Posts Tagged Chicago Engine 84

Chicago Still Alarm 57th and Normal

Chicago Still Alarm fire 57th and Normal

The 2-1/2 story frame at 57th and Normal after the fire had been knocked down. Steve Redick photo

Steve Redick took in a fire on Thursday morning and had the following to say about it:

One of the benefits of working the goofy hours I do is being on the street at off-peak times. On the way in last night I was able to make a quick stop at this working still…2-1/2 story frame, vacant, and well involved upon CFD arrival. An exposure problem with exposure two and they were setting up the Snorkel. I arrived in pretty good time but they had already given it a good whack. Squad 5 was positioned in the vacant lot, but from I could tell was not used as a master stream. They had just gotten off the roof, but it was nice to see truck 51’s new Crimson at work. I noticed Truck 18 was running with a lettered spare..but it was a Pierce in really good shape..kind’a surprising. I only had a coupl’a minutes so I had to shoot and run….
Chicago Still Alarm fire 57th and Normal

Squad 5's Snorkel sits in a vacant lot adjacent to the fire building. Steve Redick photo

Chicago Still Alarm fire 57th and Normal Chicago Truck 51 Crimson aerial

Chicago Truck 51 had the front of the building with their new Spartan/Crimson 103' aerial. Steve Redick photo

Chicago Still Alarm fire 57th and Normal Chicago Engine 84

Engine 84 was on a hydrant next door to the fire building. Steve Redick photo

Chicago Still Alarm fire 57th and Normal

Firefighters work on the second floor of the vacant dwelling hitting hot spots and performing overhaul. Steve Redick photo

Chicago Still Alarm fire 57th and Normal Chicago Truck 51 Crimson aerial

Truck 51 from the rear shows the jack spread and reflective striping. Steve Redick photo

Chicago Still Alarm fire 57th and Normal Chicago Engine 50

Engine 50 was the second engine on the scene. Steve Redick photo

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Chicago Fire Department patches updated

Josh Boyajian submitted three CFD company patches that were missing from the site.

Chicago Fire Department patch Engine Company 121Chicago Engine 121

Chicago Fire Department patch Engine 84Chicago Engine 84, Truck 51, Battalion 18

Chicago Fire Department patch Truck Company 32Chicago Truck 32

As mentioned in a previous post, another reader, Alexander Alexandrovski from Austrailia, has also submitted CFD patches to update the website. Over the course of the next few weeks, we will be adding over 60 additional company patches.

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CFD Alive 21 fire station construction continued

In a previous post HERE, we outlined the variations in CFD fire house designs built under the Alive 21 program. The stations built were for Engines 18, 38, 63, 70, 84, 88, 102, 121, Air/Sea Rescue, and Engine 109 which has not yet been completed. Some of the differences that were highlighted included two similar designs that differed by the inclusion of a hose tower, the roof line, and the amount of glass along the top of the apparatus bays. A third design is being implemented for Engine 109’s new house and a new house for Engine 16. The building for Engine 16 though begins what the City of Chicago Public Building Commission (PBC) is calling the first of the ‘Prototype B’ engine company houses (which is confusing because the house for Engine 109 is the same design).

Square footage for each house varies depending exactly on the individual needs of the companies assigned. Ranging from 14,000 square feet for Engine 102’s house to 18,000 square feet for Engine 121’s house, the differences incorporate the office space, meeting space, and training spaces allocated to each facility. Engine 16’s new house will have 18,500 square feet of space which includes Haz-mat unit operations with associated storage and EMS Field Division South offices.

Chicago Fire Department fire station for Engine 109

The site sign depicting the new house for Engine 109.

When the Alive 21 program began, the rear entry to the three apparatus bays included only two doors that are both wider than a single sized door. These designs are in effect for the stations of Engines 38, 63, 84, and 88.

Chicago Fire Department station for Engine 63

The rear apparatus bay doors of Engine 63's house shows the original two-door design. Steve Redick photo

A design change then altered this to incorporate three single width bay doors at the rear of the apparatus bays matching the three doors on the front of the bays. Houses for Engines 18, 70, 102, and 121 were each built with three doors at the rear of the apparatus bays.

