Archive for January, 2016

Anniversary of multiple LODD at the Hubbard Street Fire January 28, 1961

Jan 29

Posted by Admin in Fire Department History, LODD | 2 Comments

On January 28, 1961, at 6:30 a.m., the Chicago Fire Department responded to a seven-story warehouse fire at 614 W. Hubbard St. The structure was heavily involved and within 20 minutes the alarm was raised to a 5-11. The response brought more than 300 men, 67 pieces of equipment, and two fireboats pumping water from the Chicago River.

Battalion Chief George Kuhn led several firefighters onto the roof of an adjacent two-story building to run a hose into the burning warehouse. Without warning, the adjoining warehouse wall collapsed onto the smaller building, burying Chief Kuhn and his firefighters. Other firefighters raced to rescue those buried in the rubble and, as they worked, the roof of the smaller building collapsed, burying the initial victims and rescuers.

In all nine fireman perished, including two battalion chiefs.

Battalion Chief George Rees, Engine 40, Battalion 1

Battalion Chief George Kuhn, Engine 19, Battalion 5

Lt. Charles Rauch, Engine 114

Lt. Louis Repkin, Truck 19

Firefighter Hillard S. Augustine, Squad 10

Firefighter William Hillistad, Engine 44

Firefighter Stanley Sliwinski, Engine 26

Firefighter Ciro Zuccarello, Engine 26

Firefighter Robert Burns, Squad 2

thanks Dan

hubbard_street_sully_kolomay-1 hubbard_street_sully_kolomay-2

Click the link above for a photo gallery that is Courtesy of the Fire Museum of Greater Chicago

Tags: Battalion Chief George Kuhn, Battalion Chief George Rees, CFD LODD anniversary, Chicago Fire Department, Firefighter Ciro Zuccarello, Firefighter Hillard S. Augustine, Firefighter Robert Burns, Firefighter Stanley Sliwinski, Firefighter William Hillistad, Lt. Charles Rauch, Lt. Louis Repkin, nine Chicago firefighters killed at warehouse fire in 1961, Sully Kolomay, the Fire Museum of Greater Chicago, The Hubbard Street Fire January 28 1961

New engine for Glenwood

Jan 29

Posted by Admin in Fire Department News, Fire Truck photos, New Delivery | 3 Comments

From the HME Fire Trucks Facebook page:

HME side-mount pumper heads for service with the Glenwood Fire Department, Village of Glenwood, IL. Features: tight-turning HME 1871-SFO custom chassis, 2000-GPM HME Hydra Technology™, 750-gallon tank, corrosion resistant pumper-style body, storage solutions and more. Congratulations to the Glenwood Fire Department and Fire Chief Kevin Welsh.

HME Fire Trucks photo

HME Fire Trucks photo

Tags: Glenwood Fire Department, HME Fire Trucks, new engine for Glenwood FD

Barrington Countryside Fire Protection District to join NWCDS

Jan 28

Posted by Admin in Fire Department News | 1 Comment

From the Barrington Countryside Fire Protection District website:

The Barrington Countryside Fire Protection District (BCFPD) Board of Trustees, at its December 21st meeting, approved a resolution to negotiate a contract for emergency dispatch services with nationally-accredited Northwest Central Dispatch Services (NWCDS). The unanimous vote reflects District officials’ ongoing efforts to improve service to residents.

The decision follows an in-depth analysis completed by BCFPD officers that confirmed NWCDS’ operations and its use of the advanced STARCOM radio system. This will improve communication between firefighter/paramedics and dispatchers, particularly in areas of Barrington Hills, Inverness, South Barrington, Lake Barrington, and unincorporated areas served by the District.

If approved by the NWCDS Board of Directors, NWCDS would begin providing dispatch services to BCFPD in early 2017. The District’s agreement with its current dispatch provider, Round Lake Beach-based CenCom E9-1-1, requires a 12-month notice before the existing contract can be cancelled.

Established in 1972, NWCDS is a regional dispatch center based in Arlington Heights that serves 12 area communities and public service departments – including several that have automatic aid agreements with the Barrington Countryside Fire Protection District. It was the first dispatch center in Illinois to earn accreditation as an EMD Dispatch Center of Excellence by the National Academies of Emergency Dispatch.

