Excerpts from pbcchicago.com:
The new Engine Company 115 fire station will be the second-largest fire station in the city, with space for a Chicago Fire Department District Office, an Office of Emergency Management and Communications radio communication tower and three ambulances. The 27,000-square-foot, single-story fire station will be a home-away-from-home for approximately 20 firefighters/EMTs and eight officers: housing sleeping quarters, locker rooms, a workout facility, full-service kitchen with pantry and dining area, day room, laundry, and wellness room. A training space, conference room, and open office space will be shared by the EC 115 team and the CFD District Office. The facility will also feature a state-of-the-art emergency communications hub, watchtower, open office spaces, and a 4-bay apparatus room with a hose drying tower.
The new facility will replace the existing Engine Company 115 firehouse located at 11940 South Peoria Street.
from the pbcchicago.com
from the pbcchicago.com
from the pbcchicago.com
from the pbcchicago.com
from the pbcchicago.com
from the pbcchicago.com
thanks Dennis
#1 by Clark on December 16, 2019 - 8:34 PM
Gary, so the house fits on the parcel.
#2 by Bill Post on December 16, 2019 - 11:03 AM
It was truly amazing how Chicago had several fire stations that were able to fit three or four relatively large rigs in two-bay stations. Engine 109’s old station at 2358 S Whipple was on a side street yet they managed to run with a TDA, a Snorkel, and an engine out of the same house. Snorkel One however was short and didn’t have much of a front overhang which is why they were able to squeeze them inside.
Engine 35 and Truck 28’s old station at 1625 N Damen was a different story. That was actually two buildings attached to each other. When I visited that station in 1965 there was a wall separating the two bays with a large opening in the front of building by the Joker Stand. The other amazing thing about that firehouse is that both bays were long and could accommodate a TDA and an 80-foot Snorkel which had a long front overhang. The original Snorkel 5 was one of two largest CFD Snorkels and it was a twin to Snorkel 4. Snorkel 5 though had two deck guns on the basket and was the only Chicago Snorkel with dual guns. That station also housed Battalion 4 and Engine 35.
Another amazing station was Engine 104’s at 1401 S. Michigan. In a two-bay station, they housed Truck 31, Engine 104, High Pressure Wagon 3, and Water Tower 3 which had a very long front overhang. Engine 5 was also a large station that had a water tower and a high pressure wagon however they never had a TDA like Engine 104 did. Old Engine 14 at Chicago east of Larrabee had a water tower, a high pressure wagon, and an engine in a two-bay station. I have memories of Engine 108’s old house when they had Squad 11, Engine 108, Truck 23, Battalion 22, and Ambulance 7. Twenty men was the normal compliment there. That’s the house they should have been given to the Greater Chicagoland Fire Museum. Unfortunately it was sold about a year ago and is being converted for other purposes.
#3 by BIll Post on December 16, 2019 - 9:43 AM
Chuck thanks for the information. I was afraid of that. Did they remodel the firehouse over the years by adding a room to the rear of the bays? It’s been years since they had Ambulance 5 at Engine 62 so I have a hunch they could have made some interior modifications.
As I had mentioned, I know that Engine 62’s house ran with four units for many years. In the late 40’s, 50’s, and 60’s Truck 27 had a TDA with a wooden ladder like most of Chicago’s other aerials so it had a rear overhang. Ambulance 5 used a Cadillac which wasn’t small, and beginning in 1958 Battalion 17 started using station wagons. Something tells me they might have shortened the bay that Truck 27 used. Am a I correct?
Another old Chicago station that at one time ran with more than two pieces was Engine 109’s house. At one time there was the engine, Truck 32 with a TDA, and the original Snorkel 1 in that old two- bay station. In the late 90’s I went to Engine 109 on a Ken Little bus tour and it looked like that they shortened one the bays where they either kept Truck 32 or the original Snorkel 1.
I was in Engine 46’s house in early 1967 and they were running with Engine 46, Snorkel 6, a Civil Defense rescue squad, Ambulance 9, and Truck 17 which had a Mack/Pirsch mid-mounted ladder with a long overhang. That was in a two- bay station.
Other large two-bay stations were Engine 108 (which I visited often as a kid), Engine 40 on Franklin south of Randolph, Engine 104, and Engine 129. Of course there still is Engine 5 and Engine 14’s old house which was on the south side of Chicago Avenue east of Larrabee, half mile south of Engine 4.
#4 by Chuck on December 16, 2019 - 2:09 AM
Bill, an ambulance at Engine 62 would be impossible. There’s no room.
#5 by Gary on December 15, 2019 - 5:30 PM
Any idea why Chicago is building their stations so the units has a 90 degree when they come out of the bays?
#6 by Mike on December 15, 2019 - 11:14 AM
Harry it’s not about looks. It’s about function. A mid-mount has some really good things about it just as a rear mount does. Or as you said just as a tiller does. The problem with the tiller and Chicago is the city is too cheap to pay for 2 drivers for each tiller and of course keeping up with driver’s training for each company.
#7 by Bill Post on December 15, 2019 - 4:57 AM
Harry the mid-mount picture is only an artist’s conception. They will continue ordering rear-mounted tower ladders.
One of the things that bothers me is that in several press releases state that the new station will have 3 ambulances. In my opinion that would be foolish. Even though Ambulance 5 is currently with Engine 75 and they are supposedly going to close their house, it would be smarter to move them to Engine 62’s house which is less than a mile. Ambulance 5 has been with Engine 75 since 1966. They used to be at Engine 62’s house. When Ambulance 5 was located with Engine 62, Truck 27 was using a tillered aerial and the old 17th Battalion was using a full sized station wagon. Considering that Truck 27 has a straight ladder and the battalion chief has a short SUV, there should be room in Engine 62’s house for Ambulance 5. They wouldn’t have to move them in with two other ambulances on the west end of the neighborhood with Engine 115 and probably Truck 24.
#8 by harry on December 14, 2019 - 8:42 PM
lets hope they don’t get any midmounts rearmounts look a lot better if they are going to buy something other than rm then they should buy tillers but I will take a guess that wont happen
#9 by harry on December 14, 2019 - 7:32 PM
they should built some new houses up north too not just south while this looks nice I can guarantee I will not see it because Chicago is not a place I care to to begin with
#10 by Mike Hellmuth on December 14, 2019 - 7:24 PM
Anyone catch the last rendering with the midship platform? Could it be probably not