This for #TBT from Mike Summa:
For TBT – Part 2, Pirsch aerials, I am sure everyone has a story about Pirsch aerials. Enjoy and comment.Mike Summa
Nov 28
Posted by Admin in Historic fire apparatus, throwbackthursday | 2 Comments
This for #TBT from Mike Summa:
For TBT – Part 2, Pirsch aerials, I am sure everyone has a story about Pirsch aerials. Enjoy and comment.Mike Summa
Tags: #TBT, chicagoareafire.com, classic Pirsch fire truck literature, Peter Pirsch & Sons, Peter Pirsch & Sons Co, throw back thursday, throwbackthursday, vintage Pirsch sales literature
Nov 21
Posted by Admin in Historic fire apparatus, throwbackthursday | 22 Comments
This from Mike Summa for #TBT:
For TBT- Pirsch fire trucks were a big part of the American fire service. Many city and suburban fire departments utilized this type of apparatus. Many years ago I mailed a letter to Pirsch asking for literature. These are a sample of what was sent.Mike Summa
Tags: #TBT, classic Pirsch fire truck literature, Peter Pirsch & Sons, Peter Pirsch & Sons Co, throw back thursday, throwbackthursday, vintage Pirsch sales literature
Aug 21
Posted by Admin in Apparatus on-scene, Fire Department History, Fire Scene photos | 8 Comments
This from Brian Murphy:
These photos are of a single-family house fire on the west side of Villa Park, taken during a very cold and snowy winter afternoon in the early- to mid-1990’s. At the time the pictures were taken, units from Villa Park (including call-backs), Elmhurst, Lombard, and Addison were either on-scene or en route. Unsure if it was a General Alarm or a First-Level MABAS Box.All photos were taken using a 35mm pocket camera- no digital or smartphones back then! Hope you enjoy the brief trip down memory lane!I will send more as time permits!Best Regards,Brian Murphy
Line off of the rear of first-due engine from Villa Park Northside fire station. Brian Murphy photo
Fire venting through the roof; in foreground is Villa Park Engine 4 (reserve rig). Brian Murphy photo
Note smoke hanging low to ground- very cold day! Also note 2 1/2″ supply line from hydrant down the block at corner. Brian Murphy photo
Lots of cold smoke. Villa Park Engine 5 in background- late 60’s or early 70’s Pirsch. Brian Murphy photo
Villa Park Engine 4- late 60’s or early 70’s Pirsch, similar to Engine 5. Brian Murphy photo
Engine 4- officer’s side. Brian Murphy photo
Elmhurst Truck 1- 1977 Mack/Pirsch 100′ aerial ladder. Refurbished late 80’s or early 90’s by RPI . Brian Murphy photo
Tags: Brian Murphy, classic Pirsch fire engiens, Mack CF Pirsch aerial, Peter Pirsch & Sons, Pirsch custom engine, Pirsch fire engine, Villa park Fire Department, vintage fire photos from Villa Park
Jul 15
Posted by Admin in Apparatus on-scene, Fire Department History, Fire Truck photos, Historic fire apparatus | 19 Comments
This from Steve Redick:
I was doing some scanning from the “wayback” files and found a few you might like to see…The first was a huge pile of RR ties in Bensenville that burned for hours and hours..early 80s. Got some rig shots including the old Bensenville International Squad rig..I remember at this fire the oxygen levels near it got low and one fireman started acting very erratically til they got him into better atmosphere..very strange but no one thought of using masks at an outside fire back then.
I got a lot of interest in the Elk Grove tiller shot too…..
Found a coupla shots of some Mt Prospect rigs, and the Wood Dale truck
Also a fire in a trailer in Morton Grove at the old OCC site (Oakton Community College)
All these should be from the early 80s and shot on Kodacolor negative film…
Steve
Bensenville engine. Steve Redick photo
Railroad ties on fire in the 1980s. Steve Redick photo
Wood Dale Pirsch ladder truck. Steve Redick photo
Railroad ties on fire in the 1980s. Steve Redick photo
Bensenville squad. Steve Redick photo
Elmhurst Mack CF engine. Steve Redick photo
Another shot of the Elmhurst engine. Steve Redick photo
Leyden Township Hendrickson/FMC engine. Steve Redick photo
Elk Grove Village Pirsch TDA. Steve Redick photo
Mount Prospect American LaFrance engine. Steve Redick photo
Mount Prospect American LaFrance engine. Steve Redick photo
Mount Prospect squad 543. Steve Redick photo
Morton Grove engine with burned out trailer. Steve Redick photo
Tags: American LaFrance 800 Series engine, American LaFrance 900 series engine, American LaFrance engine, Bensenville Fire Department history, black and yellow fire trucks, Elk Grove Village Fire Department history, Elmhurst Fire Department history, FMC fire engine, Hendrickson chassis fire truck, historic fire photos, historic fire truck photos, Leyden Township FPD history, Mack CF fire engine, Mack CF tractor with Pirsch tillered aerial, Morton Grove Fire Department history, Mount Prospect Fire Department history, Peter Pirsch & Sons, Pirsch 100' aerial ladder truck, Pirsch aerial ladder, Steve Redick, white fire trucks, Wood Dale Fire Department history, yellow fire engine, yellow fire engines, yellow fire trucks
Mar 5
Posted by bgshap in Fire Department History, Fire Truck photos, Historic fire apparatus | 9 Comments
Some additional information about the aerials purchased by the Chicago Fire Department in the late 60s and early 70s . Some have inquired about the fact that several aerials were delivered with booster reels and 300-gallon water tanks. There were several types of aerials purchased by the CFD during this time frame.
