Posts Tagged Sajovic

100th Department posted!

Oct 18

Posted by bgshap in Site News | Comments off

Chicagoareafire.com has reached a notable milestone with the recent posting of Lake Villa to the site. There are now 100 departments posted! We had a goal to add 40 departments this ‘season’ and have now surpassed that number, and we’re not done yet. The Indian summer which we have been experiencing has and continues to allow the contributing photographers to visit new departments. Karl Klotz has provided us with three departments from Division 7 in Kankakee County which are in the queue for posting and there are several more departments slated for a visit this fall. Dennis McGuire, Jr. has informed us that he too has the images to add several new departments to the site. Hank Sajovic and Larry Shapiro have contacts with several more departments to visit in the coming weeks. Our new goal is to get to 125 departments posted before the winter.

A sincere thank you goes out to all of the contributors, the departments who have graciously assisted us so that we can gather everything we need, and to the readers for visiting the site and commenting.

Tags: Klotz. McGuire, Sajovic, Shapiro

Lake Villa is on the site

Oct 18

Posted by bgshap in Fire Department News, New Listing, Patch | Comments off

Another Lake County (Division 4) department has been added to the site. The Lake Villa Fire Department/Lake Villa Fire District/Lake Villa Rescue Squad is an interesting marriage of resources and organizations. Together, they currently occupy three fire stations in Lake Villa and Lindenhurst. The downtown station and most of the apparatus assigned there is owned by the Lake Villa Fire Department which is a private organization. They do their own fundraising in addition to being paid for contract services from the Lake Villa Fire District. The other two stations and the fire vehicles in them are owned by the Lake Villa Fire District. The ambulances in all three stations which are white and blue, are owned and staffed by the Lake Villa Rescue Squad.

The Lake Villa Fire Department station which has been expanded three times since the original building was constructed. Photo by Hank Sajovic

The Lake Villa Fire Department station in downtown Lake Villa is an interesting building which has had three separate additions built over the years. The building now has eight bays. Each two bay addition has an engraved stone with the year of that particular addition.

Lake Villa Fire Department Engine 241 Pierce Arrow XT

All of the fire suppression equipment with the exception of a 1973 CF-Mack/Welch was made by Pierce. This includes four engines, a pumper/squad, a 105′ ladder, and two tankers of which all but one are on Dash chassis. The newest piece is a 2009, Arrow XT engine at station 1.

Lake Villa Rescue Squad Ford Osage Type III ambulance

The rescue squad currently has five Ford/Osage Type III ambulances which are painted in the traditional rescue squad color scheme of blue and white. As mentioned in a previous post HERE, there are two new ambulances on order and they will be red, and lettered for the Lake Villa Fire District as are the current units.

The Mack/Pierce engine shortly after it was purchased. It was Engine 2420 at the time, was purchased by the FIre Department and did not have the Wil-Burt Nightscan mounted on the roof. Lake Villa had been a Mack customer for many years. When Mack stopped building fire trucks, many of its customers continued to buy the CF chassis with other companies completing the unit. Lake Villa's transition to Pierce began with this unit. By the time they were ready to purchase their next vehicle, Mack was no longer offering the CF chassis. Photo by Larry Shapiro

This engine from Annandale, NJ is an example of a four-door fabricated by Mack. The rear doors are recessed, flat, and cover the step. The engine was originally built in 1981 and was updated and refurbished in 1996 by The Swab Wagon Company. Larry Shapiro photo

There are three rather uniquely interesting units on the roster in Lake Villa. One is a 1933 Pirsch antique that’s in great shape. The other two units are a throw back to a time when all of the Lake Villa engines were built by Mack on CF chassis. They have a 1973 CF-Mack that was refurbished with a new body complete with high-side compartments by Welch, and the other is a 1989/1990 CF-Mack/Pierce combination. One trait which makes this unit especially nice is the four-door conversion which was fabricated by Pierce. When Mack enclosed the CF cab with four doors, the rear doors were flat, straight, and set in from the contour of the body by several inches. Pierce fabricated the enclosure using a set of front doors for the rear of the cab which kept the same contours and body lines of the cab from the front to the rear.

