[quote name='MFD 61 KS' date='31 January 2010 - 10:49 PM' timestamp='1264998590' post='361506']
Question: Did the firemen staff the Ambulances or did civilan personel? Also can anyone give us a run down on Reserve Snorkel 1? What a cool rig. Are they planning to keep it? Why did CFD drop the Snorkel's except for what I still call Snorkel Squads?
Thanks in advsnce.
Stay Safe, Rick
[/quote]
Rick,firemen had traditionally served on the Ambulances until the 1970's.In July of 1970 the city had put Ambulances 31 through 38 in service which were under the auspices of the Federal Governments "Model Cities" program.The 8 new "Model Cities Ambulances" were not really Fire Department ambulances even though they did run out of Chicago Fire Stations.The Model Cities Ambulances were designated to respond in specified "Model Cities" area's which were low income and economically disadvantaged. Within those specified districts the Model Cities Ambulances made "private residence removals" to the nearest certified staffed emergency room equipped hospital. The regular Chicago Fire Department Ambulances were not permitted to remove patients from their private residences and while the Fire Department ambulances would respond to a private residence and would provide oxygen , resuscitation and first aid services but if the patient needed to be removed to an emergency room ,a private Ambulance would have to be called for. An irony is that while the Chicago Fire Department Ambulances weren't permitted to make "home removals", the Chicago Police Departments "Squadrols" (which were Vans that were used to transport prisoners and remove dead bodies to the morgue)were allowed to make "sick removals" from peoples residences and serve as ambulances despite the fact that they weren't equipped with oxygen and weren't really an ambulance.The new Model Cities's ambulances had civilians (some who were Vietnam war veteran's)working on them.
Two years after the 8 Model Cities ambulances were put in service the City of Chicago had changed it's rules and the Official Fire Department Ambulances were permitted to remove patients from private residences. That happened in 1972.
In 1974 when the Chicago Fire Department had put it's first "Paramedic" ALS ambulances in service the City of Chicago began hiring civilian paramedics under a federally funded program.The eight "Model Cities" ambulances were absorbed into the Fire Department and eventually became Paramedic Ambulances and they did away with "Model Cities" designation.
As to your second question the reason why Fire Commissioner Louis Galante had taken our "Snorkel companies" out of service in September of 1983 was because they "weren't very busy" and he felt that by having 3 of them run as the second section to 3 of our Squad companies they would be busier and they would be put to better use.
You have to remember that in Chicago our old Snorkel companies were specialty companies that only ran on "extra alarm" fires and special duty calls when requested and by the 1980's our extra alarm fire rate had gone down. In most cities that ran with Snorkels the Snorkels had run as Truck or Ladder companies but because our Snorkels didn't go unless the Snorkel was likely to be used they could remain in quarters for quite a while without going out on an extra alarm fire. At the time of the "consolidation of the Snorkels and Squads we had 6 Snorkels and 6 Squads in service so three of the Squads and Snorkels were taken out of service and the other 3 were combined.
The Chicago Fire Department did run with a Snorkel Squad until 1980 when it was taken out of service to be replaced by a new "District numbered" Squad company during a Fire Department reorganization. Before we took Snorkel Squad 1 out of service in 1980 Chicago had run with both Snorkel companies and with a separate Snorkel Squad company as well. Before May of 1969 Chicago had run with three Snorkel Squad companies.
Because our Reserve Snorkel (a 1982 Seagrave Pierce) had only been in service as a Snorkel company for not more then a year before our Snorkel companies were taken out of service in 1983 it was used as our primary Reserve Snorkel as it was not used that much to begin with.
In late 1985 and early 1986 our first 6 Tower Ladders were put in service as Truck Companies which would keep them busier than our old Snorkel companies that only ran on Still and Box alarms and higher. Our Tower Ladders also had Still and Box districts so they would also be used at extra alarm fires like our old Snorkels were used. A Still and Box alarm in Chicago is much like the 2nd alarm in most other cities.
