Archive for March, 2017

Hanover Park Fire Department news

Excerpts from the DailyHerald.com:

More than half of firefighters’ line-of-duty deaths are caused not by external dangers such as flames or building collapses, but from cardiovascular reactions to the physical stress of the job, experts say.

Hanover Park Fire Chief Craig Haigh believes his department can help bring down those numbers as the main test subjects of a 21-month national research project.

It’s aim is to improve know-how and equipment to better handle internal pressures on the heart, lungs, brain, and core body temperature during emergency calls that now result in 50 percent to 60 percent of firefighters’ line-of-duty deaths, according to statistics compiled by the U.S. Fire Administration.

Since January, and continuing through September 2018, all 52 active Hanover Park firefighter-paramedics have agreed to wear a monitor that measures their physiological responses during each 24-hour shift.

Most people don’t understand what firefighters are really enduring when they’re at a fire or similar emergency, said the study’s lead investigator, Professor Denise Smith of Skidmore College in New York. She’s sampled enough firefighting gear to recognize there’s no comparison between traditional athletic endeavors and the total physical exhaustion firefighters face. The gear firefighters wear typically weighs 30 to 50 pounds, while the equipment they may carry at any given time can add 25 more pounds.

Haigh said several factors contributed to his department’s having a unique role in the research … the Hanover Park Fire Department has just the right characteristics for the project. The department is large enough to provide a sufficient number and variety of calls for the study, yet small enough to secure 100 percent compliance among employees.

That reflects the excellent labor relations Hanover Park enjoys with its firefighter-paramedics. Many unions would balk at the intensive monitoring and sharing of personal medical information the research requires.

SMARTER stands for Science, Medicine, Research, Technology for Emergency Responders. The project, funded by a $1.5 million grant from the Department of Homeland Security, continues the research Smith has been engaged in for 21 years.

Among the breakthroughs it’s already discovered is recognition that firefighters need rehab while on a call. That means making sure firefighters emerging from a burning structure take time to rest, rehydrate, lower their body temperature, and take nourishment.

The study also shows firefighters are getting much too hot wearing heavy structure-fire gear for conditions that probably warrant a different type of protection.

A long-running goal of equipment manufacturers has been to make firefighting gear lighter, more breathable and less restrictive, while providing all the protection required. Smith hopes her research helps achieve that goal.

The SMARTER Project also aims to improve the portability of devices used to measure the presence and concentration of toxic particulates in the air, so firefighters know better when to use their breathing gear even in the absence of visible smoke.

Agencies and organizations supporting the SMARTER Project include the University of Illinois Fire Service Institute, the University of California at Los Angeles, the U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, the Fire Protection Research Foundation, National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, Globe Manufacturing Co., Zephyr Medtronic, and the International Association of Firefighters.

thanks Dan

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Elgin Fire Barn news

Excerpts from the ChicagoTribune.com:

With the support of a relatively small group of volunteer members, Elgin Fire Barn No. 5 Museum remains a working piece of local history.

The city council on Wednesday unanimously agreed to move forward updating an agreement with the nonprofit that runs the museum. The city-owned fire barn at 533 St. Charles St. was built in 1903-1904 to hold two horses and a hose wagon and at the time stood at the southernmost spot in Elgin.

According to the agreement, the city will continue to be responsible for maintaining the building and property, pay for utilities, except telephone service, and continue to maintain insurance for the property. City officials said utilities for the building ran $4,456 last year, while the estimated property insurance cost to the city is $945 annually. The city also takes care of additional periodic maintenance and repairs to the building and plans to paint its exterior this year.

The previous five-year deal expired in 2002, but continued to operate under the old terms, including a $10-per-year lease. The terms of the updated agreement are substantially similar to the previous one, including a five-year term and rent of $10 per year.

Revisions to the term from 2017 through 2021 include an automatic renewal provision by which the agreement is automatically renewed for additional five-year terms unless terminated by one of the parties.

The nonprofit also has to maintain and update museum records including providing an inventory of the museum collection and to make those records available to the city.

