Posts Tagged lime green fire trucks

Gary Fire Department history

This from Wayne Stuart for #throwbackthursday:

The Gary Fire Department operated this 1977 Ward LaFrance pumper. It carried WLF serial # 80-1400. It had a 1500-GPM pump and a 500-gallon tank. It was originally assigned to Engine Company #1. However as with most Gary apparatus it served in many different companies during it’s career. It was also one of only two lime green apparatus operated by the GFD.

Wayne Stuart photo

1977 Ward LaFrance pumper

Gary Fire Department – 1977 Ward LaFrance pumper. It carried WLF serial # 80-1400. It had a 1500-GPM pump and a 500-gallon tank. Wayne Stuart photo

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Calumet City Fire Department history

This from Wayne Stuart for #tbt:

The Calumet City Fire Department operated this 1974 Mack pumper. It had a 1250 GPM pump and a 500 gallon tank. It ran for many years as Engine Co. 306  from Fire Station #1. It is the one and only lime green colored apparatus that the department operated.

wayne stuart photo

Calumet City FD Mack CF fire engine

Calumet City Fire Department Engine 306 – 1974 Mack pumper 1250/500.
wayne stuart photo

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Where are they now … Bridgeview

This from Martin Nowak:

Elk Grove Township Engine 310, a 1981 Mack MC started its life as a Bridgeview Fire Department Engine 405 out of Station 2. Here’s a story a firefighter told me at my recent visit to the fire house. It was either 1993 to 1995 when a generator on top of Engine 405 started leaking as so this leak reached some batteries below. This caused sparks and so the whole fire truck engulfed in flames is sitting in the bay with firefighters sleeping. They wake up to someone pounding on the door. A police officer is standing at the door and says your fire truck is on fire. Here’s where the purchase of a new engine comes in. The department was looking for a truck and stumbled across what is currently 1993 Pierce Dash as Engine 425 (Picture taken by me recently). This truck was a Pierce demo with the specs the department liked or best fit them. Elk Grove Township purchased the burned up engine and had it repaired. Changes can be seen between the old photo (thanks to Bill Friedrich for allowing me me to use it) to the current picture on the site.

 

Bridgeview FD Mack MC engine

Bridgeview Engine 405. Bill Friedrich photo

 

Elk Grove Township FPD Mack engine

Elk Grove Township FPD 1981 Mack engine with a 1,250-GPM pump, 1,100 gallons of water and 300 gallons of foam. Larry Shapiro photo

 

Bridgeview FD Pierce engine

Martin Nowak photo

Also, Kevin G found this link to  X-Bridgeview Ambulance 406 that is being offered for sale

Bridgeview Fire Department Ambulance for sale

Penske photo

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Where are they now … Rockford

This from Bill Friedrich:

The City of Rockford had issues with apparatus breaking down due to age so they started purchasing used apparatus. One from Naperville, two from Elmhurst and one from St.Charles. There are no plans to repaint these vehicles to the Rockford FD color scheme.

Naperville Fire Department Engine 2 EONE Hush

Naperville Engine 2 (311), a 1991 EONE Hush 1500/1000. Bill Friedrich photo

Rockford Fire Department Engine 6 X-Naperville

Rockford Fire Department Engine 6 is X-Naperville Engine 2 (311). A 1991 EONE Hush 1500/1000. Bill Friedrich photo

Elmhurst Fire Department Engine 1 Darley

Elmhurst ran this 1990 Spartan Monarch/Darley 1500/500 as Engine 1. Bill Friedrich photo

Rockford Fire Department Engine 15

Rockford Engine 15 is a 1990 Spartan Monarch/Darley 1500/500 which is X-Elmhurst Engine 1. Bill Friedrich photo

St. Charles Fire Department Seagrave engine

The entire St. Charles fleet used to be white over lime green like this 1996 Seagrave fixed cab engine. Engine 106 carried 500 gallons of water and had a 1,500-GPM pump. Bill Friedrich photo

Rockford Fire Department Engine 18

Rockford Engine 18 is this 1996 Seagrave 1500/500 which is X-St. Charles Engine 106. Bill Friedrich photo

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Crete Fire Department is added to Division 27

In Will County, the Crete Fire Department has been added to the site. Crete has two stations with Pierce, Saulsbury, and Medtec apparatus.

