Archive for December 23rd, 2020

CFD LODD Anniversary – Corey Ankum and Edward Stringer

From Chicago FD Media on Twitter:

The Chicago Fire Department gathered to remember the sacrifice made by Firefighters Corey Ankum & Edward Stringer 10 years ago fighting a fire on 75th Street at an abandoned former dry cleaner.

The bell was rung to not only honor Firefighters Corey Ankum & Edward Stringer, but to also honor and remember the 21 CFD members lost during the Chicago Stockyard fire in 1910.

Chicago firefighters and officials commemorates the anniversary of firefighters that died in the line of duty

CFD Media photo

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot commemorates the anniversary of firefighters that died in the line of duty

CFD Media photo

Chicago firefighters and officials commemorates the anniversary of firefighters that died in the line of duty

CFD Media photo

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Working fire in Palatine, 12-23-20 (more)

Palatine FD press release - apartment fire 12/23/20 at 15B Dundee Quarter Drive

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Working fire in Palatine, 12-23-20 (more)

Photos and video from Jimmy Bolf of the Working fire in Palatine, 12-23-20

damage to apartment with mansard roof

Jimmy Bolf photo

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Working fire in Palatine, 12-23-20 (more)

Brief video by Larry Shapiro of the Working fire in Palatine, 12-23-20

 

 

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Working fire in Palatine, 12-23-20

Palatine firefighters were called for an apartment fire in the Woodhaven apartments at 15 B Dundee Quarter Drive Wednesday morning. Engine 82 reported seeing the header from Dundee Road and found heavy fire on the third floor upon arrival. They used a blitz attack right away with their deck gun as lines were pulled to make an interior attack. The attic was well involved with flames venting through the roof. As other Palatine units arrived and took additional lines inside, the majority of the fire was extinguished in short order. The building’s design included a mansard roof which created concerns for hidden fire and the potential for communication around the fire wall to the next building. Vent holes were cut into the mansard on the B side and flames were again visible through the roof as Arlington Heights Tower 1 was preparing to deploy a master stream. Interior companies handled the remaining fire and the master stream was not used. At one point a master stream from Palatine Quint 83 was used to wash down the exterior in sector A.

Personnel from Long Grove, Buffalo Grove, Arlington Heights, and Rolling Meadows assisted at the scene.

building fire with mansard roof

Larry Shapiro photo

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Evanston Fire Department history

From Phil Stenholm:

HISTORY OF EVANSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT SQUAD 21

Prior to 1952, the Evanston Fire Department had no squad. EFD Chief Albert Hofstetter wanted to place a squad into service back in the 1930’s, but budget cuts stemming from the Great Depression put that on hold. And so the EFD’s specialized fire-ground support and rescue equipment (including inhalator since 1913) were stored at Fire Station #1 and would be loaded onto an engine and transported to the scene of an incident only when needed.   

1. The First Squad was a 1952 Pirsch 1000-GPM / 100-gallon pumper-squad. One of five rigs purchased by Evanston from Pirsch 1951-52, this was the original Squad 21 from 1952-65, and while it had a 1000-GPM pump, it had no hose bed but there was a “red-line” booster hose reel and 100 gallons of water on board that could be used to extinguish a minor fire. This rig was initially staffed by two firefighters and responded to about 100 inhalator calls city-wide per year from 1952-1959 and to working fires and specialized rescue calls when requested. Inhalators were placed into service with all five engine companies in 1959, so Squad 21 was staffed by just one firefighter (usually the shift mechanic) and responded only to working structure fires and specialized rescue calls when requested 1959-62. It was placed back into front-line service in January 1963 as a four-man company when Truck Co. 23 was taken out of service. It ran as a manpower & rescue company from that point onward, responding to all fire calls (not just working fires) and specialized rescue calls city-wide. It was also the primary inhalator company for Station #1 (keeping Engine 21 available for alarms in the downtown high-value district). Without a hose bed, the 1000-GPM pump was essentially wasted. The original squad body was removed and replaced with a new pumper body in 1966, after-which it ran as Engine 22 from 1966-70 and then as Engine 25 from 1970-76. It was retired and gutted for spare parts in 1980 (there were two other 1952 Pirsch pumpers still in reserve through 1983) and then it became playground equipment at Kamen Park at Asbury & South Blvd. 

Evanston Fire Department history

Bill Friedrich photo

2. The SS-1 of the Evanston Fire Department was a 1965 International / General Body pumper-squad. This rig replaced the 1952 Pirsch pumper-squad so that the Pirsch could be converted into a triple-combination pumper (see above). The work-horse of the Evanston Fire Department between 1966-76, this “Frankenstein” rig was constructed by General Body Co. at their Chicago factory using an International cab & chassis like the ones used by City of Evanston garbage trucks back at that time. General Body (makers of the legendary CFD Autocar squads, the Oscar Mayer “Wienermobile,” bookmobiles, and other specialty vehicles) fabricated the body and put it all together. Included on this rig was a split hose-bed with two leads of pre-connected 1-1/2 hose-lines designed for rapid fire-attack, a heavy-duty front bumper-mounted winch (used mainly to haul vehicles out of Lake Michigan and fire trucks out of snow drifts), extendable quartz lights, and a high-pressure deck gun master-stream nozzle. This version of Squad 21 was staffed by four firefighters and responded to all fire calls (not just working fires) and specialized rescue calls city-wide, as well as to inhalator calls and minor fires (vehicle, trash, prairie, etc) in Station #1’s district.  It was, by far, the busiest company in the EFD the years it was in service, and so new firefighters were often assigned to Squad 21 so they could gain a lot of experience as quickly as possible.    

Evanston Fire Department history

Bill Friedrich photo

3. The Pie Truck – a 1977 Chevrolet / Penn Versatile Van. Known by Evanston firefighters as the “pie truck,” this third version of Squad 21 replaced the 1965 International / General Body squad, mainly because the amount of specialized HazMat, rescue equipment, and dive-team gear added by the EFD in the 1970s exceeded what could be carried on a pumper-squad. Also, Squad 21’s manpower was reassigned to the two MICU ambulances that were placed into service 1976-77, so Squad 21 became an unmanned “jump rig” that was staffed by manpower from Station #1 only when needed  at a working fire, HazMat incident, specialized rescue, dive team call, etc. Thus Squad 21 was no longer the SS-1 of the EFD. It was later reassigned as the Dive Team support truck.  

Evanston Fire Department history

Larry Shapiro photo

4. The Gladiator : A 2006 Spartan Gladiator / Marion “walk-in” heavy-rescue squad. Like the Chevrolet / Penn van that came before it, this newer version of Squad 21 is a “jump rig” at Station #1 and is staffed only when needed, but the 2006 version of Squad 21 can carry  much more equipment than could the Chevy. Besides an air cascade, heavy-duty winch, portable power & lights, and lots of room for specialized equipment and gear, the 2006 Squad 21 also features rehab facilities for extended incidents.   

Evanston Fire Department history

Larry Shapiro photo

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