New truck for Des Plaines FD (more)

New Tower 61 is in service as of 10:00 hrs today

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Des Plaines FD photo

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This entry was posted on October 11, 2023, 11:00 AM and is filed under Fire Department News, Fire Truck photos. You can follow any responses to this entry through RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

19 Comments

#1 by Bill Post on October 18, 2023 - 11:56 PM

Thanks for puttin up the link Drew. You are totally right it was a great study and I am sure that the recession must have gotten Des Plaines to take the 4th Ambulance out of service. That study was so comprehensive that it even covered the railroad crossings as you can see.
What an excellent report and the Town practically did nothing with it.

That recession beginning around 2009 was really bad as not only were some of the smaller fire departments affected but many of the bigger fire departments in the United States were also effected. A number of fire departments ended up taking some companies permanently out of service which doesn’t even include the brownouts of some of the companies.

Did you know that some fire departments that lost fire companies in that recession are still in the process of slowly putting those companies back in service. Philadephia for example.

Los Angeles City took 7 Truck’s out of service and only one of them was put back in service (so far) out of what was only 49 Trucks.

Drew are you familiar with the inhouse study that the Chicago Fire Department had done in 1986 by it’s own Research and Planning department and of the 4 new stations that it had recommended the only one that was built was Engine 115 and Truck 24s new house less than 2 years ago and that was recommended over 30 years ago?. That was 20 years before the recession.
#2 by Drew Smith on October 18, 2023 - 8:47 PM

Here is a link to that report https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/x7ess7guxqps7rqwqwu9x/Des-Plaines-Study-Report.pdf?rlkey=uzzl4fs3hgwgblmdr8xbcani5&dl=0

It’s a great report and I use it in a fire admin course I teach at Oakton college.
DP did get a fourth ambulance staffed very soon after the report was published. My understanding is that it was cut as a victim of the 2008-2009 recession (and other FDs suffered similarly).
#3 by Bill Post on October 18, 2023 - 4:30 PM

Regarding plans and proposals for the Des Plaines Fire Department.

Amidst this debate as to Des Plaines now defunct and defunded Truck 63, how many of you are aware that in early 2000s the City of Des Plaines had hired a noted consulting firm known as Emergency Services Consulting and they did study on the fire station coverage for the town.
The study looked at several possible scenarios for adequate fire station coverage for the town.

It was generally agreed that the town needed anywhere from one to two new or relocated fire stations.
The report mapped out where the fire stations should be for both a 4 and a 5 fire station scenario and it also looked at adequate fire station coverage if Des Plaines were running a totally independent fire department (without relying on automatic aide and it also looked at a scenario if the town did rely on automatic aide from some the neighboring suburbs such as Rosemont IL.

While the report had outlined both a 5 fire station option and a 4 fire station option it ultimately had recommended the 4 Station option as it wasn’t as expensive as the 5 Station Option. The report did however recommend that Rosemont fire 2 (the current 57) be operated as jointly Rosemont/Des Plaines automatic aid fire station which made perfect sense as Rosemont Station 57 at 10073 W Higginis literally on the borderline of Rosemont and Des Plaines and that Station is across the street from the jurisdiction of Des Plaines Illinois. The nearest Des Plaines Illinois fire station ( 62) was a least 2 mile ssfurther north on Oakton street. It would have both an Engine company and an ambulance assigned to it however the recommendation wasnot heeded. The last that I had heard Rosemon Station 57 only ran with an Ambulance and was used for storing reserve apparatus.
The report had also recommended moving Station 62 a few blocks further west from their current location and giving them a larger station. The 4th Station would have been on the North or Northwest side of Town.
The Des Plaines Fire Station Location study was only on the Town of Des Plaines website for a year or two and then it was permanently removed and needless to say the Towns “fathers” didn’t follow any of the recommendations for adding or relocating any fire stations. That study did however recommend a 4th Ambulance which to my understanding Des Plaines would sometime put in service if they had more than the minimum required manpower on duty. I am sorry that I don’t have a copy of that report on the Des Plaines fire department and I believe that was from around 2005/2006 so it was done about 17 /18 years ago. That report didn’ t recommend eliminating Des Plaines 2nd Truck company
but it definitely acknowledged the need for a 4th Ambulance.