Crete Fire Department Engine 702 Pierce Enforcer

Crete is changing the color of their units from white over lime green to black over red.

Crete Fire Department Squad 706

Crete Fire Department Station 2

Crete Fire Station 2 is a t 3740 Melanie Lane. It was built in 1983. Dennis McGuire, Jr. photo

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The Color of Fire Trucks (part 13) – Division 11

More from Bill Friedrich about MABAS Division 11 departments that have had non-red fire apparatus.

Here is a shot of the Forest Park Mack CF in the lime green color. The photo is from retired Forest Park LT.Mario Tricoci

Forest Park Fire Department Mack CF engine

Forest Park FD Engine 401, a Mack CF was received lime green in 1974 with a 1,250-GPM pump and 500 gallons of water. Mario Tricoci photo

 

Forest Park Review February 6, 1974

Forest park Fire Department 1974

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The Color of Fire Trucks (part 12) Division 11

More on the non-red fire apparatus that served in MABAS Division 11.

Cicero Fire Department 1976 Haz mat unit

Cicero Haz Mat 1 in 1976 was this lime green unit built by Koeing on a Ford F-600 chassis. Bill Friedrich photo

Haz Mat 1 was kept at Sta.2

Cicero Fire Department Squad F-11

Cicero Squad F-11 was this white truck built by Wolverine on a Ford F-600 chassis in 1976. It had a 25′ elevating ladder which was more commonly used by outdoor sign companies. Bill Friedrich photo

Here is a shot shortly after the Western Electric plant in Cicero closed down. This was Engine 6 on the radio.

Cicero Fire Department 1978 Ford Howe fire engine lime green

Cicero acquired this 1978 Ford F-700/Howe commercial engine from the Western Electric Plant Brigade when it closed. This had a 750-GPM pump with 600 gallons of water. Bill Friedrich photo

The engine was sold to a department in Alabama. It was at Cicero for about 1-2 years. They did not care for the lime green color. Western Electric employed around 20,000 people and was located near 22nd & Cicero. They did have a full time department.

Cicero Fire Department 1981 Ford Darley fire engine

Cicero Engine 3 was delivered by W.S. Darley in 1981 on a Ford C-8000 chassis with a custom canopy configuration. Originally it was all white but was later repainted to match the new color scheme. Bill Friedrich photo

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The color of fire trucks (part 10) Division 10

Departments in MABAS Division 10 are featured in this next installment of The Color of Fire Trucks series.

Clarendon Hills Fire Department Mack Pierce TeleSqurt

Clarendon Hills ran this 1986 50′ TeleSqurt built by Pierce on a Mack CF chassis. Engine 349 had a 1,500-GPM pump and carried 500 gallons of water. Larry Shapiro photo

The Clarendon Hills Fire Department runs with apparatus that is painted white over a bright yellow. They currently have a fleet of four units with these colors.

Darien-Woodridge Fire Protection District engine

One of several E-ONE units purchased by the Darien-Woodridge FPD was this 1990 top-mount Hurricane engine with 1,000 gallons of water and a 1,500-GPM pump. It ran as Engine 371. Larry Shapiro photo

The Darien-Woodridge Fire Protection District currently runs with red and white apparatus. Their newest unit is solid red, and with this purchase they will retire one of the last of their lime-green apparatus which dominated their fleet for many years.

