this from Drew Smith:

Here’s what I can add:

For those that don’t know the geographical location of Lincolnwood, it is surrounded by the City of Chicago on three sides and Skokie to the north. While Skokie companies arrive quickly, the other suburban mutual aid takes a little longer. Also, with the exception of Evanston, all the mutual aid comes from the north and west as Chicago is to the south and Lake Michigan is on the east. In the past several years Chicago has begun to respond into the suburbs on MABAS alarms when requested.

Lincolnwood FD (LFD) was already on two ambulance calls and as such the truck crew was staffing the second ambulance, not the truck. Terry Menzel was the Commander (BC) on duty and IC. He is currently the deputy chief at the Woodstock Fire Rescue District. I came in when they called the MABAS box alarm and assisted at the command post. The media was everywhere. When this fire occurred, the LFD was just a little over two years old having been created 1/1/1990 after the village informed Chicago they would no longer rely on the CFD for fire suppression. Lincolnwood Police had used Paramedic Services of IL for ambulance service since 1977 and after going out for bids, PSI was selected over two other contractors to run the LFD. I am proud to say I was part of that original group and worked to purchase the apparatus and equipment in the ten months leading up to the start of the FD.

As I recall (its been over 23 years now) …

Skokie T16 arrived pretty quick as they are about a mile to 1.5 miles down the road. They were presented with multiple people at the third floor windows and as shown in the photos began rescues.

The fire was on the third floor. Getting the hose flaked and charged took some time in the heavy smoke, and manpower in the first ten minutes was limited. Skokie sent additional companies and chiefs when the rescue was announced. When I arrived the rescues were over and the fire suppression was underway. It was a standpipe operation, I believe, but I recall that in the building just about each floor had a different floor plan and the two stairwells, while they discharged remote from one another at ground level, were pretty much back to back inside a center core. One went from the roof and penthouse to the basement while the other was just from the lobby to the top floor.

It could have been much worse.