Chicago Fire Dept. Questions

[Haggerty]

I know there are alot of mixed reviews about the new show, but its prompted a few questions from me. In the show one of the guys on the truck has been dubed "otis" and they say they call him otis because he is on elevators? Is this a real CFD thing? Can someone elobrate on this? Also the house they use for the show, i saw it was being built a few years back, what rigs are usualy stationed there? I havent been able to find out. Watching a video on this site i saw Aerial Tower 1, it was answered its the ladder thats prepiped in the city, did it use to be the tallest rig ever, or just prepiped? And the last one, are the air pack masks they use real? I was told they were newer masks, but others say they are just TV BS. Thanks for all your help.

 

[grumpy grizzly]

The house is E-18 @ 1360 S. Blue Island, it is a "green house" lots of new technology, solar panels etc. Normal units assigned are E-18, Ambulance 84, High rise unit 6-4-16. As of recent developments there is a Battalion Chief 4 and District Chief 1, but CFD policy is not to have a BC and a DC in the same house. As to the question about Aerial Towers, a Chicago AT is one that has a pre-piped waterway. Previous AT's were 135' E-Ones, one @ AT-1 and the other @ AT-3 The shows members using Scott while CFD uses MSA. Hope this answers your questions, I live in Chicago, feel free to pick my brain.

 

[FDNY150]

AT-1 is now a 105 foot Pierce with a pre-piped waterway. Truck 3 is just a regular Pierce 100 Foot RMA.

 

[Haggerty]

Wow i thought it was Engine 59 and 70's hosue, the two houses look like twins. Ok wow the MSA masks look very very wierd. And the term "otis" any idea about that?

 

[memory master]

Otis invented elevators. Perhaps this FF has a knack for handling elevator emergencies. Just a thought

 

[fdny1075k]

Grumpy is correct. The firehouse is Engine 18, Battalion 4, District 1(2-2-1), Ambulance 84(BLS), and High-Rise Unit 6-4-16 at 1360 S. Blue Island Ave. District 1 was originally with Engine 42, Truck 3, Squad 1, Ambulance 42, Ambulance 93(BLS), and Command Van 2-7-1 on W. Illinois St. on the Near North Side, but once Engine 18's new quarters were built, I believe the District Chief moved there.

As for the Otis thing, I don't think it's a CFD-term. Like memory master, maybe the guy was good at handling elevator entrapments. Other than that, I haven't got a clue. The masks used in the show had their mouth-pieces removed from the inside of the facepiece so viewers could see the actors faces. Normally, their mouths wouldn't be visible.

The CFD currently operates one Aerial Tower, Aerial Tower 1, quartered with Engine 1 and Ambulance 41 on S. Wells St. in Downtown. It is currently a Pierce Dash 105' Aerial Ladder. It operates just like a normal Truck Co. does, just has a different designation. I'm not sure whether it's pre-piped or not, however, it is currently the longest Truck as far as aerial reach goes in the CFD. Other Truck Co.'s are 100' or 103'. At one time, there were 2 Aerial Towers in the CFD, and like Grumpy said, both were E-One 135's aerials, the tallest ladders the CFD has ever operated to my knowledge. Prior to that, also according to Grumpy, Aerial Tower 1 operated a 1974 Henrickson Morita 135' Aerial w/an Elevator to the top of the stick.

Coming from a personal opinion, the show Chicago Fire seems pretty over-dramatic and un-realistic to the way that the real Chicago FD does things.

 

[Haggerty]

Thanks alot guys, i really appriciate the help everyone.

 

[1261Truckie]

With the helmet controversy going on in FDNY, I was wondering what helmets CFD uses. On the show they look like Cairns 1010's.

 

[fdny1075k]

With the helmet controversy going on in FDNY, I was wondering what helmets CFD uses. On the show they look like Cairns 1010's.

Controversy?

Anyhow, I believe the CFD uses Cairns 880 Chicago helmets, but I'm not 100% sure.

 

[grumpy grizzly]

Chicago uses the 880 Tradition helmet with some minor modifications CFD requested. GG

 

[grumpy grizzly]

I know this is FDNY site, first and foremost. I respect the idea of the site. I know there are guys interested in Boston and Chicago, I am willing to help those guys out. Why the black roofs, why green and red, why box 2-2-????, etc. Guys in BFD helped me up, FF Finn @ L20 great FF/Buff. Aerial Tower 1 is the ONLY pre-piped arratus in CFD, but they are a regular response house. In the OLD, OLD days  6-7-3 was a rig you needed to see, "Big John", makes the tender unit of the Super  Pumper look like a puppy

 

[fdny1075k]

I know this is FDNY site, first and foremost. I respect the idea of the site. I know there are guys interested in Boston and Chicago, I am willing to help those guys out. Why the black roofs, why green and red, why box 2-2-????, etc. Guys in BFD helped me up, FF Finn @ L20 great FF/Buff. Aerial Tower 1 is the ONLY pre-piped arratus in CFD, but they are a regular response house. In the OLD, OLD days  6-7-3 was a rig you needed to see, "Big John", makes the tender unit of the Super  Pumper look like a puppy

Both Boston and Chicago are two excellent and highly respected fire departments. Although this is a NYC Fire-related forum, I agree that these other great fire departments should be mentioned as well.