Lake Villa Fire Department 1933 Pirsch antique

Lake Villa Fire Department 1968 Mack CF engine

This is one of the CF Mack engines that preceded the Pierce units in Lake Villa. Engine 621 as shown here was built in 1969 and carried 750 gallons of water with a 1,000-GPM pump. Larry Shapiro photo

Tags: Annandale, antique, Arrow XT, Dash, Division 4, Ford, Lake County, Lake Villa Fire Department, Lake Villa Fire District, Lake Villa Rescue Squad, Mack CF, NJ, Osage, patch, Pierce, Pirsch, Sajovic, Shapiro, Swab, Welch

Romeoville is on the site

Oct 12

Posted by bgshap in New Listing, Patch, Site News | 2 Comments

The three stations representing the Romeoville Fire Department in Will County (MABAS Division 10) have been added to the site. Hank, Karl & Larry submitted the images.

This is a Pierce department with four engines, a tower ladder and a heavy rescue. In addition they run Medtec and Horton Type I medic units. Also, like many departments, they now have a Polaris ATV in their inventory. Romeoville Fire Department Station 3

Romeoville Station 3 is at 1698 N. Birch Lane. photo by Hank Sajovic

Romeoville Fire Department Pierce Enforcer engine

In addition to the fire department, the Village of Romeoville has an Emergency Management Agency (REMA) with an impressive fleet of 16 pieces of equipment which includes three light rescue squads, two of which have Command Light towers. They have a mobile command unit, a rehab unit, off-road units and seven marked sedans to transport their staff.

Romeoville Emergency Management Agency fleet

The REMA units housed in their station at 195 Budler. Photo by Larry Shapiro

Romeoville Emergency Management Agency rescue

One of the REMA squad units with a Command Light on the roof and storage of supplies for use at emergency scenes. The REMA personnel modified this unit which has a standard utility body by Stahl. Photo by Larry Shapiro

Romeoville Emergency Management Agency command center

The REMA operations center with radio consoles and computers. The village warning sirens are controlled from within this area. Photo by Larry Shapiro

Tags: Division 10, Emergency Management Agency, Enforcer, HDR, Horton, Klotz, MedTec, Pierce, Polaris, REMA, Romeoville, Sajovic, Shapiro, Stahl, Will County

Joliet Fire Department Patch

Sep 25

Posted by bgshap in Fire Department News, Patch, Site News, updated listing | Comments off

We recently received a Joliet Fire Department patch to update the JFD pages on the site. Along with the patch came an introduction/description of the patch and it’s design. Much thought and energy went into the design of this patch as described below.

Joliet Fire Department patch

The Joliet Fire Department Patch

The design of the patch creates a visual image which signifies an organization that is well trained and capable of responding to and controlling the emergencies which daily threaten the citizens of, and visitors to the City of Joliet. This patch stands alone, is unique to the JFD, and represents the values of the JFD.

The Joliet Fire Department (JFD) shoulder patch was designed by the Uniform Committee and was implemented as the official patch in April of 1997.

The Joliet in gold at the top denotes the new Joliet. The center of the patch denotes the emblem that is on all of the JFD equipment. The number 1852 in the red area is the year that the city was chartered and the year that the fire department was officially recognized to protect the city.

The area surrounding the inner design denotes the services provided by the JFD;

Fire – fire fighting, fire prevention, fire and arson investigation, public education, juvenile fire setting counseling, and the hazardous materials response team.

Rescue – includes confined space, below grade, high angle, building collapse, water rescue, and specialized rescue involving farm equipment.

Medics – the JFD is an Advanced Life Support provider with paramedics on ALS ambulances and engines. All other equipment is staffed by EMT-B’s or IDOT trained first responders.

The red, white, and blue overall color scheme represents our nation’s flag.

The red flame is associated with an emergency needing immediate attention while the blue area creates an image of confidence and self control.

Finally, the shape of the patch is made to resemble the shield worn on the firefighter’s helmet.

All ten Joliet stations were posted to the site several weeks ago, and it was brought to our attention that many rigs were missing and some were not shown in the proper stations. All 10 stations have now been updated with the help of Deputy Chief Randich and although there are still several missing images, we hope that we are substantially more accurate and up-to-date with the current state of the JFD fleet and stations. Thanks to Steve Redick and Hank Sajovic for providing additional images.

Tags: Joliet, patch, Randich, Redick, Sajovic

Station/building updates

Sep 20

Posted by bgshap in Site News | Comments off

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

Troy FPD Station 2 supplied by Karl Klotz
Northwest Homer FPD Station 2 supplied by Karl Klotz
Chicago Special Operations supplied by Hank Sajovic

Tags: Chicago, Klotz, Northwest Homer, Sajovic, Special Operstions, Troy

MABAS Response Drill Photos

Aug 31

Posted by bgshap in Fire Service News | 1 Comment

Another photo gallery has been posted detailing the MABAS 90-90 Response Drill from last Friday. The gallery by Larry Shapiro can be viewed by scrolling down on the page found HERE. Yesterday, Hank Sajovic posted a gallery of images which can be seen HERE.

