From chicagoland_fire_photos on Instagram:
A visit to oak lawn fd station 2
Home to:Engine 2Medic 2Spare engine 5 (not pictured)Spare medic 5 (not pictured)And an unknown chief (not pictured)
chicagoland_fire_photos on Instagram
As seen around … Oak Lawn
#1 by MABAS 21 on June 27, 2021 - 12:15 PM
There were plans to simultaneously replace Engines 1 and 2 which were curtailed due to the projected tax revenue losses due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Since then, there hasn’t been any discussion on when the plan would take place.
#2 by Matt on June 25, 2021 - 1:14 PM
I think the engines and truck are all 4 man companies. The squad rolls with 2. All med units are full time OLFD firefighters. The battles with the Village Manager were about the 4 man companies and to a lesser extent, the staffing on the ambulances. All is quiet now so hopefully it stays that way for awhile.
Unfortunately, the heavy rescue is a disappearing vehicle in many departments as multi role vehicles have taken over.
#3 by Tim on June 25, 2021 - 12:07 PM
Matt, correct me if I’m wrong. They run 4-man engines per their CBA. That’s been the big fight since the layoffs in 2008 (I think). I should remember the year as I was at the village meeting that was ‘stormed’ by numerous firemen. LOL
Anyway, are they running 3 or 4 on the truck? And since they went from a big Pierce to a Ford F-250 are they running only 2 on the squad? They went from 100+ man dept down to what now? 70-75?
#4 by Matt on June 25, 2021 - 8:48 AM
When Oak Lawn placed the 100’ truck in service, the squad became an unmanned apparatus as the truck was designed to carry truck tools and rescue tools. A change in admin led to the quint being purchased and the eventual selling of the 100’ ladder and the heavy rescue. They then utilized an engine as the squad and later made the move to the pickups. They continue to staff 2 engines, the truck, the squad, a BC and three med units. They have several utilities and the four reserve rigs. When they change to a spare, they are on the radio as E4 or E5 or Med 4 or Med 5.
#5 by DENNIS on June 25, 2021 - 8:22 AM
Just a side note on the mention of the aerial that was sold to Anne Arundel County FD It was recently involved in a major accident and is more than likely totaled.
#6 by Mike on June 24, 2021 - 9:08 PM
For about the last 15 years Oak Lawn’s city management has been at war with the union over minimum Manning and has basically spent millions fighting a losing battle. Since they kept losing and spending money they just kept reducing companies also. They used to have 3 engines, 1 squad and 1 truck. Now they have 2 engines 1 quint and a pick up as the squad. Maybe now with change in city leadership the new elected officials will work towards restoring oak lawns fire department to what it once was.
#7 by Rob on June 24, 2021 - 10:00 AM
Any plans for Oak Lawn to purchase anything new this year?
#8 by MABAS 21 on June 24, 2021 - 9:55 AM
Rusty,
The Chief that ordered the E-One quint was originally from the St. Louis area and was a proponent of the “quint concept” thus the name. The Chief that replaced him wanted to bolster morale and redesigned it as “Truck” 3.
#9 by Rusty on June 23, 2021 - 10:43 PM
Mabas 21. Wasn’t Oak Lawn Quint 3? When did it change to Truck 3?
#10 by Tim on June 23, 2021 - 7:16 PM
Mabas21 you’re right, the change was to make it easier on the dispatchers.
Keeping track of Engines 24, 27, 28 didn’t seem to be overly difficult. The guys weren’t happy with the change.
Engine 28 had been at station 1 since it opened in 1974.
#11 by MABAS 21 on June 23, 2021 - 9:44 AM
Rusty,
Oak Lawn ran with 2 ALS and 2 BLS ambulances, with 2 additional in reserve, I belive in the mid or late 80’s through the mid 2000’s Station 1 had an ALS & BLS, Station 2 ALS and Station 3 BLS. During this time frame, the previous administrations used the numbers 12-18.
In time,, the numbers were changed to designate what station they ran out of and what type, ALS or BLS. For example, Med 1 and Ambulance 1 responded out of Station 1, Med 2 at Station 2 and Ambulance 3 responded out of Station 3.
When another administration decided to take Ambulance 1 OOS and re-designate Ambulance 3 to ALS, Oak Lawn dropped the “Ambulance” distinction and called all 3 ALS units “Med” 1-3 with the reserves being 4 & 5. Around this time the 5 engine companies, 3 frontline and 2 reserve, also had their numbering change 1-5 to mirror the ambulances and “allegedly” make it easier for the dispatchers to determine what station each engine company responded from.
#12 by Rusty on June 22, 2021 - 7:56 AM
Mabas 21. What is the history behind calling the ambulance Med 1, Med 2 etc….
#13 by MABAS 21 on June 21, 2021 - 6:24 PM
Thanks for posting. FYI, Oak Lawn calls their ambulances “Med units” like the greater Milwaukee area does, not “Medic.” Med 1-3 are frontline and Med 4 & 5 are reserves.