Hope that answers your questions, Rick.
Question: Did the firemen staff the Ambulances or did civilan personel? Also can anyone give us a run down on Reserve Snorkel 1? What a cool rig. Are they planning to keep it? Why did CFD drop the Snorkel's except for what I still call Snorkel Squads?
Thanks in advsnce.
Stay Safe, Rick
[/quote]
Rick,firemen had traditionally served on the Ambulances until the 1970's.In July of 1970 the city had put Ambulances 31 through 38 in service which were under the auspices of the Federal Governments "Model Cities" program.The 8 new "Model Cities Ambulances" were not really Fire Department ambulances even though they did run out of Chicago Fire Stations.The Model Cities Ambulances were designated to respond in specified "Model Cities" area's which were low income and economically disadvantaged. Within those specified districts the Model Cities Ambulances made "private residence removals" to the nearest certified staffed emergency room equipped hospital. The regular Chicago Fire Department Ambulances were not permitted to remove patients from their private residences and while the Fire Department ambulances would respond to a private residence and would provide oxygen , resuscitation and first aid services but if the patient needed to be removed to an emergency room ,a private Ambulance would have to be called for. An irony is that while the Chicago Fire Department Ambulances weren't permitted to make "home removals", the Chicago Police Departments "Squadrols" (which were Vans that were used to transport prisoners and remove dead bodies to the morgue)were allowed to make "sick removals" from peoples residences and serve as ambulances despite the fact that they weren't equipped with oxygen and weren't really an ambulance.The new Model Cities's ambulances had civilians (some who were Vietnam war veteran's)working on them.
Two years after the 8 Model Cities ambulances were put in service the City of Chicago had changed it's rules and the Official Fire Department Ambulances were permitted to remove patients from private residences. That happened in 1972.
In 1974 when the Chicago Fire Department had put it's first "Paramedic" ALS ambulances in service the City of Chicago began hiring civilian paramedics under a federally funded program.The eight "Model Cities" ambulances were absorbed into the Fire Department and eventually became Paramedic Ambulances and they did away with "Model Cities" designation.
As to your second question the reason why Fire Commissioner Louis Galante had taken our "Snorkel companies" out of service in September of 1983 was because they "weren't very busy" and he felt that by having 3 of them run as the second section to 3 of our Squad companies they would be busier and they would be put to better use.
You have to remember that in Chicago our old Snorkel companies were specialty companies that only ran on "extra alarm" fires and special duty calls when requested and by the 1980's our extra alarm fire rate had gone down. In most cities that ran with Snorkels the Snorkels had run as Truck or Ladder companies but because our Snorkels didn't go unless the Snorkel was likely to be used they could remain in quarters for quite a while without going out on an extra alarm fire. At the time of the "consolidation of the Snorkels and Squads we had 6 Snorkels and 6 Squads in service so three of the Squads and Snorkels were taken out of service and the other 3 were combined.
The Chicago Fire Department did run with a Snorkel Squad until 1980 when it was taken out of service to be replaced by a new "District numbered" Squad company during a Fire Department reorganization. Before we took Snorkel Squad 1 out of service in 1980 Chicago had run with both Snorkel companies and with a separate Snorkel Squad company as well. Before May of 1969 Chicago had run with three Snorkel Squad companies.
Because our Reserve Snorkel (a 1982 Seagrave Pierce) had only been in service as a Snorkel company for not more then a year before our Snorkel companies were taken out of service in 1983 it was used as our primary Reserve Snorkel as it was not used that much to begin with.
In late 1985 and early 1986 our first 6 Tower Ladders were put in service as Truck Companies which would keep them busier than our old Snorkel companies that only ran on Still and Box alarms and higher. Our Tower Ladders also had Still and Box districts so they would also be used at extra alarm fires like our old Snorkels were used. A Still and Box alarm in Chicago is much like the 2nd alarm in most other cities.
Hope that answers your questions, Rick.
Facebook
Google
Reddit
Twitter