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Here’s another classic audio recording. Tommy O’Donnell in the 13th with a few classic transmissions. Jim Lee was on the original call reporting the incident. Joe Pavlik on the radio in the FAO. 3-11 Alarm at 3819 Madison St. on 11-14-90
This from Steve Redick:
This was a very nasty job. Some voices I recognize, the buggy driver was Ed Doocy, in the office I heard Bob Phelan, Phil McMahon and Al Anderson. I believe I took this one in from home.
This from Steve Redick:
Made from a Jim Regan tape. 12-8-72
United Airlines Flight 553, a Boeing 737-222 crashed during an aborted landing and go around while approaching Midway Airport on December 8, 1972. The plane crashed into a residential neighborhood, destroying five houses.
This from Steve Redick:
I opened the archives again. This fire was in a 4-11 in a huge, u-shaped apartment building at 3348 N. Central 9/9/82.Some voices: call taker FAO George Mazurek; Kenny Little dispatching the units, and those with sharp ears will recognize Roger Thompson later in the incident.I took this in and have a few images, some are a little iffy in terms of quality but worth a look. They brought the turret wagon into the courtyard but as I recall they didn’t use it. This was a tough and nasty job.Steve
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This from Steve Redick:
Here’s another from the archives, a 3-11 Alarm fire at 2950 W. Jackson 6/5/78. From what I can tell this was an old hotel. Listen to the interesting dialogue between the office and a certain engine company when they were directed to change quarters to eng 77. They were concerned about the “canine presence”. Some classic stuff here. The main voice in the office was the late Danny Evans. There is also some radio traffic from Skokie FD in the mix too.
This from Steve Redick:
This was a real dandy. The Fire Alarm office calltaker and dispatcher was the late Dick Hyland. You can also hear Bob Phelan as well as Matt Tomlin briefly on the radio and Al Andersen was the switchboard guy that handled most of the radio stuff. I took this job in. What a night this was! The DDC was Ed Altman way before his commissioner days and the responding District Chief was Louis Galante (which explains why this wasn’t a 5-11). Some other voices you may find familiar Jim Corbett on truck 12, Bob Welch as “3a”, Bill O’Boyle on Squad 1.I’m sure there are many more to be recognized upon further review. This fire turned into a real spectacle. It ignited a scrapyard at 14th & State that went to a box and it also burned up El ties along the tracks for about 2 blocks. To top it off Snorkel 1 got stuck in the partially raised position and members had to be rescued via ground ladder as the radiant heat was getting brutal. After the building collapsed they found a guy who was sleeping in a vehicle next to the fire building who had to be extricated with a hurst tool since the car was squashed by the falling wall.I was standing too close at the time of the collapse and as I was running saw a member get knocked down by flying bricks. I believe he broke his leg … a narrow miss for me. This was a real all time classic job. I will never forget it.
Steve
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This from Steve Redick:
Here is a radio traffic recording I made of a 2nd alarm fire at 5945 Dempster in Morton Grove. I believe this was on January 25, 1989. The battalion chief who had the fire was Norman Ruth. This was a real dandy and I was there just after the initial attack lines were laid. If you listen closely you can here all kinds of classic dispatching and RED Center radio traffic from the good old days. The fireground traffic is very telling if you listen closely as well. Old suburban traffic is hard to come by and is a very minute portion of my archive but this is a real classic.
Steve
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This from Steve Redick:
Audio recording from the first 5-11 Alarm fire at Harry’s Lumber, 6220 Northwest highway on October 19, 1990
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