Archive for category Fire Service News

Clarendon Hills Fire Department history

This from Larry Shapiro for #TBT:

#chicagoareafire.com; #larryshapiro; #shapirophotography.net; #chicagoareafire.com; #FireTruck; #larryshapiro.tumblr.com; #ClarendonHillsFD; #history; #TeleSqurt; #MackCF;

Larry Shapiro photo

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Fire Service news

This from Bill Post:

I have an interesting fire department related news story from Detroit. It is quite interesting and has some similarities to what is happening in Chicago. At the moment, Chicago is running short of operable spare tower ladders. This story is also about  not having an operable tower ladder for the center of the city. Tower Ladder 7, the one closest to downtown Detroit, hasn’t been running without a tower ladder since October.

Bill Post

From WDIV in Detroit

 

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Fire Service News

Excerpts from theredstonerocket.com:

Last week, AT&T suffered a nationwide outage that the company believes was caused by “the application and execution of an incorrect process used as we were expanding our network, not a cyber attack,” according to the company’s website. 

AT&T acknowledged the outage on its site at 10:15 a.m. on Thursday and reported that all service was restored just after 2 p.m.  Despite many AT&T customers on post being unable to use their wireless devices, emergency personnel –who rely on AT&T’s FirstNet for some communications – were fully operational.  

Nationwide, there were reports from some civilian police and fire departments of FirstNet being down. 

“This outage has had no impact on the First Responder Broadband Network (FirstNet) on Redstone Arsenal,” Deputy Fire Chief Robert Simmons said. “Our FirstNet devices have continued to function normally. I have talked with network engineers at AT&T, and they tell me this is true of the network across the nation.” 

Simmons also said this incident showed an “excellent proof of concept” referring to the work the installation has done to install a dedicated communications network for first responders on post, which is part of an Armywide partnership with the FirstNet Government Authority and AT&T. 

“It shows how well Band 14, the band dedicated to FirstNet, functions even when there is an outage on the commercial side,” Simmons said. “This event shows why this capability is a critical component in our ability to connect first responders.” 

Redstone Arsenal was the first installation with an approved infrastructure application consisting of three macro towers, 28 small cells and miles of fiber. The system gives emergency personnel’s communications across the network priority over other traffic.  

According to the company’s website, “FirstNet is different from other carriers in that it has a dedicated public safety core that routes FirstNet traffic.  “It also encrypts network traffic within the core, creating the highly secure environment public safety requires.”

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Monee Fire Protection District history

This from Mike Summa for #TBT:

For TBT-This was the Monee FPD’s Engine  #111(later 583), a 1979 Ford F/FMC 750/500.  Enjoy and comment.
Mike Summa
#chicagoareafire.com; #TBT; #FireTruck; #vintage; #TBT; #MikeSumma; #MoneeFPD;

Mike Summa photo

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Palatine Fire Department Memorial Ceremony

#chicagoareafire.com; #PalatineFD; #memorial; #BenFranklinfire;

Palatine Firefighters s Memorial Ceremony

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Fire Museum of Greater Chicago Open House

This from Steve Redick:

The Fire Museum of Greater Chicago will be having it’s monthly open house this coming Saturday 1000-1400.

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Oak Brook Fire Department news

This from Martin Nowak:

Today is the wake for FF/PM Tommy Sinclair from Oak Brook Fire Department. He previously served with Robert’s Park. 

The wake is across the street from Station 2. They will have the light tower set up in an area for over flow cars to park. 
 
I had the opportunity to meet Tommy during my ride time years back. He was outstanding, made me feel welcomed and even taught me new things. God bless and rest easy Tommy. 
#chicagoareafire.com; #wake; #TommySinclair; #MartinNowak; #OakBrookFD; #firestation; #RobertsParkFPD;

Martin Nowak photo

#chicagoareafire.com; #wake; #TommySinclair; #MartinNowak; #OakBrookFD; #Seagrave; #FireTruck; #RobertsParkFPD;

Martin Nowak photo

#chicagoareafire.com; #wake; #TommySinclair; #MartinNowak; #OakBrookFD;

Martin Nowak photo

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Romeoville Fire Academy news

Excerpts from shawlocal.com:

The Romeoville Fire Academy has received $100,000 from Endeavor Health, which it will use to provide tuition assistance to students from underserved communities.

The money is part of Endeavor’s Community Investment Fund and was awarded to support workforce development aimed at recruiting, training, and launching firefighter and Emergency Medical Technician careers with a focus on young adults from diverse communities.