Riverside Fire Department green fire engine

Riverside Engine 306 ran with this 1978 Ford C-8000/Seagrave. It had a 1,250-GPM pump and 750 gallons of water. Bill Friedrich photo

The Riverside FD had this Seagrave engine and they also purchased another lime green rig. The second unit was a Chevy/E-ONE (DOT) light rescue, like the one shown below from Forest View.
Forest View Fire Department EONE small rescue

Forest View ran with one of the popular small DOT spec rescue squads like many other area departments. Squad 816 was built by E-ONE in 1980 on a GMC chassis. Bill Friedrich photo

The Forest View FD purchased this (DOT) light rescue. It was the only non-red rig in the fleet.
Hinsdale Fire Department EONE engine painted black and yellow

One of many units that has been purchased over the years for service in Hinsdale was this 1982 E-ONE Protector IV engine. Running as Engine 343, it was built on a Hendrickson chassis with an 1871-W cab, and carried 500 gallons of water with a 1,250-GPM pump. Larry Shapiro photo

Until 2008, all of the apparatus in the Hinsdale Fire Department was delivered black over yellow, and with the exception of their 2008 Spartan/Rosenbauer/Metz tower ladder, everything still maintains these colors.
Westmont Fire Department Pemfab Wedge engine by FTI

The Westmont Fire Department purchased this white and lime engine from FTI in 1978. It featured a 1,250-GPM pump with 500 gallons of water. It was built on a Pemfab chassis with their ‘wedge’ (Model 932-T) cab. Bill Friedrich photo

Westmont’s Fire Department had only this one non-red rig in the fleet.
Willow Springs Fire Department black E-ONE tower ladder

Willow Springs purchased this unusual 95′ tower ladder from E-ONE in 2001. Painted black, tower 600 had a 1,500-GPM pump with 300 gallons of water on a Cyclone chassis. Bill Friedrich photo

Willow Springs had this unique E-ONE tower ladder that was black. Reportedly, a developer was to build a large project in Willow Springs and was required to purchase an aerial unit for the fire department. The developer insisted on the tower being painted black.
Argonne national Laboratory Fire Department

The Argonne Labs Fire Department put together this brush rig with a 1975 IHC pickup. Brush 75 had a 70-GPM pump and a 250-gallon water tank. Bill Friedrich photo

Argonne Laboratory FD built their own brush truck. It was the only non-red in the fleet.
Western Springs Fire Department Pierce Arrow engine white fire truck

One of the many units that saw service in Western Springs when their apparatus was painted white was this 1981 Pierce Arrow engine. It was one of the early Pierce Arrow models with a chassis that was made by Oshkosh. Engine 437 had a 1,500-GPM pump with 750 gallons of water. The top-mount control station featured a hand-rail due to the large and spacious area.At this point in time, Pierce was building the cab and body. It wasn’t until later that they began to assemble the entire chassis. Larry Shapiro photo

The current Western Springs Fire Department apparatus is red and white although previously their units were all white with blue and gold trim.
Romeoville Fire Department white rescue squad

The only unit that the Romeoville Fire Department has run with that was not red was this 1979 E-ONE (DOT) light-duty rescue on a Ford F-350 chassis. Perhaps what is most unusual about this is that these were normally delivered lime green. Bill Friedrich photo

Romeoville had a white light-duty rescue by E-ONE. Most of these units were delivered lime green as per the DOT spec.

McCook Fire Department yellow Seagrave engine

This was one of two Seagrave engines that was purchased by the McCook Fire Department and was painted yellow. Engine 379, built in 1979, had 500 gallons of water with a 1,250-GPM pump. Bill Friedrich photo

Many years ago, the McCook Fire Department had red apparatus, then they switched to bright yellow for several years before the fleet was changed again to red and white.

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The color of fire trucks (part 9) Division 7

This next installment (our 9th) in our series highlighting The Color of Fire Trucks, comes again from Bill Friedrich and looks at MABAS Division 7. This MABAS division covers Kankakee County and part of Iroquois County.