The point is that the goverment of Des Plaines didn’t follow through with most of the recommendations even though the study did offer several options for improved coverage of the town. Currently the town of Des Plaines is planning on enlarging fire Station 62 which really should have been done years ago and I haven’t heard anything about building a 4th fire station as o yet. I am not from Des Plaines however I did attend that meeting in around 2006 when the consultants unvailed their proposals. It seemed that the town didn’t want to spend the money to improve the fire department at the time.
Emergency Service Consulting International was being run by some retired fire chiefs at the time.
#4 by Mike C on October 18, 2023 - 6:45 AM

We can debate staffing, logistics, and positioning of apparatus but at least Des Plaines didn’t opt for the super low end Ascendant ladder.
#5 by Drew Smith on October 16, 2023 - 5:25 PM

Jeff Marino: I don’t believe we have ever met and I know you have never worked in Prospect Heights over the past 42 years. I usually don’t debate people on this site. However, as the fire chief of PH I am compelled to defend remarks such as yours “they don’t even have qualified people working there in general” I could care less what you believe qualified means. We have some of the finest members working for us. They are well trained. They gain the experience that the region provides (you only get to fight the fires you go to). We have alumni working in just about every fire department in MABAS Divisions 1 and 3 and those departments valued the training and experience gained here. So you are entitled to your opinion and I am sure there is nothing I can say that will change your mind. However, I will defend our members and their ability and integrity. If you would care to discuss this in another forum my address and email can be found at http://www.phfire.com.
#6 by Jeff Marino on October 16, 2023 - 12:14 AM

Look, this is the same conversation that is had every time a suburb reduces staffing or changes manpower assignments. Everyone always says the same thing but there is rarely a logical conclusion made.

Does every town around Des Plaines have a tower? Technically no. North Maine FPD runs constantly with only and engine and ambo. They borrow TW61 regularly, as well as TW2. Is that right? I could argue that sure it is, given their response area, budget, tax base, etc. Respectfully, Niles and Park Ridge having a tower/ truck company is irrelevant to your point Mike D and Joe. These border the east end of DP and are significantly farther than Tw 61 or any of the west bordering suburbs. Rosemont is also irrelevant due to how far south they are.

Mount prospect is irrelevant since they staff their tower with 2 guys and show up to fires not wearing turnout gear…. Yes I have personally witnessed that happen. Even in turnout gear, what truck operations are you going to do with 2 guys? Kudos to Mount P for getting that rig back in service after the recession, but do it right or don’t do it at all.

P heights doesn’t border Des Plaines, but they are due into Des Plaines with their tower on certain calls now with the elimination of TW 63… they don’t even have qualified people working there in general, what makes you think they’re going to run a tower co as well as DP would especially with the piece of junk that tower 9 is. Nice job to p heights admin on getting that replaced. Maybe if they didn’t buy 4 knock off engines/ squads, they’d be able to have a legit working tower in service.

So now we have Elk Grove and Arlington heights that have front line, adequately staffed towers/ trucks. I’m all for mutual aid usage. In fact, Des Plaines receives a lot of aid and the aiding towns are sick of going to Des Plaines due to the high frequency of aid being needed by Des Plaines. Does DPFD absolutely need a front line tower at 63? Well based off the amount of fires…no. But what does ohare airport have several fully manned crash rigs for? To be prepared for a plane fire…and how often does that happen? Far less that how often Des Plaines has fires that tower 63 would be due on. Tw63 is there for the concept… to be prepared to respond to a fire in their district that tw61 would be much slower at responding to.

The amount of train crossings absolutely does matter when deciding what rigs to staff Arlington, mount prospect, park ridge, Niles, Rosemont, etc all may Need to cross train tracks going into DP on a mutual aid call. Having a second tower in town and staffed happened for a reason for many years. That reason was to provide the west side of town with an additional fire suppression/ rescue apparatus in preparation of a fire that needed that piece of equipment and couldn’t wait 7-10 min for tw61 or any mutual aid company to get there. If we adopt the mindset of “all the other towns have towers, squads, this, that, etc, then where do we draw the line?