Also, Grumpy, here's a picture I found of 6-7-3, "Big John". Enjoy:

 

[grumpy grizzly]

Thanx for the 6-7-3 pix, got a chane to foto. 6-7-5 was a more complex rig, not as large but  able to do the job. I beleive the monitors from 6-7-3 were modified to 6-7-5, Little John. Personally these are dinosaurs unless you have a lumber or pallet fire. CFD still has minor deluge units in service.

 

[grumpy grizzly]

As of the middle of September B-4 was relocated to E-23, B-4 was @E-8, and DC-1 stays @ E-18.

 

[firepost]

Grumpy, I'm correcting another error. Battalion 4 was at Engine 18 until September 26th and then they were relocated to Engine 23 where EMS field supervisor 457 had been located but they had exchanged places with Battalion 4 and were relocated to Engine 18.
Battalion 2 is located at Engine 8 even though there has been talk of them moving to Engine 16's new house but as far as I know they are still located at Engine 8.

 

[firepost]

Grumpy is correct. The firehouse is Engine 18, Battalion 4, District 1(2-2-1), Ambulance 84(BLS), and High-Rise Unit 6-4-16 at 1360 S. Blue Island Ave. District 1 was originally with Engine 42, Truck 3, Squad 1, Ambulance 42, Ambulance 93(BLS), and Command Van 2-7-1 on W. Illinois St. on the Near North Side, but once Engine 18's new quarters were built, I believe the District Chief moved there.

As for the Otis thing, I don't think it's a CFD-term. Like memory master, maybe the guy was good at handling elevator entrapments. Other than that, I haven't got a clue. The masks used in the show had their mouth-pieces removed from the inside of the facepiece so viewers could see the actors faces. Normally, their mouths wouldn't be visible.

The CFD currently operates one Aerial Tower, Aerial Tower 1, quartered with Engine 1 and Ambulance 41 on S. Wells St. in Downtown. It is currently a Pierce Dash 105' Aerial Ladder. It operates just like a normal Truck Co. does, just has a different designation. I'm not sure whether it's pre-piped or not, however, it is currently the longest Truck as far as aerial reach goes in the CFD. Other Truck Co.'s are 100' or 103'. At one time, there were 2 Aerial Towers in the CFD, and like Grumpy said, both were E-One 135's aerials, the tallest ladders the CFD has ever operated to my knowledge. Prior to that, also according to Grumpy, Aerial Tower 1 operated a 1974 Henrickson Morita 135' Aerial w/an Elevator to the top of the stick.

Coming from a personal opinion, the show Chicago Fire seems pretty over-dramatic and un-realistic to the way that the real Chicago FD does things.

The Tallest Ladders that the Chicago Fire Department had ever operated were two 1960 model 144 foot Magirus/Mack Aerials Ladders that were built on Mack B cab chassis.
I know that the New York City Fire Department also had also purchased two of them the same time except the ones that were sold to New York were built on Mack C cab chassis.

 

[grumpy grizzly]

The two rigs in question are: Truck Co 3 shop #E-152, and Truck Co 39, shop #153. The main ladder had 6 sections, lack of storage space forced mounting of extra ground ladders to the side of aerial (T-39)

 

[grumpy grizzly]

Grumpy wants to give a shout all to all firsyt responders, their sure do not cover that situation at the academy. I guess Marine Recon, Adapt,Improvise,Overcome was shown to the nth degree by those who witnessed their homes destroyed while they were on the front lines. I think the next BC Chief test should be: First due BC, heavy fire showing, heavy winds, water supply problems, numerous rescues needed, some old man is walking two of everything down the street to a boat. EVERYONE did a fantastic job. In 2011 Chicago was hit by a massive blizzard, we could not exit our house via rear due to a 5' drift. But we could overcome the situation, neighbors pitched in, dogs, Alaskan Malmuettes/Goden Retreivers were happy as hell, all ended up good. But snow melts, sand is there forever. I cannot want to see my life of 61 years and our marriage of 35 yrs disappear. I have no words to express my sorrow for your loss. Bear and Austin wants to know if his FDNY/PDNY buds survived they have feelings also. I hope I never experience the losses you have suffered. Grumpy Grizzly, with a tear in his eye.

 

[grumpy grizzly]

Walt McCall's book has a pix of H & L 39 on page 295, right underneath a pix of FDNY R-1!

 

[BFD389]

I know this is FDNY site, first and foremost. I respect the idea of the site. I know there are guys interested in Boston and Chicago, I am willing to help those guys out. Why the black roofs, why green and red, why box 2-2-????, etc. Guys in BFD helped me up, FF Finn @ L20 great FF/Buff. Aerial Tower 1 is the ONLY pre-piped arratus in CFD, but they are a regular response house. In the OLD, OLD days  6-7-3 was a rig you needed to see, "Big John", makes the tender unit of the Super  Pumper look like a puppy

  far as the Green &  Red Lamps  goes  "Commissioner Albert Goodrich of the Chicago Fire Department (1927 - 1931) had a nautical background. He applied the marine scheme (red light on port, green light on starboard) to fire apparatus, and the idea became a tradition of the Chicago Fire Department. It is also used to mark the bay doors at most Chicago fire stations."    (red  right return...lol)