Essex Fire Protection District

Essex ran Squad 1974, a 1974 Dodge Power wagon that was modified by the department. Bill Friedrich archives

This was the only white vehicle in the Essex FD fleet.
Kankakee Fire Department Mack CF Pirsch ladder

The City of Kankakee had two units on CF Mack chassis that were white over lime-green. One was this 1983 Mack CF600 with a 100′ Pirsch aerial ladder, a 1,250-GPM pump and 200 gallons of water. This was Ladder 6. Bill Friedrich archives

In Kankakee, this was one of two lime-green Macks in the fleet, both of which had white roofs. The other was a Mack-CF engine. Both are now gone from the roster.
Kankakee Township Fire Department

The Kankakee Township FPD had this 1975 IHC Cargostar 1910 with an Alexis body, 1,000-GPM pump and 500 gallons of water. It ran as Engine 84. Bill Friedrich archives

The Kankakee Township FD was all lime-green at one time. All subsequent vehicles are painted red.
Pembroke Fire Protection District

Pembroke FPD Engine 139 was a 1972 IHC Loadstar 1800 built by Central with a 500-GPM pump and 500 gallons of water. Bill Friedrich archives

The Pembroke FPD had a few lime green rigs. Now they are all red.
Otto Township Fire Protection District

Otto Township Engine 38 was this 1986 IHC S1900/Luverne with a 750-GPM pump and 500 gallons of water. Bill Friedrich archives

The Otto Township FPD had lime green at one point. Now they too area all red.
Papineau Fire Protection District

This X-Glenside FPD engine is now running as Engine 1533 for the Papineau FPD. It is a 1981 Pierce Arrow with 750 gallons of water and a 1,250-GPM pump. Bill Friedrich photo

This is the only yellow rig in the Papineau FPD fleet. It was purchased last year from the Glenside FPD in MABAS Division 12.
Bourbonnais Fire Protection District

Bourbonnais Engine 63 was a 1976 was built by Howe on a Hendrickson 1871 with 800 gallons of water and a 1,000-GPM pump. Bill Friedrich archives

The Bourbonnais FPD  had a few yellow rigs. All the others were red.
Grant Park Fire Protection District

Engine 112 for the Grant park FPD was this 1963 IHC/Central with 1,000 gallons of water and a 1,000-GPM pump. Bill Friedrich archives

This was the only lime-green rig in the Grant Park Fire District fleet. Everything else has always been red.
Chebanse Township Fire Protection District tanker

Chebanse Township FPD Tanker 2871 was a 1994/2001 Peterbilt 379 built by Midstate Tank. It carried 3,000 gallons of water with no pump. Bill Friedrich photo

The Chebanse Township FPD, in Clifton, had two white rigs, all the rest are red.
Salina Township Fire Protection District

Salina Township FPD ran Tanker 164 which was built on a 1985 GMC F-7000 chassis by Midstate Tank. There was no pump alongside the 2,000-gallon tank. Bill Friedrich archives

Salina Township still has this white rig.  At one point they had a white brush truck. Everything else is red.
St. Anne Fire Department

Rescue 10 saw service with the St. Anne Fire Department. It was a 1967 Chevy Step Van. Bill Friedrich archive

St.Anne FD had the blue rescue truck. This was repainted white/red. Everything else has always been red.

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New engine coming to Homer Township

There will be several changes to the Homer Township apparatus fleet in the coming months. Several units will be leaving the department and a new engine is on order.

  • On order is a stainless steel E-ONE Typhoon for Engine 32. Expected in July, it will have a 1,500-GPM pump and a 1,000-gallon water tank.

Three units are leaving the department including:

  • Tanker 34, a 1984 Spartan Gladiator/Pierce 1250/2500 pumper/tanker
Homer Township FPD Engine 34 Spartan Pierce pumper tanker

The tanker as it looked before being taken out of service. Karl Klotz photo

Homer Township FPD Engine 6823 Spartan Pierce pumper tanker

Perviously the unit carried the umber 6823. Larry Shapiro photo

Homer Township FPD Tanker 827 Spartan Pierce pumper tanker

When the tanker was delivered, it had open jump seats, was painted lime green, and was lettered for Tanker 827. Larry Shapiro photo

 

  • Truck 32, a 1995 Pierce Lance 105′ rear mount aerial ladder truck 0/0

 

Homer Township FPD Truck 32 1995 Pierce Lance 105' aerial

  • Engine R3 a 2003 Pierce Saber top-mount 1250/750 pumper

Homer Township FPD Engine R3 2006 Pierce Saber

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