This from Mike Summa:
Hello,Here is a photo of an early Oak Lawn truck. Again, I’m sorry that I have no specs on it. I know that it’s on a Pierce Arrow chassis. If anybody knows anything more about it, please feel free to advise. Thank you, hope you enjoy.Mike S.
Oak Lawn Engine 24. Mike Summa photo
Here are a few more hosts from the chicagoareafire.com database … with differing specs
Oak Lawn Engine 24 – 1988 Spartan Monarch/Pierce 1250/300 55′ quint. Larry Shapiro photo
Oak Lawn Engine 24 – 1988 Spartan/Pierce 1250/400 75′ quint. Karl Klotz photo
#1 by William Kolar on October 6, 2016 - 9:41 PM
I’m gathering family history and remember our father Albert (deceased) mentioning that he had been a volunteer in the early 1950’s. I would be very interested in obtaining any records, rosters and/or photos to support this claim. Please advise.
#2 by MABAS 21 on April 7, 2016 - 7:04 AM
Engine 28, the 1975 American, was refurbished by Pierce in the late 80’s with a new Arrow cab and body.
#3 by Mike H. on April 6, 2016 - 10:39 PM
You made my day! Thank you so much for posting those pics. I remember this classic quint very well. The best of both Spartan and Pierce, in one. Oak Lawn had some Pierce Arrow engines too, when this was in service. Didn’t OLFD retire 24 in 2008? I remember seeing it up until about 2006 or so.
#4 by Rich on April 6, 2016 - 6:00 PM
I didn’t know oak lawn had a tower? They had to be one of the first with a tower in that area?
#5 by MABAS 21 on April 6, 2016 - 3:48 PM
here’s a link to some Oak Lawn pics:
http://www.illinoisfiretrucks.com/CHICAGO-METROPOLITAN-AREA-FDs/COOK-COUNTY-SOUTH/OAK-LAWN-FIRE-DEPARTMENT/
#6 by Mike Mc on April 6, 2016 - 12:44 PM
Thanks for all the historical info. Didn’t Oak Lawn have a Dodge, cab over engine, squad truck before the conversion of the WLF engine? Oak Lawn, on their own initiative, send the squad to the December, 1972 plane crash at 70th and Lawndale in Chicago. One of the Oak Lawn chiefs, not sure if McCastland or Hulett, before used to ride SS-1 in Chicago. He also ordered some of his firemen to ride SS-1. He was big on having a squad as a result.
I remember the 1950’s engine forward Seagrave. It was a classic.
#7 by MABAS 21 on April 6, 2016 - 12:14 PM
Some Oak Lawn history given to me from one of thier retired Captains:
“Their station numbering system changed a great deal in the late 60’s to late 80’s. When Grandview Park and Columbus Manor were still in operation, as independent volunteer fire departments, Oak Lawn had two stations. Station 1 was part of the public safety center on Cook Ave. and Station 2 was at 103rd St. and 52nd Ave. Grandview Park was annexed into Oak Lawn that station located at 89th Pl. and Menard Ave. became Station 3. Stations 1 & 2 were staffed full time and Station 3 was used as an equipment “repair shops”. The structure was torn down long ago and is a park today.
Columbus Manor had two stations. Their Station 1 was at approx 97th St. and Marion and Station 2 was the station you see at 90th St. and Oak Park Ave. Part of Columbus Manor’s district covered the Southfield area in Bridgeview from Oak Park to Harlem, 87th St. to 91st St. When Oak Lawn annexed Columbus Manor, all of the stations lost their number designations and were named:
Headquarters — Cook Ave.
South Station — 103Rd St. & 52nd Ave.
Marion Station — 97th St. & Marion
Menard Station — 89th Pl. & Menard Ave.
Oak Park Station — 90th St. & Oak Park Ave.
When the station at 103rd St. and Kostner Ave. opened in 1975, the stations were again renamed:
Station 1 — 103Rd St. & Kostner Ave.
Station 2 — 103Rd & 52nd Ave.
Station 3 — Cook Ave.
Station 4 — 97th St. & Marion
Station 5 — 89th Pl & Menard Ave.
Station 6 — 90th St. & Oak Park Ave.
Stations 1, 2, 3, & 4 were staffed full time. Stations 5 & 6 still relied on volunteers. Station 4 closed when the present Station 2 opened in 1987 and was torn down a short time later. Single family homes occupy the spot today. Station 5 was torn down around this time and Station 6 is used as park district storage.
A little known fact was that Bridgeview ran out of the Oak Park Station for a short period of time. This was just before the 100th Pl station opened as Station 3.
