Posts Tagged Chicago

Fire Museum of Greater Chicago

Another post on Firegeezer scoops us HERE with an announcement of an upcoming program

… in honor of those who were lost that dark day 100 years ago on the morning of December 22, 1910, at the Nelson Morris cold storage warehouse in the Union Stock Yards, the Fire Museum of Greater Chicago will present an illustrated program chronicling the event at the Chicago Fire Academy on Saturday, October 16, 2010 @ 10:AM.

One might have thought that our own contributors on the board of the museum would have provided us with this information …

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CFD Ambulance 23 was hijacked yesterday

Firegeezer has an account HERE of the brief abduction yesterday of Chicago Ambulance 23 with the personnel and patient on-board.

Chicago Fire Department Ambulance 23

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Submit your photos

Wouldn’t it be interesting to see photos of rigs on-scene or in action? We think it would. So, we thought we’d offer an opportunity … a challenge … an outlet … to share some images with others. Nothing fancy, just nice shots that showcase your department or your work. They can be current events or older shots. Images sent in will not be redistributed or shared elsewhere (with the exception of how people use or share these posts). We’re not looking for large files. Just consider sending us what you find interesting and feel that others will like to see as well.

This is just something we thought we’d try, and if it works and people submit images, well then that’s great. If not, .. well we can say that we tried! Depending on how many images come in, we might do a shot of the week, month or …. dare I say it …  a shot of the day!

Images are always more interesting with a brief caption, so send a little bit (or a lot) of information along with the image. Please only send in your own photo, not one taken by someone else. We don’t want to upset anyone or infringe on their ownership.

Here’s a great example from Steve Redick.

Chicago Fire Department engine 95

Back porches on a vacant. Engine 95 had a nice shot to the rear as you can see in the photo. The smoke condition drifted across the expressway creating a jam up for a few minutes. Photo by Steve Redick

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Chicago sells reserve Snorkel

Dennis McGuire, Jr. provided the following update:

Year:  1987

Chassis Manufacturer:  SPARTAN

Body Manufacturer:  E-ONE

Aerial Device: 55′ SNORKEL

Hours:  748

VIN:  158BT0L07HC185046

Running Condition:  DOES NOT RUN

Sold for $4550.00

City of Chicago – City of Chicago Online Auctions

Chicago Reserve Snorkel

Decommissioned Chicago Reserve Snorkel. Chicago Auction Site photo

Chicago Reserve Snorkel

Driver's side of decommissioned Snorkel. Chicago Auction Site photo

Chicago reserve Snorkel

E-ONE body and 55' Snorkel boom of the decommissioned Snorkel. Chicago Auction Site photo

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New ARFFs for Chicago

The Chicago Fire Department is expecting to receive three new Oshkosh Striker ARFF units by the end of the year. The first of these units was due in August and has not yet arrived. On a recent trip to Pierce, a reader took the photo which is shown here that shows all three of the ARFF units completed, one which has a Snozzle articulating boom with a piercing nozzle.

The closest of these units can be seen numbered for 6-5-5 which runs out of Rescue 2 currently with a 2000 Oshkosh TI-3000. This is the ARFF Commander’s unit.  The others are probably 6-5-3 at Rescue 1 (now operating with a 1992 Oshkosh T12) and 6-5-6 which currently has a 1994 Oshkosh T-3000 with a Snozzle out of Rescue 2.

Pierce factory final inspection

Three Oshkosh Striker 3,000-gallon ARFF units are seen here in the final stages of completion at the Pierce factory last week.

As an added bonus, the heavy rescue shown in the foreground of this photo is the new unit for the Northern Illinois Police Alarm System Emergency Services Team (NIPAS EST) on a Velocity chassis.

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New must-have book on the CFD

Many in the Chicago area know or know of Steve Redick, a Senior Fire Alarm Operator with the Chicago Fire Department (CFD) and a contributor to this website. Steve’s father Warren Redick, retired some years ago after a distinguished career with the CFD. Warren was an avid photographer who loved the fire service. Beginning in the 1950’s, he was way ahead of his time when he began shooting Kodachrome slides at a time when most other photographers were shooting in black and white. He had a keen eye for composition and his exposures were always spot on, which resulted in a collection of dramatic and beautiful images of the CFD apparatus both posed and in action.

Steve describes the book as:

An historical photo retrospective of the Chicago Fire Department. The book features several hundred brilliantly restored Kodachrome images of the men, apparatus and fires from the 1950s and 1960s. Also included is historical data, including dates, locations, equipment information, as well as a wealth of interesting facts and anecdotes. This is a must see book of seldom seen photos of a bygone era in Chicago firefighting.