Tags: Barrington & Countryside Fire Protection District, Barrington Countryside FPD to join NWCDS, CenCom 911 Dispatch, Northwest Central Dispatch Services

Police officers and firefighters collect water for residents of Flint, MI

Jan 28

Posted by Admin in Reader submission | 1 Comment

Excerpts from theDailyHerald.com:

Residents from the suburbs are coming together to help those affected by the water crisis in Flint, Michigan. Cases upon cases of bottled water are stacking up at seven fire departments serving as regional drop-off points for the effort spurred by the Buffalo Grove Police Department. The drive for safe drinking water aims to assist Flint police and firefighters who are busy helping residents in their community.

Fire departments are receiving the water in Arlington Heights, Grayslake, Round Lake, Schiller Park, Lake Zurich, North Riverside, and Utica. Bottled-water donations also will be accepted around the clock through 6 p.m. Friday, at Buffalo Grove police headquarters, 46 Raupp Blvd. The Arlington Heights Fire Department collected 100 cases of water and dropped them off to Buffalo Grove, firefighter Andrew Larson said.

Buffalo Grove Deputy Police Chief Roy Bethge expects at least 2,000 cases of bottled water to arrive at the department for shipment to Flint. The original plan was for off-duty police to use a truck to bring the water to Michigan, but the response has been so great that officials now hope someone will volunteer a semitrailer truck for the delivery.

Grayslake Fire Chief John Christian said it’s been almost a nonstop stream of visitors bringing cases of bottled water to the department’s downtown headquarters since the effort began Monday.

Flint has been contending with the crisis since elevated levels of lead were discovered in its water supply last year. Donations of safe drinking water are going to the city from across the country.

In another effort, the Lake County Housing Authority is collecting bottled water and money to purchase it for residents of the Flint Housing Commission. The housing authority will accept cases of bottled water and checks through Thursday, Feb. 4. The authority is at 33928 N. Route 45, just outside Grayslake. Donations will be taken from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday, Friday, Monday and Tuesday. Drop-offs of water and checks will be accepted from 8 a.m. to noon Wednesday, Feb. 3, and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 4.

Checks should be made out to Lake County Housing Authority with the notation “Flint Water” in the memo line, Northern said.

thanks Dan

Tags: Buffalo Grove Deputy Police Chief Roy Bethge, Buffalo Grove Police Department, Grayslake Fire Chief John Christian, Police officers and firefighters collect water for residents of Flint MI, water contamination in Flint MI

New engine for West Chicago (more)

Jan 28

Posted by Admin in Fire Department News, Fire truck being built | 5 Comments

From the Ferrara Fire Apparatus website: – production photos of the new engine for the West Chicago FPD

Ferrara Fire Apparatus photo

Tags: Ferrara Fire Apparatus, new engine for West Chicago, pictures of fire engine being built, West Chicago Fire Protection District

Working fire in Cicero, 1-27-16

Jan 28

Posted by Admin in Apparatus on-scene, Fire Scene photos | 1 Comment

This from Josh Boyajian:

Cicero had a good working fire at 5346 w 23rd pl Wednesday morning. F-7 arrived to find a 1.5-sty, wood frame with heavy fire showing on the first floor. Companies made a very aggressive attack and a push up to the second floor where there was fire hidden in the attic and knee walls. Engine 2 had three lines lead out and Truck’s 1 & 2 had their mains up. Here are a few shots about 10 min into the fire.

Josh Boyajian photo

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, fire scene photos, house fire in Cicero, Josh Boyajian

Fox River & Countryside Fire/Rescue District news (more)

Jan 27

Posted by Admin in Fire Department News | 2 Comments

Excerpts from the KaneCountyChronicle.com:

About 60 people packed the Fox River and Countryside Fire Protection District meeting Monday to state their concerns with a staffing plan they said would result in fewer full-time firefighters and possibly longer response times.

Paul Ross, formerly a captain on the department, chastised the board for considering such a plan and said firefighters were concerned about losing medical coverage, sick and vacation days, retirement benefits and seniority.

“As I began to see the shortcomings in his [Fire Chief Carl DeLeo] proposed plan, I offered suggestions to try to mitigate the concerns that I, and other officers, had, as well as serious safety issues with regards to potential staffing and future response capabilities, … Make no mistake, you are about to lay off 18-plus employees who have families to support,” Ross said.

