Posts Tagged Lake Forest

Lake Bluff is added to the site

Lake Bluff Fire Department patch

Another Division 4 department has been added to the site. The Lake Bluff Fire Department is another volunteer department covering the roughly 4 square miles of Lake Bluff along Lake Michigan between Lake Forest and North Chicago. This is mostly a Pierce department with four Pierce units plus a brush rig built by Danko.

There are several interesting points with regard to the apparatus here. First of all, each of the suppression rigs bears a unique name on the front of the cab. Lake Bluff has always gone to the local third grade class for help with a name when a new piece of equipment is ordered. The current names are ‘The Volunteer’, ‘The Defender’, ‘Guardian’, and ‘Centennial Pride’.

Lake Bluff Fire Department rescue 520

Built-in, color-coded, cross-lays are located amidship. Larry Shapiro photo

Lake Bluff Fire Department Pierce Saber pumper squad

Rescue 520 has a rear pump along with rescue squad type storage and a full complement of hydraulic tools. Larry Shapiro photo

Lake Bluff has an interesting rescue/pumper. Rescue 520 is a Pierce Saber with a squad body that features a rear 1500-GPM pump, built-in cross-lays, and has a roof-mounted, Will-Burt Night Scan, light tower. As a matter of fact, all three of Lake Bluff’s engines also have a Night Scan.

Lake Bluff Fire Department Ford C-8000 Pierce engine

At one time, all of the Lake Bluff engines were built by Pierce on Ford C-Series chassis. When they purchased their last Ford unit in 1990, they were informed by Pierce that this unit would be the last Ford-C-8000 that Pierce would build on.

Lake Bluff Fire Department

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Knollwood is on the site

Knollwood Fire Department patch

The Knollwood Fire Department covers the 1.5 square mile Rockland Fire Protection District in Division 4. They have one station at 14 Skokie Highway along Route 41 at Route 176. Knollwood is a volunteer department with two engines, a 75′ E-ONE quint, a rescue unit, utility, and a boat which they house that is jointly owned with Lake Bluff and Lake Forest. Knollwood does not have an ambulance and contracts with Lake Forest. Lake Bluff has the same arrangement. Both Knollwood and Lake Bluff have EMTs who respond on EMS runs to arrive prior to one of the ambulances from Lake Forest.

Knollwood Fire Department EONE Typhoon 75' Sidestacker quint

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Lake Forest is on the site

Lake Forest Fire Department patch

In Division 4, the Lake Forest Fire Department‘s two stations have been added to the site. The main station at 255 W. Deerpath Road is packed full of equipment including a buggy, two engines, three ambulances, a tower ladder, squad, utility, boat, and ATV. All but one ambulance has been posted.

Lake Forest Fire Department headquarters station 1

The headquarters station at 255 W. Deerpath also houses the police department and dispatch center. Photo by Larry Shapiro

The Lake Forest apparatus was painted all red until 1991 when they purchased four Pierce units which were painted with a white roof. As recently as 2007 they were still using the white over red color scheme when they received Engine 422, a Pierce Dash rescue pumper. In 2008, they took delivery of an IHC/Horton ambulance that was painted black over red. In addition to the new ambulance, the 1994 Pierce Saber was recently sent to Renewed Performance, Inc. (RPI) in Tipton, Indiana to have body work done and it is now black over red as well.

Lake Forest Fire Department Pierce Saber Engine 421

Station 2 on the west end of town was for many years in the old converted Everett School House on Everett Road near Waukegan Road (Rt 43). As the town grew and the area was rebuilt, the school house gave way in 1993 to a new, large firehouse with three drive-though bays, offices for the Fire Prevention Bureau, and classroom space. The new station was built within a block of the old station.

Lake Forest Fire Department Fire Station 2

Station 2 is at 1111 S. Telegraph Road, less than a block from the old Everett Road house. The second floor dormers on this large station are cosmetic only. There is no second floor. Photo by Larry Shapiro

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