This from Fire Replicas:
The wait is over. Chicago Autocar Squads can now be ordered
Tags: Chicago FD 1952 Autocar Squad 7 replica model, Chicago FD 1996 Seagrave Ladder 7 replica model, Chicago FD replica models, chicagoareafire.com, Fire Replicas, New Chicago Fire Department replica models
This entry was posted on July 24, 2020, 4:00 PM and is filed under Collectors of fire memorabilia. You can follow any responses to this entry through RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
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#1 by Bill Post on July 24, 2020 - 9:13 PM
Mabas 21, Squad 2 was initially at 114 N Aberdeen on the near west side with Engine 34 from January 15, 1913 when they first were put in service, which was the same day that Squad 1 and Squad 3 went in service. On August 21 1964 they were relocated to Engine 5’s house at 324 S Desplaines. Engine 34’s house was taken out of service with Engine 34 temporarily relocating to Truck 41’s old house at 6041 S Western. They were there until the new house was opened at 4034 W 47th Street on November 9th 1967. Squad 2 remained in service at Engine 5 until December 5, 1966 when they went out of service as Squad 2 but were designated as Salvage Unit 1. On February 6, 1967 they became Salvage Squad 2.
Squad 6 was put in service at Engine 43’s present station at 2179 N Stave Street on December 24th 1919 and they were taken out of service from the same station on June 16th 1967.
Squad 7 was put in service at Engine 38’s old station at 2111 S Hamlin on December 24th 1919. On November 25th 1927 they were relocated to Engine 66 at 2858 W Fillmore St and on May 16th 1965 they were taken out of service to make room for the new Snorkel Squad 3. Engine 66 was moved on the same day to Engine 44’s old house at 3138 W Lake Street where they were taken out of service on February 1st 1966.
Chicago had a high of 13 original squad companies. The last three were put in service from 1946 through 1949 while the first 10 were put in service through the teens and 1920’s. Of those 13 squad companies, only Squads 6, 10, and 13 were taken out of service from the same location that they had gone into service. All of the other squads had changed locations at least once. Those were Chicago’s primary EMS response unit for many years. Even though the CFD ambulances first were put in service in 1928, they were only used for injured firefighters or people injured at fires. The ambulances didn’t start serving the public until 1945 and the squads were still first-due on inhalator runs until 1955. There were only about a dozen ambulances in service until 1955. Afterwards, the ambulances received the first priority on inhalator runs but the squads responded if the nearest ambulance wasn’t available until 1967 and 1968 when most of them were taken out of service. The squads were always busy going on fire, ems, and special duty rescue runs. In those days the squads were dispatched to reported fires unlike today when they only go on confirmed fires.
#2 by MABAS 21 on July 24, 2020 - 6:21 PM
Bill, I know I asked you this before on the history of the 13 squads, but I cannot find the post that you responded to me. Where were Squads 2, 6 & 7 located at?
#3 by Bill Post on July 24, 2020 - 4:45 PM
It’s funny but I never had a chance to see the 1952 model Autocar up close. I may have seen Squad 2’s at one time while riding on the EL going past Engine 12’s old quarters on the south side of Lake Street a little east of Paulina. The squad was parked on the apron. I just assumed that was Squad 2. It must have been around 1963.
I lived less then a mile west of Squad 6’s quarters in the mid 1950s however they were using a 1949 Mack as their regular rig since their 1952 Autocar had been totaled in wreck by then. By the time I saw Squad 2 they were using a 1956 International Harvester high pressure wagon out of Engine 5’s quarters.