This is the pad at NIPSTA in preparation for the arrival of 11 task forces, each consisting of nine units. Larry Shapiro photo

This is the view from the same location after all of the task forces were in place. Larry Shapiro photo

Each task force brought three ambulances to the staging area. Larry Shapiro photo

The task force from Lake County (IL) Division 4 is shown arriving at north staging. Larry Shapiro photo

Staff personnel at two computer stations checked in all personnel via bar-coded MABAS issued ID cards. Larry Shapiro photo

Although media coverage for the response drill was extensive, evidently it was all centered at the north staging site at NIPSTA in Glenview. Reportedly the sites in Hoffman Estates and Tinley Park received much less media attention. Larry Shapiro photo

Tags: ambulance, Division 4, drill, Glenview, helicopter, Hoffman Estates, Huey, ID card, MABAS, media, NIPSTA, Sajovic, Shapiro, Tinley Park, training

MABAS 90/90 Response Drill 8-27-10

Aug 30

Posted by bgshap in Fire Service News | Comments off

Hank Sajovic has posted the images that he took at NIPSTA last Friday during the MABAS 90/90 Response Drill. His gallery can be seen HERE. Information about the drill and the MABAS press release can be seen as part of an earlier post HERE.

Firefighters and officers from one task force line up and proceed to the check-in tent for accountability. Hank Sajovic photo

The Chicago Fire Department helicopter 6-8-1 hovered over the north reception site at NIPSTA in Glenview for a portion of the exercise. Hank Sajovic photo

This shot shows the orderly staging of companies by task force. Each task force consisted of a task force leader (battalion chief and aide), one truck, one heavy rescue, three engines and three ambulances. Hank Sajovic photo

Tags: 90/90, drill, MABAS, NIPSTA, response, Sajovic, training

CFD Special Operations

Jul 29

Posted by bgshap in New Listing, Site News | 8 Comments

The Chicago Fire Department Special Operations Division apparatus and the Support Services vehicles have been added to the site. These two divisions maintain a number of vehicles in a warehouse located within several blocks of city facilities. The Special Operations Division has units to supplement companies throughout the city for various types of technical rescues and large scale incidents. The Squad companies, hazmat units, Air Sea Rescue and many of the specialized pieces that are in firehouses throughout the city are all under the Special Operations Division umbrella.

Tags: Chicago, Division 9, Freightliner, haz mat, Sajovic, Special Operations Division, Summit, Utilimaster

Several departments coming to the site

Jul 23

Posted by bgshap in Fire Department News, New Listing, Site News | Comments off

As time permits, photographs from the following new departments will be added to the site;

Joliet (images from Dennis McGuire, Karl Klotz, and George Reichardt)
Crestwood (images from Dennis McGuire and Karl Klotz)
Dolton (images from Dennis McGuire and Karl Klotz)
Alsip (images from Dennis McGuire and Karl Klotz)
CFD Special Operations (images from Hank Sajovic)

The following departments will be updated to include images that are missing:

Frankfort (images from Karl Klotz)
Tinley Park (images from Karl Klotz and Dennis McGuire)
Itasca (images from Larry Shapiro)
Rolling Meadows (images from Larry Shapiro)
Elk Grove Village (images from Larry Shapiro)

Tags: Alsip, Chicago, Crestwood, Dolton, Elk Grove Village, Frankfort, Itasca, Joliet, Klotz, McGuire, Rolling Meadows, Sajovic, Shapiro, Tinley Park

McHenry Township is added

Jul 20

Posted by bgshap in Fire Department News, New Listing | Comments off

McHenry Township FPD Station 1 in downtown McHenry is also the headquarters for the fire district. Larry Shapiro photo

The largest fire department in McHenry County Division 5 is the McHenry Township FIre Protection District. With over 150 part-time firefighters running out of four stations, this department responded to 4,369 calls for service in 2009 in a district that is roughly 56 square miles. Their fleet of suppression equipment is 99% Pierce with the one exception being a 1986 S&S tanker running out of Station 2. The newest additions are a pair of twin 2009 Pierce Velocity engines and a 2010 Ford F350/Medtec Type I ambulance. Prior to the purchase of these Velocity units, all McHenry Township engines were on Pierce Lance chassis. They have two squad units; one Pierce Arrow and one Pierce Saber.