Romeoville’s Fire Academy is one of the largest training programs in the state and was one of 43 organizations chosen throughout northern Illinois by Endeavor to receive funds to support programs for behavior health, violence prevention, housing and food insecurity, and access to care, and workforce development.

They sought the funding because the academy had begun seeing a trend where students of different ethnic groups wanted to join up but would become defeated when they heard the cost during recruiting sessions. The issue is troubling since there is a nationwide shortage of firefighters and EMTs, including in Illinois.

This grant funding will allow for between 10 and 12 students from underserved communities to complete fire academy and EMT schooling and gain access to job placement. The academy has assembled a committee that is currently developing a program to allocate the grant funding to students.

Endeavor Health is Illinois’ third-largest health system, and third-largest medical group. It launched its Community Investment Fund in 2022 and has reportedly impacted more than 211,000 individuals with the services it has helped support and expand.

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Fire Service news

Excerpts from wsiu.org:

Students at Southern Illinois University Carbondale learn through experiential programs, and Badd Axe Ladies, a special job shadowing opportunity, is another example of that.

The SIU Public Health program and the Carbondale Fire Department are partnering to offer this program in March to SIU female students from any major. Participants will gain valuable experience, add to their resumes, learn about public service and enjoy some team building time. Their experience will include time in the fire station and doing ride-alongs on fire calls March 15 and 21 and will wrap up with hands-on fire drills, doing a live training exercise in full firefighting gear March 23-24.

The program’s inaugural year at SIU was 2023, and about a half-dozen women participated. This year, Jenna Jaimeson, SIU Public Health Undergraduate Program director and instructor, said she anticipates about 10 university students of various majors will participate.

“The goal is to help the Carbondale fire department and show young women that they have a place in traditionally male-dominated fields,” Jamieson said. “It’s also a valuable experience for our public health students as they will be working with first responders in their future careers, and it gives them the opportunity to better understand the roles of some of those first responders.”

The program actually began a few years ago when Jamieson was employed at Carbondale Community High School, and it is currently also open to young women ages 16 and older from Carbondale and Murphysboro high schools and John A. Logan Community College.

Those who are interested in applying can contact Jamieson at SIU by email at jamieson@siu.edu or find out more on the Carbondale Fire Department Badd Axe Ladies webpage or the Badd Axe Ladies Facebook page. Applications are due Feb. 15.

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Of interest … fire engine donated to Ukraine

Excerpts from wrex.com:

#chicagoareafire.com; #FireTruck; #Ukraine; 3SterlingFD; #donated;While foreign aid remains in Washington D.C. gridlock, one local partnership continues to ship assistance across the world.

It started with a March 2022 question from Chris Manson’s daughter: How can we help those in Ukraine. Nearly two years later, Manson – alongside US Ambulances for Ukraine, OSF HealthCare and numerous local communities and departments – is preparing for his tenth shipment to the war-afflicted nation.

Manson, working through US Ambulances for Ukraine, relies on donations of emergency vehicles and supplies. After securing those, the OSF HealthCare Vice President of Government Relations finds ready partners in those such as the Consulate General of Ukraine in Chicago.

“My goal was 1, so you know. And then it was 20,” says Manson – reflecting on the beginning. “And then it was, I went, I was back in Ukraine. One point they were like hey, get 50 ambulances. So we’re over that now.”

Each vehicles requires nearly $9,000 to fly or ship across the sea. Similarly, the latest shipment – set to leave in early February – costs around $100,000 for several ambulances and a wheelchair accessible bus.

Funds originate not only from OSF HealthCare but other charitable partners and organizations like the Chicago Consulate.

Moreover, a recent donation from the Sterling Fire Department continues to assist Ukrainians. First delivered in April 2023, Sterling’s fire engine remains busy amidst the conflict.

“That Sterling fire engine that we donated, its operating with a bunch of volunteer firefighters in Odessa,” says Manson. “That fire engine runs three four fire calls a day. That fire engine it has it has gone to three or four drone or missile strikes in a day. It is oftentimes the first fire engine on a missile strike or a drone strike.”

“If there’s a need that still exists, if there’s people in our states that are willing to donate vehicles, if there’s vehicles that are still here that are usable, that can be, you know, in service in Ukraine and be of help,” says Manson. “I can help in some way to make that happen, then I guess… that’s the goal – is to keep on to keep on helping out as long as I can.”

Manson says individual support and information can be found by visiting ua-resistance.org.

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