As seen around … Chicago « chicagoareafire.com

As seen around … Chicago

This from the Fleet Guy:

Tower Ladder 34 FDE-315 ( Old Tower Ladder 14) damage following there accident.

Damage to Chicago FD Tower Ladder 34 after an accident

Fleet Guy photo

Tags: 1954 Autocar CFD squad, Chicago FD Tower Ladder 34, Damage to Chicago FD Tower Ladder 34 after an accident, damage to fire truck after accident

This entry was posted on May 10, 2019, 3:30 PM and is filed under Fire Department News. You can follow any responses to this entry through RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

13 Comments

#1 by DANNY on May 14, 2019 - 11:47 AM

Someone mentioned TL 34 should get a mid mount tower before.. the response was something to the effect that they would damage the basket leaving the house lol
#2 by callum on May 13, 2019 - 7:15 PM

bill that will not happen, having a one of a kind unique truck with no real benefit to fire fighting, the better solution would be just making it an aerial tower like truck 1
#3 by Bill Post on May 13, 2019 - 7:09 PM

John said that Tower Ladder 34 hit and bounced off of a pothole while beneath an underpass. They have quite a few underpasses in their still district as South Chicago Avenue parallels both the Chicago Skyway and the Norfolk and Southern railway. I have a good solution for their underpass problem. The CFD should order a mid-mount tower ladder for them with a lower overall travel height. If any other potholes are encountered beneath a tight viaduct or overpass the platform wouldn’t be as close as with a rear mount.

E-One manufactures a mid-mount as do most other manufacturers. That way Tower Ladder 34 can remain a tower ladder without any problems.
#4 by danny on May 13, 2019 - 12:27 PM

have it on good authority the repairs are delayed on tower 34s pierce till after the move to the new shops at 69th and wentworth
#5 by Bill Post on May 13, 2019 - 2:01 AM

Based on the information that John provided, Truck 24 will remain where it is. If a truck company goes in service when Engine 115’s new house opens it will most likely be a new company assuming that Engine 75 is taken out of service. So as is always the case, we won’t know when and if a new tower ladder will go in service until it actually happens. Engine 115 covers the city limits on the far southwest end of the 22nd battalion. The news station really doesn’t seem like the ideal spot for a tower ladder. If Chicago would follow it’s own prior recommendations and build a new station for Engine 93 and a truck at 103rd and State Street, it would be a more centrally located spot for a tower Ladder. That probably is where Truck 24 should be if they should ever build it.

Of course this is only a pipe dream as it has been proven that the Chicago Fire Department can take decades to build new stations that should have been built years ago.
#6 by Bill Post on May 12, 2019 - 10:53 PM

John, thanks for your information. Since I assume that you are with the CFD, I was wondering if you are familiar with an in-house study the department did in 1986. It produced a detailed report which they didn’t follow with the exception of moving Engine 104 in with Truck 61. They had been doubled up with Engine 1 for about a year after their old house at 1401 S Michigan was closed.

The study determined that there were inadequately covered areas on the far south side. The report recommended that three fire stations be built in the current 22nd Battalion. The first would have been for Engine 75 and a new truck company at approximately 13000 S Indiana. The second one for Engine 93 and another new truck company at 103rd and State Street, and the third at approximately 115th and Emerald for Engine 104 and Truck 24. That study recommended Engine 103 to be relocated to Truck 61 instead of Engine 104 and to close Engine 103’s house. Engine 115 would have stayed at it’s present location.

A fourth new house would have been built in the 24th battalion for Engine 97 and another new truck company at approximately 3100 east 103rd street. Two of the three new truck companies would have been created by taking Engine 20 and Engine 63 out of service. The third would have been required increasing the payroll by 15 people. Engine 100 would have remained in service instead and Truck 16 would have been relocated to Engine 81’s current house.

It turns out that the Maatman reports from the 1960s and early 70s recommended that Engine 115 have a new station at or near it’s current location. 50 years later the city is finally following the recommendation and building a firehouse that should have been built in the 1970’s. Notice how quickly the city does things?

I was wondering if the CFD has any other operational plans for new stations on the south side. It still would be a good idea if Truck 24 was moved into a station with Engine 93 or 120.

Instead of building a four or five bay house for Engine 115, it seems to make more sense to build a few of the two or three bay stations that were previously recommended instead of one overbuilt station.
#7 by John on May 12, 2019 - 6:00 PM

Relax, fire fans, rumor has been put to rest. Point 1 – It’s only twice, Rich S., not 5 times that they had basket issues. This once is under review as possibly unpreventable..they went into and up from a pothole filled with water and skimmed the top of a viaduct they were under. If any of you have ever drove a pierce truck or tower, they bounce. Point 2 – Truck 24 is not moving, let alone become a Tower in Eng. 115’s new house in the future. Eng. 75 will double up with 115 temporarily, then go OOS as an Engine & become Truck 43 to maintain total minimum companies in service. Jst like when they made Truck 6 & Truck 12. The new truck creation is in the CFD ops plans.
#8 by Chuck on May 12, 2019 - 4:39 PM

These guys need to be given a city service truck. What a bunch of clowns.
#9 by rich s. on May 11, 2019 - 9:03 PM

They should just turn them back into a truck co. and make a Tower Ladder somewhere else. these guys have hit and wrecked there rig like 5 times now.
#10 by harry on May 11, 2019 - 5:04 PM

i saw the new tower 21 in schiller park on Friday may 10 looks very nice yes they seem to hit stuff at 34
#11 by Michael m on May 10, 2019 - 8:11 PM

They had to hit some sort of a overpass. What else could be high enough to do that kind of damage? Rumor has it they will be going back to a regular truck since there will be Tower 24 when the new firehouse opens on the south side. At this point I think it is best if they go back to a regular truck.I know there are 8 towers on order. I believe the city will still keep 10 towers including 63. One of the 16 E-Ones will be replaced.
#12 by Martin on May 10, 2019 - 6:53 PM

So when the new towers come in, will they get one of the first eone towers or will they get a brand new one?
#13 by Marty Coyne on May 10, 2019 - 4:01 PM

What happened this time? TL 34 seems to have something with hitting the basket.