It’s time for the 2024 fire truck calendars from the manufacturers
and Fire Trucks in Action 2024 from Motorbooks featuring several local photographers: Eric Haak, Larry Shapiro, Jeff Rudolph, and Tim Olk. Local fire departments shown are Spring Grove, Randall, Fox Lake, Antioch, Chicago, Lincolnwood, Des Plaines, and Long Grove.
Buffalo Grove firefighters were called to 691 Checker Road at 8:30 Sunday evening (3-12-23) for a reported fire in a second floor bedroom. While en route, companies were advised by NWCD that a neighbor reported fire on the roof, and then another reported fire on the side of the house. Upon arrival, Battalion 4 reported heavy fire and requested the Code 4 upgrade. Buffalo Grove companies worked from the exterior and then the interior to knockdown the fire while performing searches throughout. They were assisted at the scene by units from Long Grove, Lincolnshire-Riverwoods, Wheeling, Arlington Heights, Northbrook, and Buffalo Grove EMA with MobileComm.
Larry Shapiro photo
Larry Shapiro photo
Larry Shapiro photo
In honor of breast cancer awareness month, Buffalo Grove firefighters join other fire departments around the country by wearing pink. Larry Shapiro
At the height of the morning storm yesterday and within a ½ hour of shift change, four calls for service came into Northwest Central Dispatch for the Buffalo Grove Fire Department within minutes of each other. There were two ambulance calls, a reported transformer fire with extension to a shed, and a working fire in a townhouse. As companies scrambled to each call, the transformer fire was just that and had not extended to the shed, but smoke met firefighters on arrival at a center unit in a four-unit townhouse. The fire was upgraded immediately and companies that were already en-route to the shed fire were rerouted providing quick back-up to first-due units.
Buffalo Grove’s 2010 Ferrara Inferno tower ladder was the first fire suppression unit on the scene and was deployed for the first time at a Buffalo Grove fire.
Tower Ladder 25 (235) is deployed at a townhouse fire at 161 Old Oak Court E during the storm on Tuesday morning. Larry Shapiro photo
The storm did not let up during fire fighting operations Tuesday morning as high winds knocked out power to thousands of homes and businesses. Larry Shapiro photo
More images from this fire can be seen HERE.
Just when we thought we had a large enough project to undertake … listing each department, each station and every piece of rolling stock in 19 MABAS Divisions … Karl Klotz begins submitting department profiles from a 20th Division, MABAS Division 7 in Kankakee County!
So, we welcome the departments of Division 7 and have posted three of them to get things started.
The Limestone Township Fire Protection District covers a mere 36 square miles from one station with 40 part-time firefighters and officers. They are running with Pierce, Quality, and Ferrara apparatus and Road Rescue ambulances. Their newest piece is a Ferrara Inferno pumper squad that was mentioned HERE.The Limestone Township Fire Protection District station houses two ambulances, two engines, a pumper squad, a tanker, a brush unit and a pickup. Karl Klotz photo
Oct 15
Here are a few recent area updates:
Limestone Squad 3 is a 2010, Ferrara, inferno pumper/squad with a 2,000-GPM pump, and 500 gallons of water. Photo by Karl Klotz
Bellwood's new GMC/Osage ambulance before lettering. Osage photo
Interior view of Bellwood's new Osage ambulance. Osage photo
Oct 12
Bob Altwasser submitted this image of the new Ferrara Inferno tower ladder that has recently gone into service for the Algonquin-Lake in the Hills Fire Department. Tower 181 has a 1500-GPM pump, 300-gallons of water, and a 100′ rear mounted tower ladder.
Algonquin's new Ferrara Inferno tower ladder. Photo by Bob Altwasser
Bob has a site with many photos called MidwestFireDepts.smugmug.com.
Sep 3
On the Ferrara Fire site there are updated photos of the new Ember engine being built for the Nunda Rural FPD in McHenry County. The pictures can be seen HERE with the body mounted to the cab and chassis.
Also on the Ferrara site HERE are finished photos of the Algonquin Igniter MVP rescue pumper that was on display at the IAFC trade show last week. You’l have to scroll down to see the photos listed alphabetically under Lake in the Hills. Similarly, the new Inferno tower ladder can be seen HERE by scrolling down as well.
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:
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
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
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
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.
The Buffalo Grove Fire Department spent several days training on their new Ferrara Inferno tower ladder and Igniter pumper. The pumper will go into service shortly and the tower will take longer to mount all the equipment and get everyone trained and ‘certified’ to use it.
Buffalo Grove personnel training with the new Ferrara apparatus. Photos by Larry Shapiro
Ferrara Fire Apparatus has delivered a medium duty rescue unit to Melrose Park. The walk-around squad is on a Freightliner M2106 chassis and has a light tower, rescue tools and storage for multiple air cylinders. We also missed a delivery last year by Ferrara of two Intruder 2 engines which use the HME 1871 cab and chassis. The units have 1500 GPM pumps and carry 500 gallons of water.
Ferrara delivered this medium duty rescue on a Freightliner chassis to Melrose park. Ferrara photo
Ferrara photo
Bolingbrook Ferrara Intruder 2 engine. Ferrara photo
Ferrara has begun work on a rear mount tower ladder for the Algonquin-Lake in the Hills Fire Department. The unit will feature an extended Inferno cab with an 8-inch notched roof extension. The 100′ tower will have a 1500 GPM pump and carry 300 gallons of water. Progress on the building of this unit can be viewed HERE.
For the finest department portraits and composites contact Tim Olk or Larry Shapiro.