Ross said during his last several years with the district, his duties included hiring all part-time staff to supplement the full-time members. “The department has a 75 percent turnover rate for part time staff and today, after employing 50-plus part-time members, we have nine that are still with the department,” Ross said.

District resident Julie Riffle of Campton Hills criticized the board for suggesting to pay firefighters “less than someone working at McDonald’s.”

Board President Bob Handley said the part-time staffing model was necessary because the district had to cut costs by $200,000 to $300,000, and the staffing model proposed for the Fox River district is the same one used by Pingree Grove, McHenry, Evergreen Park and McHenry.

“This model is not going to leave the distrcit any less safe,” Handley said.

thanks Dan

Tags: Fire Chief Carl DeLeo, fire district may consider part-time staffing, fire district postpones tax referendum, Fox River & Countryside Fire/Rescue District, Fox River & Countryside FPD wants tax increase, Fox River and Countryside Fire/Rescue District, Public Safety Systems Inc

Smeal/Ladder Tower Co building first 55′ Snorkel (more)

Jan 27

Posted by Admin in Fire Department News, Fire truck being built | 3 Comments

Production photos from the Interstate Emergency Vehicles Facebook page of the new 55′ Snorkel for the Frankfort Fire Protection District

Frankfort Illinois new 55′ LTC L7003 Snorkel aerial curbside body section. Interstate Emergency Vehicles photo

Interstate Emergency Vehicles photo

LTC 55′ Snorkel progress photos, base section of the boom. Interstate Emergency Vehicles photo

LTC 55′ Snorkel base boom section up date. Interstate Emergency Vehicles photo

SMEAL / LTC L7003 55′ Snorkel Progress. Interstate Emergency Vehicles photo

L7003 LTC 55′ Snorkel Basket for Frankfort FPD, Frankfort, Illinois. Interstate Emergency Vehicles photo

Tags: fire truck being built, Frankfort Fire Protection District, Frankfort Fire Protection District to receive first new Snorkel built by Smeal, Frankfort FPD orders Snorkel, Smeal building 55' Snorkel

Vintage Chicago fire scene: 5-11 alarm in 1971

Jan 27

Posted by Admin in Fire Department History, Historic Fire Photo | 2 Comments

This from Steve Redick:

5-11 & 1 Special 952 N Michigan Ave, Feb 5, 1971. What a deal this must have been!

News clipping from a 5-11 Alarm fire with 1 Special Alarm at 952 N Michigan Ave, Feb 5, 1971. Warren Redick collection

historic fire scene in Chicago depicting Big Mo

Tags: Chicago Fire Department history, historic Chicago newspaper article, News clippings from a 5-11 Alarm fire with 1 Special Alarm at 952 N Michigan Ave Feb 5 1971, Vintage Chicago fire scene: 5-11 alarm in 1971

CFD LODD anniversary – Firefighter Ed Coglianese

Jan 26

Posted by Admin in Fire Department History, LODD | Comments off

Excerpts from DNAinfo.com:

The same day the Chicago Bears won Super Bowl XX, the city also lost Chicago Fire Lt. Edmond Coglianese.

Coglianese, 42, of Mount Greenwood, died while fighting a fire at the Mark Twain Hotel. He saved two elderly residents who were caught on the third floor of the residential hotel at 111 W. Division St. before he went back into the five-story building to search for more survivors, according to a Chicago Tribune report. The 12-year veteran was later trapped by flames and died of smoke inhalation on Jan. 26, 1986.

In all, 35 senior citizens were rescued from the burning hotel using ladders. Another 100 people came out of the building through stairways, according to a fire department report.

A bell-ringing ceremony was held at 8 a.m. Tuesday (1/26/16) at Coglianese’s firehouse — Engine Co. 98. The hardworking father left behind his wife, Eileen, and two children, Allyson and Matt.

Eileen Coglianese, is president of the Gold Badge Society. Among their most gut-wrenching duties is to arrive at the hospital and later at the homes of families who are mourning the sudden loss of a firefighter or paramedic who has died in the line of duty.

Their shared experience is meant to help ease the overwhelming emotional toll that is suddenly thrust upon the family. They also help with the finer details such as funeral arrangements, media requests and other issues that come along after such a tragedy.

thanks Dan