Chicago Fire Department

[mfc2257 464]

Is anyone familiar with how the Chicago Fire Department operates it's Squad Companies. It would appear that each company runs a short wheelbase HME Heavy Rescue (ex: Squad 5) as well as a short wheelbase HME Snorkel (ex: Squad 5a).

Does each of the two squad apparatus assigned to each company have a full crew?

Do they respond as a mated pair on all calls they are assigned to?

What is is the purpose of the Snorkel or the theory behind it's use when the department runs a standard complement of aeriel and tower devices as well?

There is very little online information about the Chicago Fire Department. It appears that there are at least 7 Squad Companies running this combination in the city, and it also looks like it's been in operation since the late 1950's. Aside from that there isn't much info.

Any takers?

Pictures can be found by going to:

http://www.firegroundphotos.net/Chicago.htm

Squad Co's 1, 2, 5 are shown with both apparatus.

Edited January 9, 2006 by mfc2257

[IzzyEng4 427]

I've always wondered that too. It works though. In interested. Also I know the whole paint scheme was something to do with the fact of a chief likeing having the black top over a car or truck. I'm not sure it that was a canvas or a hard top though. Same with the green lights, something to do with port / starboard lights from ships. I really am interested in all of Chicago's history and traditions. Should be a good topic.

[27east 19]

I believe the Snorkel concept comes from a former CFD commissioner, Quinn I think his name was, and he got the idea from watching tree and utility crews using the overhead buckets.

[Guest]

Here is information on CFD Snorkels from Bill Post........a CFD Historian.

In the 60's and 70's Chicago had two types of Snorkel Companies.THe first were the regular Snorkel Companies which responded on our Still and Box alarms and higher extra alarms and were used solely for the Snorkel Boom which ranged in height from 50 to 85 feet.

The second type of Snorkel company were your Snorkel Squads which were a two piece Heavy Rescue type of company which responded on Still alarms (structure fires reported via telephone) in their districts and responded city wide on the 2-11 alarm.They also responded on Pin In Accidents and other major Special Duty(Rescue Type runs).The first unit was the actual Snorkel Squad with a 40 to 50 foot Snorkel and built in Cabinets to carry it's many special tools and the second unit was a medium sized High Pressure Fog pumper which had 300 gallons of water in their tank and carried more equipment on board.

While the first Snorkel company went in service in 1958, the first Snorkel Squad went in Service in 1962.

We had an all time high of 9 Snorkels rigs in service from 1963 until 1969 when two of our Snorkel Squad's and one Snorkel Company were taken out of service.

At first we had 7 Snorkel Companies and 2 Snorkel Squads and then we had 6 Snorkel Companies and 3 Snorkel Squads.In May of 1965 Snorkel company 1 was taken out of service only to put the rig right back in service as the first piece of Snorkel Squad 3.We in effect lost a Snorkel company but gained a Snorkel Squad.The first Snorkel to actually go out of service was Snorkel Squad 3's original 1958 GMC /Pittman Snorkel which was disabled in a massive Snow bank during the Great snow storm of 1967.From then until 1969 when the company officially was taken out of service S.S 3 as it was called ran without a Snorkel.It's first piece became a Spare pumper or Spare High Pressure Wagon.

In 1969 Snorkel company 2 and Snorkel Squads 2 and 3 officially went ou tof service.Snorkel Squad 1 lasted until 1980

[Guest]

More info from Mr.Post.....

There were 4 nearly identical Oshkosh Pierce Snorkels.The first one was a 1972 model and was originally assigned to Snorkel 3.Within a year or so Snorkel 3 was iinvolved in some mishap which I believe might have been a wall collapse or some other kind of accident but I'm not clear of the exact details,The rig survived and was repaired ,however at the time of the mishap the CFD was putting in an order for two more Snorkels so the CFD decided to increase the order to three instead of two Snorkels and when those three Snorkels arrived (the 1974 Oshkosh's) one went to Snorkel 3 (once again), one went to Snorkel 4 and one went to Snorkel 5.The 1972 model that was assigned to Snorkel 3 became a spare Snorkel until 1979 when it replaced Snorkel 6's 1971 55 foot Ford/Pierce rig.The reason why it replaced Snorkel 6's rig is because in 1979 Snorkel 6 moved into a larger fire house that was able to accomodate a larger Snorkel as the Oshkosh's were 75 foot models.

On May 25th 1981 the Snorkels were relocated and renumbered to match the 5 new Fire District's that they were located in.Snorkel 6 became Snorkel 3,Snorkel 4 became Snorkel 2, Snorkel 5 became Snorkel 1 and Snorkel 3 became Snorkel 5 while the new Snorkel 4 went in service using the old Snorkel Squad 1's 1975 Hendrickson/Pierce 55 foot Snorkel. A little over a year later on September 2,1982 a 6th Snorkel went in service using our a 1982 Seagrave/Pierce 85 foot Snorkel, which is our current Reserve Snorkel.

A year later in September of 1983 Fire Commissioner Louis Galante took 3 of our Snorkel Companies and 3 of our Squad Companies and combined them into 2 piece Squad companies with the Snorkel as the second piece.The other 3 Squads were taken our of service and the other 3 Snorkels became Reserve Snorkels which were brought to fires (that they were special called on) by the Engine or Truck company that they were located with.

The 1972 Oshkosh became a reserve Snorkel and the 3 1974 Oshkosh's became the second piece to the new 2 piece Squad companies.In 1987 the 3 1974 Oshkosh's became reserve Snorkels when new Emergency One 55 foot single piece Squad/Snorkel trucks were delivered. For a few years they were at different fire stations around the city but were not regularly manned of course.

While I don't know the exact year the Oshkosh Snorkels were disposed of I could tell you that it was in the mid to late 1990's as by the late 1990's we had only one remaining Ready Reserve Snorkel left and thats the 1982 Seagrave 85 foot Snorkel