Chicago Fire Department Rigs (4 images)

[Mills]

Thought I would introduce a couple of Chicago Fire Department Rigs working at a Still & Box fire today in a townhouse complex in the Chinatown neighborhood.

1. Engine 8 on a fire hydrant. Each Engine has an intake on both sides, as well as front and rear to ensure access to a positive water source.

http://www.pbase.com/millz11/image/57349633.jpg

2. Truck Company 4. Because the fire building was on the inner portion of a townhouse complex, ground ladders were used as opposed to the main ladder on the Truck.

http://www.pbase.com/millz11/image/57349634.jpg

3. Squad 5A is one piece of a two rig company. The other vehicle is called the box and caries just about any tool imaginable. Squad 5A is a snorkel that can be used to make rescues from upper floors or put a large volume of water on major fires.

http://www.pbase.com/millz11/image/57349635.jpg

4. E8 with a line stretched and operating to the fire building. You can see on the drivers door that this is Chinatown's Engine.

http://www.pbase.com/millz11/image/57349636.jpg

Firefighters are remarkable people who do remarkable work. They also get to drive and work out of incredible, $500,000 + vehicles.

[Curtis N]

I can almost smell the diesel smoke!
Nice shots!

[PaCiFiSt]

Nice, they are quite amazing vehicles

[Mills]

Thanks!

[RuggerJoe]

Someday I hope to get the great shots you get.

[Kevin]

Nice shots Mills. That duck just keeps hanging around.

[mdmedicgod]

Nice shots... I always did like CFD's squads.

I have never seen an in intake on any Engine I used to drive. Unless it was the truck to soley source the master stream. U gotta image of the rear intake??? Would love to see it

2nd thought. I guess you could back fill thru a rear discharge and call the an intake...

[Mills]

Nice shots... I always did like CFD's squads.

I have never seen an in intake on any Engine I used to drive. Unless it was the truck to soley source the master stream. U gotta image of the rear intake??? Would love to see it

2nd thought. I guess you could back fill thru a rear discharge and call the an intake...

Here you go.

http://www.pbase.com/millz11/image/57386707/original.jpg

Here is Engine 26 working. The hydrant was behind it and to the right. You see the 4 inch in center rear right. There is a discharge at the rear top left. On the officers side, they have a 2 1/2 off and the 4 inch would have supplied a tower ladder if necessary. Chicago does a lot of in-line pumping and as long as I can remember they have built their engines like this. Engineers side is more traditional and there is no front discharge.

[mdmedicgod]

Thanks for the shot....... I do remember seeing this now....

[Mills]

Thanks for the shot....... I do remember seeing this now....

No Problem.

[marie]

they are absolutely beautiful shots Mills
really terrific looking
loved seeing them

you mention "1. Engine 8 on a fire hydrant. Each Engine has an intake on both sides, as well as front and rear to ensure access to a positive water source."

a few weeks ago in a town about 25 mile away I saw a fire engine in the yard and I took a few shots close up
you may be interested to see if the lay out is similar
the photo is a bit slanted as I maybe should not have been there
it was lunch time. I speeded up the job
and got slanted for my trouble
:confused::lol:


I think your shots above are the best I have seen yet of the fire engines

really beautiful

:cool:

http://www.PhotoShare.co.nz/PhotoShareGallery1/100543/105600/IMG_0015fireenginecopy601.jpg

[Mills]

they are absolutely beautiful shots Mills
really terrific looking
loved seeing them

you mention "1. Engine 8 on a fire hydrant. Each Engine has an intake on both sides, as well as front and rear to ensure access to a positive water source."

a few weeks ago in a town about 25 mile away I saw a fire engine in the yard and I took a few shots close up
you may be interested to see if the lay out is similar
the photo is a bit slanted as I maybe should not have been there
it was lunch time. I speeded up the job
and got slanted for my trouble
:confused::lol:


I think your shots above are the best I have seen yet of the fire engines

really beautiful

:cool:

http://www.PhotoShare.co.nz/PhotoShareGallery1/100543/105600/IMG_0015fireenginecopy601.jpg


Looks quite a lot different than ours here Marie. Do you have any pictures of the entire fire engine? Looks interesting.

[marie]

Looks quite a lot different than ours here Marie. Do you have any pictures of the entire fire engine? Looks interesting.

a few shots Mills

the town where I took the shots would be very much smaller then where you are situated
:confused:

(hope these do not intrude)



http://www.PhotoShare.co.nz/PhotoShareGallery1/100543/105600/IMG_0011fireenginecopy1255.jpg



http://www.PhotoShare.co.nz/PhotoShareGallery1/100543/105600/IMG_0014firetruckcopy5740.jpg

http://www.PhotoShare.co.nz/PhotoShareGallery1/100543/105600/IMG_0013fireenginepipescopy7160.jpg

[Mills]

Nice shots Mills. That duck just keeps hanging around.


That Duck was auditioning for Dante....I think he wants a place on Bubba's Menu.:rolleyes:

[Degar71]

Some really nice shots you got there Mills... What amazes me is the firefighter in #3 is still wearing pull down boots. I though most companies had long ago gone to bunker pants.

And marie... I have seen different trucks from both my Fire Dept. as well as German Fire Dept. and the trucks are very different. The pumps in Germany were mostly mounted inside of cabinets and either used a local hydraulic system or a motor mounted directly on the pump. In the USA, the pumps use a PTO (power take off) that uses the main drive shaft off of the engine to power the pump. Either way, it still throws water and that is all that matters..

Oh and the ladder trucks run about $850,000 or more... So driving one of those is REALLY fun...

Keep posting those great pictures everyone...

[Mills]

Some really nice shots you got there Mills... What amazes me is the firefighter in #3 is still wearing pull down boots. I though most companies had long ago gone to bunker pants.

Hard to believe, isn't it? 99.9 % still wear the old 3/4 boots. It had been said that the Firefighters were opposed because the old style gear kept them from getting in too far. Bunker gear has been promised for about 3 years. Still testing. The switch is supposed to be imminent. The night after these pictures were taken, the local FOX News had the Union President on a special expose criticizing the City with a multi Billion dollar budget balking at an $8 Million purchase that could prevent firefighter injuries and allow them to get in farther thus allowing for more saves. With that kind of publicity, I'll bet the order will happen very soon. Which would be nice to see.

[Degar71]

Mills,

Amazing... "kept them from getting in to far..." That is just nuts... We are SO much more safe with bunker gear on... But I am most likely preaching to the choir...

I would love to know if there are any other cities out there still using 3/4 boots...

Anywho... Great pictures...

[Mills]

Mills,

Amazing... "kept them from getting in to far..." That is just nuts... We are SO much more safe with bunker gear on... But I am most likely preaching to the choir...

I would love to know if there are any other cities out there still using 3/4 boots...

Anywho... Great pictures...

I'm with you 100% Interestingly a new Fire Commissioner was appointed this past Monday and word is now that bunker gear will be implemented almost immediately. The outgoing commish was a paramedic and never a firefighter. The new guy's dad was commissioner from 89-96 and he tried to implement it then. I'll bet you will see some different attire in my images very soon... But it has to take quite a bit of time to measure, order, manufacture and deliver over 5,000 sets.

[Medic1]

Nice shots...thanks for posting