These included:
At some point in time, the shops drained the water tanks and removed the booster reels as seen in some of the photos posted HERE and below.
Future posts will show more of these aerials, but the photos here show a few examples.
This is a 1968 Seagrave Rear Admiral 100′ aerial with a 500-gallon booster tank and twin booster reels. It features an FWD chassis with rear steering and was assigned to Truck 63 at O’Hare Airport. Larry Shapiro photo
Truck 5 was assigned one of three 1972 100-foot Pirsch rear-mount aerials mounted on a Mack CF chassis with a 500-gallon water tank and twin booster reels. Larry Shapiro photo
Previous posts in this series depicted CFD trucks with boosters from 1967 and CFD trucks with boosters from 1968.
Tags: American laFrance 900 series rear-mount aerial ladder, American LaFrance Ladder Chief, booster tanks on Chicago aerial ladders, Chicago ladder trucks with booster tanks, Chicago Pirsch ladder, Chicago Truck 1, Chicago Truck 12, Chicago Truck 18, Chicago Truck 21, Chicago Truck 3, Chicago Truck 34, Chicago Truck 7, Larry Shapiro, Mack CF Pirsch aerial in Chicago, Peter Pirsch & Sons, Seagrave Rear Admiral aerial, Ward LaFrance Ambassador, Ward LaFrance Grove aerial, Ward LaFrance in the CFD
Oct 11
Posted by bgshap in Fire Department History, Fire Truck photos, Historic fire apparatus | 4 Comments
This from Bill Friedrich:
Here is a shot that a friend sent of Lisle-Woodridge Truck 537 at it’s new home – Wellsburg VFD,WV. Sporting a new color the tower looks pretty sharp.
Lisle-Woodridge FPD Truck 537, a 1979 Pirsch 1250/200 LTI 85′ tower ladder. This was the only Pirsch/LTI combination ever built. Bill Friedrich photo
The Wellsburg VFD in West Virginia purchased the 1979 Pirsch/LTI from Lisle–Woodridge and repainted it. Bill Friedrich collection
Anyone have a shot of this working at a fire in Lisle?
Tags: Bill Friedrich, Lisle-Woodridge Fire Protection District, Lisle-Woodridge FPD, one-of-a-kind LTI tower ladder, Peter Pirsch & Sons, Pirsch LTI tower ladder, Wellsburg VFD WV
Sep 26
Posted by bgshap in Fire Truck photos, New Listing, Site News | 6 Comments
The Elmhurst Fire Department in MABAS Division 12 has been added to the site. Dennis McGuire, Jr. submitted the images. Elmhurst recently underwent a color change from their long standing white over school bus yellow with green striping to a more traditional white over red. They also changed from a E-ONE to Pierce.
EMS units are staffed by contract personnel while the fire suppression units have career firefighters.
Dennis McGuire, Jr. photo
Dennis McGuire, Jr. photo
Dennis McGuire, Jr. photo
Dennis McGuire, Jr. photo
Previously, Elmhurst had American LaFrance, Pierce, Mack, and Darley engines. The former aerials were both 100′ rear mounts from Pirsch.
1974 Hendrickson 1871S/Pierce Suburban engine with a 1,500-GPM pump and 500 gallons of water. Larry Shapiro photo
This 1000 Series American LaFrance engine was built in 1971 with a 1,250-GPM ump and 500 gallons of water. Larry Shapiro photo
Elmhurst Truck 1 was previously a 1978 Mack CF/Pirsch that was refurbished in 1992 by RPI. The 100′ rear-mount aerial had a 250-GPM PTO pump with 150 gallons of water. Larry Shapiro photo
Elmhurst Truck 2 used o have this 1981 Pirsch aerial ladder that was also refurbished by RPI in 1992. Larry Shapiro photo
Tags: American LaFrance 1000 Series engine, Dennis McGuire Jr., E-ONE Cyclone engine, Elmhurst Fire Department, Elmhurst Fire Department Mobile Incident Command Unit, hendrickson 1871s fire truck chassis, MABAS Division 12, Mack CF Pirsch aerial, Peter Pirsch & Sons, Pierce, Pierce Impel pumper, Pirsch 100' aerial ladder truck, yellow fire trucks
Jul 8
Posted by bgshap in Fire Department History, Historic fire apparatus | 1 Comment
As a follow-up to the recent article about the 1968 Mack CF/Pirsch 100-foot aerials with booster tanks, Bill Freidrich submitted these replications of Pirsch literature featuring a Chicago unit.