Fire Barn museum volunteer/members Dale Betts and James Carrigan noted that members try to provide for as much of the maintenance and upkeep as they can, further curbing expenses. The group spends about $200 each year fueling the three antique vehicles it has so that they can be used in parades.

While one of those vehicles is on display in the Fire Barn, the other two are stored in Elgin fire stations. The museum has been trying for two years to find its own storage space.

The museum had 672 visits in 2016, which is a typical annual tally and is run off of donations and the work of volunteers. There are currently 77 dues-paying members.

Betts has been a Fire Barn volunteer for five years and Carrigan has been involved for seven years.

New exhibits this year include a wall dedicated to the events of Sept. 11, 2001 and a display about a fire in the winter of 1956 at the Rialto movie house in downtown Elgin in which the roof collapsed.

Carrigan said the group also has been working to put together a yearbook, of sorts, looking at the 150-year history of the Elgin Fire Department. He expects the piece will be published sometime in midsummer.

Thanks to Elgin Building Maintenance Superintendent Rich Hoke and his crew, the men said, the fountain in front of the museum, which had not been working for more than five years, will be operating again during warm weather.

Filled with fire department lore and memorabilia, the building is on the National Register of Historic Places and has been a museum since 1993.

The space is available to rent for events which have included memorial services, wakes and funerals, visits from groups such as Northern Illinois Fire Buffs, children’s birthday parties, and scouting organizations.

Since the space is run by volunteers, it is typically only open for general visiting every other Sunday afternoon, but it is recommended to call 847-697-6242 or email efb5m@outlook.com before stopping by.

Suggested admission is $2 for adults and $1 for children under the age of 7. For information, go to www.elginfiremuseum.com/.

thanks Dan

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Chicagoareafire.com website update (more)

The following departments have been added to the new site.

  • Lake Forest
  • Knollwood
  • Lake Bluff
  • Newport Township
  • Long Grove
  • Lincolnshire-Riverwoods
  • Winthrop Harbor

There have been some updates of newer or current apparatus, but most likely they are not completely accurate. Any assistance would be appreciated with regards to missing photos and fact checking department specs etc.

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New ambulance for Libertyville

From the Foster Coach Sales Facebook page:

Brand new horton conversion on a Ford F550 chassis

Libertyville Fire Department ambulance

Foster Coach Sales photo

chevron striping on rear of ambulance

Foster Coach Sales photo

Horton Type I ambulance on Ford F550 chassis

Foster Coach Sales photo

new ambulance interior

Foster Coach Sales photo

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McHenry County fire departments struggle with staffing (more)

Excerpts from the NorthwestHerald.com:

McHenry County fire officials – like their counterparts across the country – are having a difficult time finding young recruits to take the place of aging veterans.

“We are struggling to find young recruits, and it’s a difficult situation because the volunteer position is not really what it once was,” Harvard Fire Protection District Battalion Chief Don Davidson said. “People don’t have as much free time as they used to, and ambulance calls have increased over the years.”

Davidson said his department actively recruits within the district, but has had to rely on paramedics outside of the district on occasion to fill some needs.

Spring Grove Fire Protection District Chief Richard Tobiasz said there’s even more of a need for some of the smaller departments in McHenry County. Tobiasz said the main problems are the already limited pool of candidates and the time it takes to train those who are interested.

“There’s a lot to know and it’s a huge time commitment to become a firefighter,” Tobiasz said. “Anyone off the streets who wants to work as a firefighter or paramedic would need at least two years of training, and being a firefighter has changed a lot in the last 30 years. You need to know hazardous materials, more paramedic training and the changes in building construction and materials.”

Since Hebron is such a small town, the Hebron Fire Protection District has a paid on-call program where the volunteers respond from their homes.

“We rely on people coming from their homes and businesses to respond for emergency calls,” Hebron-Alden-Greenwood Fire Protection District Chief Tom Linneman said. “But finding volunteers can be hard especially in today’s world. A lot of our volunteers are younger people who are starting their families out, and family commitment doesn’t allow them to volunteer as often as they may like.

“We used to have a factory in town that probably employed five or six of our volunteers and when there was a call, they were able to help out right away,” Linneman said. “But that’s no longer the case now and a lot of times factories can’t afford to have the employees leave anymore.”

