Chicago Fire Department |
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Established | August 2, 1858 |
Staffing | Career |
Strength | 4,314 firefighters and 619 paramedics |
Stations | 98 |
Engines | 96 |
Trucks | 61 |
Squads | 4 |
Helicopters | 2 |
Fireboats | 2 |
EMS Level | BLS & ALS |
Commissioner | Robert Hoff |
The Chicago Fire Department, also known as the CFD, is the principal fire suppression, prevention, and rescue agency of Chicago, Illinois, under the jurisdiction of the mayor of Chicago. The Chicago Fire Department is the second largest fire department in the United States after the New York City Fire Department, as measured by sworn personnel (firefighters). It is also one of the oldest major organized fire departments in the nation. Concurrently, some firefighters serve as paramedics with the Chicago Emergency Medical System. The Chicago Fire Department cooperated with film director, Ron Howard on making the 1991 film, Backdraft starring Kurt Russell, William Baldwin and Robert De Niro. That film was inspired by firefighter turned writer, Gregory Widen, who made a cameo appearance in the film.
The Chicago Fire Department is led by the Commissioner, who is currently Robert Hoff . The Commissioner is appointed by the mayor. He is assisted by the First Deputy Commissioner, who oversees the department's bureaus. There are five bureaus under the First Deputy Commissioner: Administrative Services, Fire Prevention, Operations, Support Services, and Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Services.
Until December 2006 Chicago firefighters donned the famous three-quarter boots and jacket, instead of the now generally accepted bunker gear worn by many departments, especially those of the suburbs. An example of the boots and jacket can be seen in the photo below.
A unique feature on the apparatus of the CFD is the green emergency light that is typically found on the right front of the apparatus, in addition to the red light on the left front. This tradition dates back to the 1930s when Fire Commissioner Goodrich, whose family operated Goodrich Transit Company, adopted the port and starboard maritime light scheme for all apparatus and firehouses.
Another tradition associated with the CFD is the black over red color scheme of the fire apparatus. The choice of this paint design is attributed to an order of Ford Model A cars purchased in the late twenties, to be used as Battalion Chief "Buggies". The factory rain canopies on the cars came coated in tar, which would not allow paint to stick. CFD personnel liked the black over red look and adopted it for all of their apparatus.
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Listed below are the chains of command for the two major divisions of the Chicago Fire Department's Operations Bureau: Fire Suppression and Rescue, and Emergency Medical Services. The lists rank from lowest-level employee to senior command staff. Employees in these ranks may also serve in other divisions and bureaus.
The following positions are appointed by the Fire Commissioner:
Geographically, the CFD is organized into 6 Districts and a total of 25 Battalions.
The following positions are appointed by the Fire Commissioner:
Engine Company | Truck Company | Ambulance | Battalion Chief | District Chief | Address | Neighborhood |
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Engine 1 | Aerial Tower 1 | Ambulance 41 | 419 S. Wells St. | South Loop | ||
Engine 2(Fireboat) | Jardine Water Purification Plant(Summer)/South Side Navy Pier(Winter) | East Loop | ||||