Vintage brochure from Peter Pirsch & Sons Company featuring a Chicago ladder truck. Bill Friedrich collection
Another page of the brochure showing the aerial raised and the jacks deployed. Bill Friedrich collection
Tags: Bill Friedrich, booster tanks on Chicago aerial ladders, Chicago Fire Department, Chicago ladder trucks with booster tanks, Chicago Pirsch ladder, Mack CF chassis, Mack CF Pirsch aerial in Chicago, Peter Pirsch & Sons, vintage Pirsch sales literature
Jul 2
Posted by bgshap in Fire Department History, Historic fire apparatus | 10 Comments
The Chicago Fire Department purchased aerial ladder trucks with booster tanks and pumps for several years. Beginning in 1966 and spanning through 1973, 31 aerials were delivered from different manufacturers with on-board water. Seven of these were mid-ship aerials and the balance were rear-mounts. Units were built by Seagrave, Pirsch, Ward LaFrance (Grove), and American LaFrance.
This is the second of several posts that will highlight the progression of these truck companies in Chicago. The numbers listed above are revisions from what was originally included in the 1st post.
These trucks were built on Mack chassis with CF Series cabs. Each truck had a 100-foot rear mounted aluminum ladder, 300 gallons of water, and a 60-GPM pump.
Pirsch delivery photo of a 1968 100′ rear mount on a Mack CF chassis for the Chicago Fire Department. Jack Connors collection
Chicago Truck 22 was assigned Shop #E-170 in 1968. This was a Pirsch 100-foot rear mounted aerial on a Mack CF chassis. It carried 300 gallons of water and had a 60-GPM pump. Jack Connor photo
Shop #E-170 was assigned to Truck 47 after it had been running as Truck 22. This photo shows a canvas cover for the rear jacks instead of the metal doors that were delivered in that area. Jack Connor photo
This image shows the rear of E-170 after it was on it’s 4th assignment now as Truck 35. The booster reel is still mounted on the unit, but it is empty. Jack Connor photo
Shop #E-170 was assigned to Truck 16 after it served truck 47. This was the second 1968 Mack/Pirsch for Truck 16. Bill Friedrich photo
After some rehab work and the removal of the booster reels, E-170 was assigned for the last time as Truck 34. Larry Shapiro photo
Another image of Truck 34 on-scene this time after the booster tank and reels were removed. Steve Redick photo
Shop #E-171 was reassigned to Truck 16. Jack Connors photo
The 3rd Pirsch in 1968 went to Truck 15. The rear jacks have no cover in this photo. Jack Connors photo
Shop #E-172 was reassigned to Truck 37 after seeing service as Truck 15. Jack Connor photo
Tags: booster tanks on Chicago aerial ladders, Chicago Fire Department, Chicago ladder trucks with booster tanks, Chicago Pirsch ladder, Chicago Truck 15, Chicago Truck 16, Chicago Truck 22, Chicago Truck 34, Chicago Truck 35, Chicago Truck 37, Chicago Truck 42, Jack Connors, Mack CF chassis, Mack CF Pirsch aerial in Chicago, Peter Pirsch & Sons, Steve Redick
May 13
Posted by bgshap in Fire Department History, Historic fire apparatus | 6 Comments
In this reprint from a September, 1953 issue of Fire Engineering Magazine, the Peter Pirsch & Sons Co. of Kenosha, WI highlights 50 years of building fire engines for the Chicago Fire Department. The ad states that they started with 27 Pirsch Horse Drawn Wagons built in 1907, then there were 3 Pirsch equipped motorized chemical and hose cars in 1912 (the first motorized apparatus in Chicago), followed by 2 Pirsch equipped 600-gallon pumpers in 1916, and then 15 Pirsch 1,000-GPM 2-door cab pumpers built in 1953.
Bill Friedrich collection
Tags: 1907 Pirsch Horse Drawn Hose Wagon, 1912 Pirsch chemical and hose car, 1916 Pirsch pumper, 1953 ad from Fire Engineering Magazine, 1953 Pirsch pumper for Chicago, Bill Friedrich, Chicago Fire Department, Chicago Fire Department apparatus history, Chicago Fire Department history, historic truck photos, historical photos of Chicago Fire Department, Peter Pirsch & Sons, vintage 1953 issue of Fire Engineering Magazine
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