Chicago FD Used Snowmobiles during Blizzard VIDEO

[efdcapt115 1,511]

Believed to be the first time the CFD ever used Snowmobiles. 50 were deployed, out of 100 firehouses. Here's one in action towing a patient out to a bus that couldn't make it into the scene:

Youtube credit: cabcab16

[nfd2004 750]

Believed to be the first time the CFD ever used Snowmobiles. 50 were deployed, out of 100 firehouses. Here's one in action towing a patient out to a bus that couldn't make it into the scene:

Youtube credit: cabcab16

I must say, I certainly enjoyed watching this video. It reminded me of the Blizzard of '78 where most of New England got record snowfall for three straight days. I had about three years on the Fire Dept in a small city in Eastern Connecticut (Norwich). At that time, we ran four Engines, One Ladder, and One Rescue. There were reports of a coming snow storm but nothing like what we were about to get hit with.

I left for work at the firehouse about 4 PM. It was just starting to snow. I was working an overtime shift at Engine 3 which happens to be right across the street from the firehouse. We were also the first due Engine at the Hospital. I remember reading in Firehouse Magazine maybe the year before how the Buffalo, N.Y. Fire Dept had used snowmobiles during some of their heavy snowstorms during that year (I guess it was 1977).

I worked the firehouse that night with one of the more senior members in the dept, and the senior Captain who was in great shape for his age. We didn't make a run until about 4 AM and that was for an alarm at the Hospital. As we went out, I couldn't believe how much snow was on the ground. It was up to the bumper on the truck, and still coming down extremely heavy. When we got back to the firehouse, the Captain told me that "HE" was going to shovel the ramp to the firehouse. I said; Are you kidding me Cap". He said, "No, you go put on the coffee because I want the exercise". He was one strong 50 year old plus guy. He's in his late 80s to this day.

The next day I had to work my regular shift at fire headquarters on the Rescue. A Small Ambulance type rig. Just some extrication equipment etc. As the snow kept falling much faster than anybody could keep up with, one of the guys mentioned that he had a snowmobile that he was willing to use. Then somebody mentioned about Buffalo using them the year before. Then another guy said that he was also willing to bring in his too. These two guys loved playing on their snowmobiles in Vermont etc and it would give them a chance to play. The Chief of Dept gave them the okay, with the understanding that they respond to Every Call. It was decided that the two snowmobiles would be towed on a small flatbed trailer using a four wheel drive brush truck we had. An old army surplus jeep. By the following night shift we had the two snowmobiles in service, and everybody was held over. We couldn't get home if we wanted to. The snow just kept coming down.

To Be CONTINUED :

[nfd2004 750]

Continued from above:

As the snow kept falling and the night shift came in, all the on duty crew was held over. Besides the four engines, one ladder, and rescue, our reserve engine and ladder was also manned. In addition that brush truck would now be pulling the trailer with the snow mobiles and the two snow mobile operators riding in that rig.. The city plow trucks were out trying just to keep up with some of the main streets espically the ones with the firehouses, the hospital, and the police station. We had maybe one or two calls.

Around 1:30 AM one of the members working at Engine 3s firehouse saw flames in the third floor window of the high school. This is a four story brick building of ordinary construction about 50 x 150. Called the Bradlaw building. One of about four other buildings on the high school property. Engine 3 pulled across the street and stretch a line into the building using a ground ladder. The snowmobile crew was able to find a hydrant burried under the snow. They got the supply lines off the back of the rig, tied them into the hydrant and got the water started.

As luck would have it, a city plow truck was in the area at the time and plowed a path for the other engine and the truck to reach the front side of the building. That Engine wasn't able to lay in because they couldn't find their hydrant. Once again, the snowmobile was put to work grabbing the supply lines from the rig and taking them out to the street to find the closest hydrant. After all was done, NO DOUBT it was the snowmobiles and that city plow truck that saved the entire building from burning down.

The next day and night shift everybody was held over again. Those snowmobiles responded to a few calls, but by far there were two medical calls that those snowmobiles had a huge affect on. Both calls were houses located at the end of dead end streets. One was a woman who was described as a bleeder. No vehicle was able to drive down that street due to the huge amount of snow. She was towed on a plastic stretcher using the snowmobile to the corner of the main st where an ambulance was waiting. The second was a call, also the last house at the end of a dead end street. It was for a male with chest pains and went into cardic arrest. CPR was done on that male while being pulled in the snow covered street by the snowmobile. We later found out that both civilians survived.

Those Snowmobiles played a huge part in fighting that High School fire and saving those two civilians. They earned the name of "Rocky" and his "Flying Squirrel". I'm sure those Snowmobiles worked out just as well for the Chicago Fire Dept, as they did some three or four decades ago for Buffallo, N.Y. and Norwich, Ct.