Engine 4 | Tower Ladder 10 | 548 W. Division St. | Near North Side | |||
Engine 5 | Truck 2 | Ambulance 28 | 324 S. Des Plaines St. | West Loop | ||
Engine 7 | Truck 58 | Ambulance 7 | 4911 W. Belmont | Portage Park | ||
Engine 8 | Truck 4 | Ambulance 85(BLS) | Battalion 2 | 212 W. Cermak | Chinatown | |
Engine 11 | Truck 9 | Ambulance 2 | 5343 N. Cumberland | Oriole Park | ||
Engine 13 | Truck 6 | Battalion 1 | 259 N. Columbus | East Loop | ||
Engine 14 | Truck 19 | Ambulance 53 | Battalion 3 | 1129 W. Chicago | Noble Square | |
Engine 15 | Truck 59 | Ambulance 18 | Battalion 20 | 8028 S. Kedzie | Wrightwood | |
Engine 16 | Ambulance 35 | 4005 S. Dearborn | Bronzeville | |||
Engine 18 | Ambulance 84(BLS) | Battalion 4 | 1125 W. Roosevelt | Little Italy | ||
Engine 19 | Truck 11 | Ambulance 4 | 3421 S. Calumet | Douglass | ||
Engine 22 | Ambulance 43 | 605 W. Armitage | Lincoln Park | |||
Engine 23 | Tower Ladder 5 | 1915 S. Damen | Pilsen | |||
Truck 24 | Ambulance 29 | 10400 S. Vincennes | Washington Heights | |||
Engine 26 | Truck 7 | Ambulance 45 | 10 N. Leavitt | West Town | ||
Engine 28 | Truck 8 | Ambulance 19 | 2528 S. Throop | North Bridgeport | ||
Engine 29 | 3509 S. Lowe | South Bridgeport | ||||
Engine 30 | 1125 N. Ashland | Ukrainian Village | ||||
Engine 32 | Truck 60 | Ambulance 12 | 5555 S. Narragansett | Garfield Ridge | ||
Engine 34 | Tower Ladder 54 | Ambulance 21 | 4034 W. 47th St. | Archer Heights | ||
Engine 35 | Truck 28 | Ambulance 81(BLS) | 1901 N. Damen | Bucktown | ||
Engine 38 | Truck 48 | District 4 | 3949 W. 16th St. | South Lawndale | ||
Engine 39 | Battalion 15 | 1618 W. 33rd Pl. | McKinley Park | |||
Engine 42 | Truck 3 | Ambulance 42 | District 1 | 55 W. Illinois | River North | |
Engine 43 | Ambulance 3 | 2179 N. Stave | Logan Square | |||
Engine 44 | Truck 36 | Ambulance 83(BLS) | 412 N. Kedzie | East Garfield Park | ||
Engine 45 | Truck 15 | Ambulance 57 | 4602 S. Cottage Grove | Kenwood | ||
Engine 46 | Truck 17 | Ambulance 9 | 3027 E. 93rd St. | South Chicago | ||
Engine 47 | Truck 30 | Ambulance 55 | 432 E. Marquette | Woodlawn | ||
Engine 49 | Truck 33 | Ambulance 87(BLS) | 4401 S. Ashland | Back of the Yards | ||
Engine 50 | Truck 18 | Ambulance 1 | 5000 S. Union | Canaryville | ||
Engine 54 | Truck 20 | Ambulance 14 | Battalion 18 | 7101 S. Parnell | Hamilton Park | |
Engine 55 | Truck 44 | Battalion 5 | 2714 N. Halsted | Lakeview | ||
Engine 56 | 2214 W. Barry | Roscoe Village | ||||
Engine 57 | Ambulance 44 | Battalion 12 | 1244 N. Western | Humboldt Park | ||
Engine 59, Engine 70 | Truck 47 | Ambulance 13 | Battalion 9 | 6030 N. Clark | Edgewater(with Engine 70) | |
Engine 60 | Tower Ladder 37 | Ambulance 38 | Battalion 17 | 1150 E. 55th St. | Hyde Park | |
Engine 62 | Truck 27 | Battalion 22 | 34 E. 114th St. | Roseland | ||
Engine 63 | Truck 16 | Ambulance 89(BLS) | 1440 E 67th St. | Woodlawn | ||
Engine 64 | Truck 31 | Ambulance 27 | 7659 S. Pulaski | Ashburn | ||
Engine 65 | Truck 52 | Ambulance 88(BLS) | 3002 W. 42nd St. | Brighton Park | ||
Engine 68 | Ambulance 82(BLS) | 5258 W. Grand | Cragin | |||
Engine 69 | 4017 N. Tripp | Irving Park | ||||
Engine 71 | 6239 N. California | West Ridge | ||||
Engine 72 | Tower Ladder 34 | Ambulance 22 | Battalion 23 | 7974 S. South Chicago Ave. | South Chicago | |
Engine 73 | 8630 S. Emerald | Gresham | ||||
Engine 74 | 10615 S. Ewing | East Side | ||||
Engine 75 | Ambulance 5 | 11958 S. State St. | West Pullman | |||
Engine 76 | Truck 35 | Ambulance 52 | 1747 N. Pulaski | Hermosa | ||
Engine 78 | Ambulance 6 | 1052 W. Waveland | Wrigleyville | |||
Engine 79 | 6420 N. Lehigh | Edgebrook | ||||
