This from Jeff Braun, Jr:
Here are some shots from the Full Still in Cicero, on the 1600 Block of Cicero Ave.
Thanks. -Jeff Braun Jr. COUNTY-WIDE FIRE PHOTOGRAPHY
County-Wide Fire Photography
County-Wide Fire Photography
County-Wide Fire Photography
County-Wide Fire Photography
County-Wide Fire Photography
County-Wide Fire Photography
County-Wide Fire Photography
County-Wide Fire Photography
#1 by thefiremang on March 10, 2017 - 12:57 PM
Mike, Cicero has up to 19-20 fire personnel on shift 2 engines with 4, 2 trucks with 4, 1 engine with 3 and F-12 shift chief. 4 ambs with 2 but they are contract medics and not firefighters. Cicero has plentiful of manpower most of the time. That amount of personnel on duty could handle the equivalent of a box alarm than most suburbs. There min manning is 15, once vacations start you probably see 16-18 personnel on duty. Cicero is a kick ass dept, they see alot and get the experience with alot of fires. It has to be a rip roaring large fire for them to box it and depending on manpower and other calls they might be running to pull a hook. If you put water on the fire quick it will go out quick.
#2 by mike mc on March 10, 2017 - 8:49 AM
Thanks for the info. I can’t pick up Berwyn on my scanner so that solves part of the mystery. It did sound like it was one really good stop. I kept waiting for them to ask for a box but they never did.
#3 by Jeff Braun Jr. on March 9, 2017 - 6:58 PM
Hey Mike, I’m the one who took the photos. Great questions, on all reported structure fire calls in Cicero, 2 engines and 2 trucks are dispatched to the scene along with the Shift Chief (F-12) and an ambulance, and the third engine Changes Quarters to the Center fire house (Morton Park). The Incident commander can upgrade to a “Full Still”, which then brings the third engine to the scene as RIT (which is what happened the night of this fire), at that point Berwyn is called for a Change of Quarters Engine (if they’re available) to the Center firehouse to cover the rest of the town. Since Cicero is a full time department, there are no call-backs. But, anytime there is a structure fire at night or when the Chief of the Department (F-7) is not on duty, Dispatch is required to notify him of the incident, so he can respond from home to assist the Incident Commander. Thanks for the questions.
#4 by mike mc on March 9, 2017 - 10:03 AM
Thanks for posting the photos. From listening to the scanner, it sounded like it was quite a stop. I’ve noticed that Cicero likes to fight fires independently if possible, using their three engines and two truck companies with no mutual aid. Does anyone know if they establish a RIT or not? Do they recall off duty firefighters to man the stations? On the radio it sounds as if they recall an off duty upper echelon chief to help supervise. Thanks in advance for any responses.