Morton grove just eliminated the aerial from their fleet… now Niles and Skokie have to cover them with a ladder. I could go on and on. Mutual aid is great but it’s a concept that can and is currently being abused by department heads like Anderson that have the mindset of “do more with less” instead of “stand up for the guys and ask for additional resources due to increasing demands of the job.

Anderson wants an additional ambo In service? Ask the city for extra guys and rigs to put it in service… the data backs up your request. Wanna change e63 to s63? Fine but keep tw63 in service. Want to put a rescue in service? Fine then ask for more manpower and staff it accordingly. EMS is a vast majority of the job but depleting fire suppression resources and moving them to the ems side is not the way to go. It’s careless and irresponsible to the community.
#7 by Martin on October 12, 2023 - 10:01 AM

Some departments lend out their resources. Roberts park used to borrow North Palos spare truck whenever it was needed. Once the used one is back, Roberts Park will have a spare truck that will rotate with the tower.
#8 by Mike on October 12, 2023 - 7:40 AM

Joe so since everyone else has equipment that des plaines would normally staff it’s ok to just mooch off the neighbors and change things?
#9 by Mike D on October 12, 2023 - 7:03 AM

Lets keep in mind that DesPlaines is surrounded by communities with aerials that could easily shoot over on autoaid if needed and another fact- THEY DON’T GET ANY FIRES. Why are all of these places buying ladders to chase ambulances? They arent designed for that!
#10 by Harry on October 12, 2023 - 1:32 AM

Jeff it does not matter how many crossing des plained has then fp we have more freight trains an hr than des plaines in all the times going thought des plaines 100s of times never have been caught fp I get caught every day
#11 by Joe Gumienski on October 12, 2023 - 12:01 AM

DesPlaines is surrounded by mutal aid towns all with trucks and engines and multiple ambulances!
#12 by Jeff Marino on October 11, 2023 - 9:40 PM

Harry, of course you missed the point. Franklin park has 5 crossings. Des Plaines has 31. Commuter or freight trains can slow down the response time at anyone of those 31 crossings, at any time.
#13 by Harry on October 11, 2023 - 9:12 PM

Trust me all I live in Franklin Park we have more freight trains in one day than des plained has in a week and fp runs 1 engine 1 ladder 2 ambulances and a bc car
#14 by Jeff Marino on October 11, 2023 - 8:42 PM

Maybe this is part of department head Anderson’s master plan of rebuilding the department that he broke down? Maybe he’s going to put the old tower 61 in service as tower 63? If he wants the rescue and 4th ambo in service, he should go to city council and ask for more manpower.
Hairy, yes those places have 1 truck, but maybe try researching geographical factors before commenting. None of those towns have the amount of railroad crossings that Des Plaines has. Rand road was completely shut down for several hours a couple days ago due to a broken down freight train. Des Plaines fire admin is lucky that a fire didn’t happen on the west end of town during that time. Time to start preparing and planning for future incidents instead of just relying on luck to save a couple bucks. Anderson needs to stop being a company man and start actually leading. Bring back the tower at 63.
#15 by Mike on October 11, 2023 - 7:23 PM

Harry, des plaines went from 2 staffed trucks to 1 because of poor management decisions. Arlington and palatine have about the same run volume but don’t have the same demographics as des plaines does, but I guess nobody from public works told you that while you were there trying to find out about plow trucks.
#16 by Rich on October 11, 2023 - 6:48 PM

Lemont, downers grove,troy,Robert’s park,Darien woodridge. All have one truck. I’m sure I’m forgetting someother department that have one and only one truck.
#17 by Harry on October 11, 2023 - 6:14 PM

Mike let’s not forget

Arlington heights
Plainfield
Palatine
Carol stream
Wheaton
Lombard
West Chicago

All these have one truck and manage just fine it’s best des plained have a good reserve truck and if need be can keep the old truck at 63
#18 by Mike on October 11, 2023 - 2:03 PM

They’re gonna run the wheels off this since the geniuses at the top decided they only need 1 truck for the city.
#19 by crabbymilton on October 11, 2023 - 1:21 PM

Looks pretty nice. I wonder if there’s a picture without everybody standing next to it?