As seen around … Chicago « chicagoareafire.com

As seen around … Chicago

From chicagoland_fire_photos on instagram:

CFD engine 93 – the ambo wasn’t there

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Tags: Chicago FD Engine 93, Chicago FD Engine 93's house, Chicago Fire Department, Chicago single engine firehouse, E-ONE fire engine Chicago, fire engine in fire station

This entry was posted on March 30, 2021, 7:00 AM and is filed under FIre Stations, Fire Truck photos. You can follow any responses to this entry through RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

7 Comments

#1 by theFiremang on April 3, 2021 - 9:12 PM

The Polyvent is always on the officer side where the exhaust pipe is at. The polyvent you see up in the air is for another rig where yes it is plugged in on the officer side Capeesh
#2 by Phil Stenholm on April 3, 2021 - 12:57 AM

The firehouse at 330 W. 104th Street was originally built for the newly-organized Engine Co. 128 in 1919 as a one door “double-wide” garage-type firehouse with room on the apparatus floor for a tractorized steamer and an automobile hose wagon parked side-by-side.

Like many big city fire departments, the CFD had a number of fairly new horse-drawn steam fire engines and aerial ladder trucks in service in 1914, but with horses being gradually eliminated, automobile tractors were purchased to pull the newer steamers and HDA.

So Engine 128’s house was one of about 20 garage-type CFD firehouses built during 1915-19 to accommodate two-piece engine companies (a tractorized steamer and an automobile hose wagon).

Engine Co. 128 was re-designated Engine Co. 93 and Engine Co. 129 at 5756 W. Grace was re-designated Engine Co. 94 by Fire Commissioner Albert Goodrich in 1927. (Commissioner Goodrich apparently couldn’t tolerate having two vacant engine company numbers on the roster).
#3 by Bill Post on April 2, 2021 - 4:57 PM

Thanks for posting the photos of Engine 93 and the house. I haven’t seen too many shots of their house from the inside.

Engine 93’s house was the action station of the far south side as they were a squad house for many years. In fact, I would say they were the last of the houses for several squad companies and different types of apparatus. It was home to the last of the original squad companies. While the first 10 squads had been put in service between 1913 and 1919, nearly 30 years later in the late 1940s, Squads 11, 12, and 13 were put in service. Squad 11 went in service in 1946, Squad 12 in 1947, and Squad 13 was put in service at Engine 93’s house on April 1, 1949, 72 years ago. They were taken out of service in mid 1967 when the Chicago Fire Department was taking most of the remaining squad companies out of service. That was initially done to make up for the overtime many of the firefighters had for several weeks during the blizzard on January 26 and 27 in 1967.

The real reason why the squads were taken out of service is because the city had reduced firefighter’s working hours. In order the keep the manpower levels at the same pre-reduction strength, Chicago would have had to hire more personnel which meant increasing the payroll which the city didn’t want to do. If you include Salvage Squads 1 and 2, there were 11 squad companies in service in the beginning of 1967. Some had been redesignated from regular squad companies. Engines and trucks all ran as five-man companies. By early 1968 there were only four squad companies left in service and you wouldn’t know from day to day if the engines and trucks were running with five or four men. In an effort to save money, the city hired a consultant that recommended having close to 3/4s of the engines and trucks run with a crew of four while the remaining companies in the busier areas and downtown run with five. To make up for running with one less man on most of the apparatus, the consultant recommended creating seven Flying Manpower Squads with six firefighters. These would only respond on still alarms with the four-man companies to make up for the difference in manpower. On October 1, 1969, Flying Manpower Squad 2 was put in service at Engine 93 and they remained there until October 3rd of 1980 when they were relocated to Engine 47 and Truck 30. They were then redesignated as the Squad 5 as the city agreed to make all of the engines and trucks five-man companies again after the firefighters signed a new contract after their successful strike that lasted 23 day in February and early March of 1980.

In September of 1982, Squad 5 was relocated to Engine 93’s house and redesignated Squad 6. The CFD created a new 6th District. The squads and special purpose units were numbered for their district. Squad 6 was only in service at Engine 93 for one year. On September 19, 1983, three squads and three Snorkels were taken out of service. The three remaining squads were combined with Snorkels and became two-piece Squad/Snorkel companies. The new Squad/Snorkel 6 was put in service at Engine 122’s quarters about three and a half miles north where there was room for a Snorkel. They were located within two blocks of the Dan Ryan Expressway. Within two years they became Squad/Snorkel 5 and were moved further north to Engine 116’s quarters.

Both Squad 13 and Flying Manpower Squad 2 would automatically be dispatched on still alarms when the engines and trucks were dispatched however when the new Squad 6 was located at Engine 93, the squads would only be dispatched to a confirmed working fire after the first companies arrived or if there were many phone calls coming in. Squad 13 would also respond on EMS inhalators calls. Squads were be first-due until April of 1955 when ambulances were given the priority however squads still went on many inhalator runs until they were taken out of service in 1967/68 as the first-due ambulance was often unavailable. Even though the battalion chiefs had been running with station wagons since 1958, they did’t have inhalators and oxygen until 1967/1968 when the original squads were taken out of service.

Most of us know new station for Engines 115, 75, and Tower Ladder 24 at 1024 W 119th Street. While Engine 115 needed a new station that doesn’t take away from the fact the Engine 93 and Engine 75 should also have also gotten new houses. A new house for 75 should be about a mile and half further south of their old house and not a mile west with Engine 115.

The fire department’s in-house study had recommended Engine 93 be relocated to 103rd and State Street half a mile south of their current station with a new truck company. The study found some areas on the far south side with gaps in fire protection. A good example is that the next engine due east of Engine 93 is Engine 81, a full four miles away. Another good reason to relocate Engine 93 a half mile further east is it’s one of a few stations in Chicago on a residential side street. While 104th Street was wide enough to accommodate the squad companies over the years, they really should off of a main thoroughfare. Engine 93’s district is more centrally located than Engine 115. It would make sense to move District 5 in with Engine 93 if they ever get a new station. That’s why Engine 93 had different squad companies there.
#4 by Tim on March 31, 2021 - 6:25 AM

Plymo vent is high because they’re not using it. Probably broken.
#5 by Michael m on March 30, 2021 - 9:06 PM

Why is the Plymo-Vent up as high as it is?
#6 by Michael m on March 30, 2021 - 9:05 PM

Nice looking engine! Great pictures!
#7 by crabbymilton on March 30, 2021 - 8:29 AM

Great timing. Never easy to take a good picture in cramped quarters.