Spring Grove and other fire departments around McHenry County are addressing the need for early training with their explorer programs, which give youth the chance to experience fire and emergency medical services before using hands-on and classroom training. The goal is for participants to get an early taste in what being a firefighter entails.

The Spring Grove program meets on a weekly basis and trains participants in forcible entry, fire extinguisher use, fire ground safety, hose and ladder drills, extrication drills, CPR certification and patient care. It is open to both men and women between the ages of 15 and 21 from Spring Grove and neighboring communities.

Richmond Township Fire Protection District and Wonder Lake Fire Protection District also have their own programs to teach high school students about the field.

thanks Dan

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Rockford Fire Department news

Excerpts from wrex.com:

Rockford Fire Chief Derek Bergsten has been selected to join a national panel focused on the future of emergency medical services.  the EMS Agenda 2050.

Ten professionals with medical, fire and public health backgrounds will develop a roadmap of what the future of EMS holds for the country.

“I think the biggest idea is really linking up our emergency response to the entire health continuum. That involves the emergency room, the primary care physician that we’re all talking and working together to benefit that patient.”

Bergsten joins firefighters from LA, New York City and Boston on this panel. The first in-person meetings for the panel are scheduled for late 2017 in four cities across the country.

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New engine for Chicago (more)

Updated production photos of an engine being built for Chicago at E-ONE – so# 140847

Fire engine being built

E-ONE photo

Fire engine being built

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Fire engine being built

E-ONE photo

Fire engine being built

E-ONE photo

Fire engine being built

E-ONE photo

Fire engine being built

E-ONE photo

Fire engine being built

E-ONE photo

Fire engine being built

E-ONE photo

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Chicago Fire Department history, 5-11 Alarm fire 11-14-03

This from Steve Redick:

Found an audio tape of the radio traffic from this job at 19th & Peoria that I made from a fire alarm office recording. I am also enclosing a link to the images from this job  It really is amazing how much more advanced my tools and techniques have become since taking these. As I recall TL39 lost power with the basket in a precarious position and I have images of the members stretching an exposure line to protect the  basket and ladder. I remember seeing this from the elevated portion of the Dan Ryan as I was enroute and seeing heavy flames from a square block area … what a site. Considering the massive amount of fire here there were few really good images to be had. Enjoy the history.

Steve

massive fire burns in warehouse at night

Steve Redick photo

flames through the roof at night

Steve Redick photo

massive fire burns in warehouse at night

Steve Redick photo

massive fire burns in warehouse at night

Steve Redick photo

massive fire burns in warehouse at night

Steve Redick photo

massive fire burns in warehouse at night

Steve Redick photo

heavy smoke from warehouse fire at night

Steve Redick photo

heavy smoke from warehouse fire at night

Steve Redick photo

massive fire burns in warehouse at night

Steve Redick photo

massive fire burns in warehouse at night

Steve Redick photo

Chicago FD Squad 5A Snorkel at fire scene

Steve Redick photo

massive fire burns in warehouse at night

Steve Redick photo

photo gallery from the fire

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Plainfield Fire Protection District news

Excerpts from the Herald-news.com:

On Monday, the Plainfield Village Board granted a special use permit for planned development of a mixed-use building at 15025 S. Des Plaines St., the former Plainfield Fire Protection District headquarters.

Developers plan to convert the second level into six residential units while the first floor is transformed for commercial or restaurant use.  The plan includes the potential for a second phase in which the building would be added on to and would feature a similar arrangement, with four additional residential units.

The fire station is steps from downtown’s main strip of Lockport Street.

Interior demolition work is underway, according to board documents. The station opened in 1950 and closed in 2009, when the fire district opened a new station on South Coil Plus Drive. It was used as storage until it was sold in September.

The village’s staff report states that rental occupancy downtown is very high, and contact continues to come in from companies interested in locating downtown.

thanks Dan

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Vintage fire engine for sale (more)

This from Dave Weaver:

The eBay auction for Engine 87 ends tonight at 9 PM.

1960 B-Model Mack fire engine, Chicago FD Engine 87 replica for sale

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