Warren Redick Steve Redick CFD Historical Book

Here is a link to a preview of the book, and ordering information as well.    http://www.blurb.com/books/1602508


Pricing is as follows:
Softcover                       46.95
Hardcover                      59.95
 Image Wrap                   62.95
shipping is additional, but Steve is ordering a case of books which he will sign for buyers in addition to providing a large savings on the cost of direct shipping from the publisher.

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Station/building updates

The following images have been added to the website filling vacancies:

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Chicago Fire Department updates

Chicago FD Engine 4

Several firehouses in Chicago have had updated postings to show new rigs or company emblems.

The following houses have had company emblems added: Engine 4, Engine 5, Truck 19, Truck 3, Tower 21, Engine 49, OFI, and the 5-11 Club

The following rig photos have been added or updated: Battalion 14, Ambulance 11, Ambulance 4, Ambulance 85, 4-5-7, and the 5-11 Support Units at Engine 106‘s house and Engine 80‘s house

CFD OFI emblem

Chicago 5-11 Club Canteen

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IAFC Fire Rescue International Trade Show Final Installment!

Chicago Fire Department Spartan Crimson aerial ladder

The first Spartan/Gladiator Crimson 103' rear mount aerial ladder. The assignment for this piece has not yet been released. Larry Shapiro

There have been several previous postings which referenced the IAFC Fire Rescue International Trade Show in Chicago several weeks ago. A gallery is available by scrolling to the bottom of the page HERE which fittingly shows many of the trucks as they were leaving McCormick Place and lining up to receive a few gallons of fuel so that they could make their way to a gas station. As with any trade show, the fuel is siphoned out of the tanks before they enter the convention center as a safety measure to reduce the hazards of fires and leaks.

Although the units featured in the gallery are a hodgepodge sampling of the display pieces, there are images of several local units which are better shots than what was available inside the convention center. These images include the Freightliner/Medtec MICU from Algonquin-Lake in the Hills, the Pierce Impel quint from the Great Lakes Naval Training Center in North Chicago, the Spartan/Super Vac (SVI) HDR from Cherry Valley, the Pierce Velocity PUC tower ladder from South Holland, the custom Sutphen SP112 industrial tower ladder for the Exxon Mobile Joliet Refinery and the Spartan/Crimson rear mount aerial ladder for Chicago.

South Holland Fire Department Pierce Velocity PUC tower ladder

South Holland's Pierce Velocity PUC tower ladder. Larry Shapiro photo

Exxon Mobil Joliet Refinery Sutphen tower ladder

The Sutphen SP112 tower ladder for the Exxon Mobil Refinery in Joliet. Larry Shapiro photo

Pierce Impel quint Great Lakes Naval Training Center

The Pierce Impel quint going to the Great Lakes Naval Training Center in North Chicago. Larry Shapiro photo

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Many new area rigs at Fire Rescue International

There are many new pieces of apparatus for our area currently on display at the Fire Rescue International 2010 trade show at McCormick Place. Among them are:

  • Pierce – South Holland Velocity PUC 100′ PAP rear mount tower ladder; Great Lakes NTC Impel 75′ RM quint
  • Medtec – Algonquin Lake-in-the-Hills Type I Freightliner
  • Crimson – CFD Spartan pumper; CFD Spartan 103′ RM aerial ladder; Naperville Spartan pumper
  • Horton – Minooka Ford Type III MICU
  • US Tank – Pingree Grove FPD Kenworth tanker
  • Federal Signal – CFD Ford Expedition battalion chief unt
  • Ferrara – Algonquin Lake-in-the-Hills Inferno engine and RM Tower ladder
  • Sutphen – Exxon Mobil Joliet Refinery industrial mid-mount tower ladder quint
  • Super Vac (SVI Trucks) – Cherry Valley Spartan HDR
Chicago Fire Department Crimson ladder

The first Spartan Gladiator Crimson 103′ rear mount aerial ladder built for Chicago was displayed at the Fire Rescue International (FRI) 2010 trade show. Larry Shapiro photo

Algonquin Lake-in-the-Hills Medtec ambulance

This Freightliner/Medtec Type I ambulance for the Algonquin lake-in-the-Hills Fire Department was on display in the Pierce booth. There were a total of three units on the trade show floor for this department. Larry Shapiro photo

Algonquin Lake-in-the-Hills Ferrara engine

The smaller than normal pump enclosure and built-in cross lays on the new Ferrara engine for the Algonquin Lake-in-the-Hills Fire Department resembles a trend in apparatus design which was first introduced several years ago by Pierce. Larry Shapiro photo

Cherry Valley Fire Department Spartan SVI Super Vac heavy rescue

A Spartan Super Vac (SVI) heavy rescue for Cherry Valley with walk-around body, light tower, front bumper hydraulic rescue tools, air cascade system and an abundance of slide-out shelving and trays. Larry Shapiro photo

A gallery showing several of these units can be seen on Larry Shapiro’s site HERE.

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