination stations on the fire trucks, and places like Hagerstown don’t.

“We need to change the culture of the way we think, the way we look at it from day one. The first day on the job, as far as I’m concerned, the very first lesson should be cancer prevention. That’s the only way we’re going to stop it,” Dieterich said.

Kyd joined a firefighter cancer support network in California to be a mentor to others diagnosed with similar types of cancer to what he has. He has simple advice to give to other firefighters.

“Wash your gear, wash your gear, wash your gear. When you’ve been exposed to smoke, carcinogens, things like that, get a shower, get it off your skin as fast as you can. Change your clothes as soon as you can. Mitigate the exposure as much as possible,” Dieterich said.

Chief Dieterich will be retiring at the end of the month.

Tags: Cancer message for firefighters, Fire Chief W. Kyd Dieterich, Hagerstown Fire Department

Chicago Fire Department Haz Mat Level I, 6-14-15

Jun 15

Posted by Admin in Hazardous Materials Incident | 1 Comment

This from Eric Haak:

The outbound lanes of the Bishop Ford Freeway (I94) were closed at 137th Street for nearly three hours due to a semi that crashed into the median and damaged the saddle tank. One other vehicle was involved in the incident. The accident happened on the incline leading up to the Steel Bridge which caused the diesel fuel to roll downhill towards the shoulder. Engine 80 and Truck 62 were first up and dropped one line and began diking the spill. Engine 75 took a position on the off ramp to Beaubien Woods and dropped a second line. The wreck occurred at about 4:55 and companies remained on the scene until 7:45 when the State Police finally reopened the expressway.

tow truck cleans spill from semi on highway

Eric Haak photo

Eric Haak photo

fireman pulls hose line wearing safety vest

Eric Haak photo

firefighters at haz mat scene on highway

Eric Haak photo

Eric Haak photo

Eric Haak photo

Eric Haak photo

Tags: Bishop Ford Expressway I94 in Chicago closed for hazardous materials incident, Chicago Fire Department, Chicago Fire Department Hazardous Materials Mobile Lab, Eric Haak

Historical society seeking donations for renovation

Jun 14

Posted by Admin in Fire Department News | Comments off

Excerpts from theChicagoTribune.com:

As the walls and ceilings are torn away from the former Cicero Fire House No. 2 building on Lake Street, history is coming alive for Frank Lipo. After serving the community for more than a century in many different capacities, the old firehouse, built in 1898 at 129 Lake St., is the oldest public building in Oak Park, [and] it will serve as the new home of the historical society once the renovation is complete.

Frank Lipo, the executive director of the historical society, said the $600,000 project will restore the building to its original grandeur, while installing a few modern amenities as well.

“Our goal is to get replica doors so they look like the historical photographs,” Lipo said of the former barn-style front door entrances, which are now covered by cinder blocks and windows. “The goal is to put a brick plaza out front, to mimic where the fire engines left the building.”

In June, Lipo says three 500-foot deep wells will be dug adjacent to the building, and a geothermal HVAC system will be installed, which he hopes will better preserve historical artifacts.

When the old ceilings were removed, they provided an interesting glimpse into the past. The underside of the second floor revealed two large holes where firefighters would slide down poles from the upper floor to the fire engines below. Crews also discovered horse feed preserved beneath the second floor in the rear of the building. Horses were kept on the first floor in the rear of the building, and brought up front to pull early fire wagons.

While it plans to celebrate the past, today the historical society is reaching out to the community for help in finishing its project.

Lipo said two Illinois Department of Natural Resources grants, totaling almost $200,000 were “suspended, but not canceled” by the state. While hopeful the money will be released, the historical society has launched an Indiegogo crowdsource campaign, which seeks cash donations online to ensure all the work will be completed.

Those interested in donating can visit http://www.indiegogo.com and search for “The Historical Society of Oak Park and River Forest.” More information is also available at http://www.oprfhistory.org.

thanks Dan

Tags: Cicero Fire House No. 2, historical society to preserve old firehouse, Oak Park Fire Department