Chicago Fire Department station for Engine 121

Engine 121's house shows the updated design which features three bays doors on both sides of the apparatus bays. Hank Sajovic photo

The Chicago Public Building Commission website has links to the Fire Station projects HERE for the completed houses and HERE for the two active projects. The links for the two current projects include galleries of site photos chronicling the progress of each job.

Chicago Fire Department station for Engine 88

The house for Engine 88 at 3637 W. 59th Street has the hose tower. Karl Klotz photo

Chicago Fire Department station for Engine 102

The design for Engine 102 at 7340 N. Clark Street is without a hose tower. Larry Shapiro photo

Chicago Fire Department station for Engine 121

Engine 121's house is at 1700 W. 95th Street. The apron design here has different landscaping along the driveway with a large grassy area unlike other houses with more concrete immediately outside the apparatus bays. This house also has the large solar panels on the roof. Hank Sajovic photo

Hank Sajovic points out that at one point the ‘front’ of the building was reversed for Engine 84’s house since the apparatus exits their building to the west even though the watch room is on the east side. All of the stations were built to have the ‘front’ on the left hand side of the building when viewed straight-on from the street, facing the flag poles.

Chicago Fire Department station for Engine 84

Apparatus in Engine 84's house runs out of the east side of the building, opposite of the side with the watch room. Hank Sajovic photo

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CFD – new station construction update

Construction has begun for the new house at 53 E. Pershing Road that will be home to Engine 16, Ambulance 35, EMS Field Division South, and 5-1-1. The site has been cleared of the former warehouse and basement. Foundation work is underway with preparations for the footings.

Chicago Fire Department Engine 16 new firehouse

The sign at the construction site for Engine 16's new firehouse that is underway. Hank Sajovic photo

This house has several notable differences in design than most of the other recent houses, although it appears to match the new house for Engine 109 at 2343 S. Kedzie Avenue.

Chicago Fire Department Engine 109 new construction

The sign at the construction site for Engine 109's new house depicts the same rendering as for Engine 16. Hank Sajovic photo

Chicago Fire Department fire station artist rendering

An artist's rendering illustrating the new houses for Engine 16 and Engine 109.

The shape of these two new houses is squared off with lots of glass. The roof of the apparatus bays is flat where the others have an angled awning type roof. There is also different brick trim along the top of the brick walls and glass along the interior of the house instead of it being all brick. This house has a squared hose tower, and although several of the other stations lack one, the hose tower is rounded where they have been built. The new stations also have both horizontal and vertical windows as opposed to all The shape is squared off where others have an angled awning above the apparatus bays and different brick trim along the top of the brick walls. This house will have a hose tower though some of the others do not.windows previously.

Chicago Fire Department Engine 18's house

Engine 18's house at 1360 S. Blue Island Avenue has much less glass in the design than the newer stations. This building also features the angled awning-like roof over the apparatus bays. Hank Sajovic photo

Chicago Fire Department Engine 84 fire station

This house at 21 W. 59th Street is home to Engine 84, Truck 51, Ambulance 36, and Deputy District 5. This building has a rounded hose tower which differs from the square design for Engine 16 and Engine 109. Hank Sajovic photo

Chicago Fire Department fire house Engine 59 Engine 70

This house in the 9th Battalion is known as the 'Full House' since it is home to Engine 59, Engine 70, Truck 47, Ambulance 13 and Battalion 9. Located at 6030 N. Clark Street, it has no hose tower and a much smaller footprint on the 'front' end when compared to Engine 18's house. Hank Sajovic photo

The stations that have a hose tower also have a conventional door built into the overhead door in the apparatus bay closest to the street.

Chicago Fire Department fire station Engine 63

Engine 63's house at 1440 E. 67th Street has the rounded hose tower like Engine 84's house. This design also has more glass above the apparatus bays when compared to the stations without the hose towers. Hank Sajovic photo

Chicago Fire Department fire station Engine 38

The house at 3949 W. 16th Street which is home to Engine 38, Truck 48, and Deputy District 2 matches in style to the other buildings with the hose tower and the awning roof. Hank Sajovic photo

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