Oak Lawn did have 3 trucks on the roster for several years. Truck 11 started out as Quad 8, a 1955 Seagrave. Not sure when the vehicles were re-numbered, it was shortly after Columbus Manor was annexed. Quad 8 became Truck 11 and was stored at Station 2. Chief McCastland had Truck 11 completely restored in the early 90’s and re-numbered it to Truck 22 which became the “academy” truck. Truck 10 was at Station 3. Truck 12 and Engine 28, both Americans, were purchased at the same time for use in the new Station 1. The company went out of business shortly after taking delivery. Truck 12 broke down almost everytime it was driven. The last fire it operated at was the Snuggery fire in Hometown. It was sold to a town in Ohio. Truck 10 and Engine 27 were de-commissioned about the time the new Engine 24 arrived in 1987 (housed at the new Station 2).
By the time the tornado went thru in 1967, Oak Lawn had an aging fleet of equipment. A 1944 Seagrave engine, a 50’s era Seagrave engine, and several early 50’s FWD’s inherited from the annexations. Chief Hulett got a federal grant and puchased a 1968 Ward La France engine. This became Engine 23 and was housed at Cook Av. For a short time, this engine was re-numbered E29 and was later converted to Squad 1, I think, in the early 80’s. By this time, Oak Lawn’s fleet had 3 1977 Macks ( E25, E26, and E30), the 1975 American (E28), and the 50’s era Seagrave (E27).”
The eqiupment roster was at one time:
Car 1 Truck 10 Engine 21
Car 2 Truck 11 Engine 22
Car 3 Truck 12 Engine 23
Ambulance 4 Rescue 15 Engine 24
Photo 5 Squad 16 Engine 25
Ambulance 6 Lighting 17 Engine 26
Ambulance 7 Service 18 Engine 27
Ambulance 8 Service 19 Engine 28
Car 9 Car 20 Engine 30
Today Oak Lawn is no longer an ISO 1 department. They sold Squad 1 (Pierce Lance) and Truck 3 (E-One Cyclone 110′ RM 0/0) and rely on Evergreen Park and North Palos for truck companies on reported fires. The current Squad 1 is nothing more but a pick-up truck outfitted with some eqiupment, which runs out of Station 3 with their 75′ quint.
#8 by Behind the Mic on April 6, 2016 - 12:13 PM
Bill, yes, at one time there was a 4th house. At the time this rig was in service OLFD had no real rhyme or reasoning to their numbering system. Engine 30 was at Station 1, with MED 1 (ALS), and Ambulance 1 (BLS). Engine 24 was at #3, Along with Squad 1, Battalion 1 and BLS Ambulance 3. Engine 27 was located at #2 with MED 2 (ALS).
Now the rigs are numbered according to what house they run from (with the exception of the squad, BC and reserve rigs.
#9 by Bill Post on April 6, 2016 - 10:04 AM
The thing about this rig that also stands out is that it is an early quint, before the idea became popular. While I don’t know what their fire company numbering system was back then, weren’t their 4 active stations in Oak Lawn at one time before the current 3 of today? Wasn’t the fourth one taken out of service sometime in the 1980s? Does anyone know the history of the stations and companies in Oak Lawn? What was the number of engines and trucks that they once ran with and why and when did they close that fourth station? Is Oak Lawn still a Class One department because they certainly have taken companies out of service over the last 10 to 20 years. For example don’t they rely on mutual aide truck companies these days? Does the squad run as the first due engine out of it’s station now?
#10 by Mike L on April 5, 2016 - 2:30 PM
This was, in fact, a 55′ 2 section ladder as mentioned in Larry’s photo; not a 75′ as the other photo lists. Somewhat rare to see a 55′ 2-section fully functional ladder on a rig and was the only one in the Chicago area.
#11 by Scott on April 5, 2016 - 2:07 PM
Thanks, I should have clarified. Yes the workhorse of Pierce back then.
#12 by Scott on April 5, 2016 - 1:23 PM
This was just before Pierce started building their own chassis. Many burbs that had Pierces had Hendrickson, Spartan or as you know with CFD the Fords.
#13 by Admin on April 5, 2016 - 1:57 PM
Actually, the Pierce Arrow cab first came out in 1979 http://www.piercemfg.com/Pierce/History/Timeline
#14 by Crabby Milton on April 5, 2016 - 8:34 AM
Nice unit and good shots too.
The PIERCE ARROW is a chassis unto itself and this one while a PIERCE, is built on a SPARTAN chassis per the caption. I supposed you could order a PIERCE apparatus on a SPARTAN chassis but I would imagine that is rare.