Engine 80 | Truck 62 | Ambulance 51 | 12701 S. Doty Ave. East | South Deering | ||
Engine 81 | Ambulance 90(BLS) | District 6 | 10458 S. Hoxie | Irondale | ||
Engine 82 | Truck 42 | Ambulance 37 | 817 E. 91st St. | Burnside | ||
Engine 83 | Truck 22 | Ambulance 31 | 1200 W. Wilson | Uptown | ||
Engine 84 | Truck 51 | Ambulance 36 | District 5 | 21 W. 59th St. | Englewood | |
Engine 86 | Truck 57 | Ambulance 20 | 3918 N. Harlem | Dunning | ||
Engine 88 | 3637 W. 59th St. | Chicago Lawn | ||||
Engine 89 | Truck 56 | Ambulance 46 | 3945 W. Peterson | Peterson Park | ||
Engine 91 | Battalion 7 | 2827 N. Pulaski | Logan Square | |||
Engine 92 | Truck 45 | Ambulance 17 | 3112 W. 111th St. | Mt. Greenwood | ||
Engine 93 | 330 W. 104th St. | Fernwood | ||||
Engine 94 | 5758 W. Grace | Portage Park | ||||
Engine 95 | Truck 26 | Ambulance 10 | Battalion 13 | 4001 W. West End | West Garfield Park | |
Engine 96 | Truck 29 | 439 N. Waller | Austin | |||
Engine 97 | 13359 S. Burley | Hegewisch | ||||
Engine 98 | Ambulance 11 | 202 E. Chicago | Gold Coast | |||
Engine 99 | Ambulance 86(BLS) | 3042 S. Kedvale | Little Village | |||
Engine 101 | Truck 41 | Ambulance 58 | 2250 W. 69th St. | Marquette Park | ||
Engine 102 | Truck 25 | Ambulance 56 | 1723 W. Greenleaf | Rogers Park | ||
Engine 103 | 25 S. Laflin | Near West Side | ||||
Engine 104 | Truck 61 | Ambulance 25 | Battalion 24 | 11659 S. Ave. O | Hegewisch | |
Engine 106 | Truck 13 | Ambulance 48 | 3401 N. Elston | Avondale | ||
Engine 107 | Ambulance 33 | Battalion 14 | 1101 S. California | Lawndale | ||
Engine 108 | Tower Ladder 23 | Ambulance 47 | District 2 | 4559 N Milwaukee Ave. | Jefferson Park | |
Engine 109 | Truck 32 | Ambulance 34 | 2358 S. Whipple | Little Village | ||
Engine 110 | Truck 12 | Ambulance 40 | 2322 W. Foster | Lincoln Square | ||
Engine 112 | Tower Ladder 21 | Ambulance 80(BLS) | 3801 N. Damen | North Center | ||
Engine 113 | Ambulance 23 | 5212 W. Harrison | South Austin | |||
Engine 115 | 11940 S. Peoria | West Pullman | ||||
Engine 116 | Ambulance 49 | 5955 S. Ashland | West Englewood | |||
Engine 117 | Tower Ladder 14 | Ambulance 15 | 4900 W. Chicago | Austin | ||
Engine 119 | Truck 55 | Ambulance 39 | Battalion 11 | 6030 N. Avondale | Norwood Park | |
Engine 120 | Ambulance 91(BLS) | 11035 S. Homewood | Morgan Park | |||
Engine 121 | Truck 40 | Battalion 21 | 1700 W. 95th St. | Beverly | ||
Engine 122 | Ambulance 24 | 101 E. 79th St. | Chatham | |||
Engine 123 | Tower Ladder 39 | Ambulance 8 | Battalion 19 | 2215 W. 51st St. | Gage Park | |
Engine 124 | Truck 38 | Ambulance 32 | Battalion 10 | 4426 N. Kedzie | Albany Park | |
Engine 125 | Truck 53 | Battalion 8 | 2323 N. Natchez | Montclare | ||
Engine 126 | Truck 49 | Ambulance 50 | 7313 S Kingston | South Shore | ||
Engine 129 | Truck 50 | Ambulance 30 | 8120 S. Ashland | Gresham |
Engine Company | Truck Company | Ambulance | Battalion Chief | District Chief | Address | Neighborhood |
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Tower Ladder 63 | Ambulance 26 | O'Hare International Airport(Rescue Station 1) | O'Hare International Airport | |||
Engine 9 | Ambulance 59 | District 3 | O'Hare International Airport(Rescue Station 3) | O'Hare International Airport | ||
Engine 10 | Ambulance 16 | O'Hare International Airport(Rescue Station 2) | O'Hare International Airport | |||
Battalion 6 | O'Hare International Airport(Rescue Station 4) | O'Hare International Airport | ||||
Engine 127 | Ambulance 54 | Battalion 16 | 5200 W. 63rd St.(Midway International Airport) | West Elsdon |
Still Alarms, also known as "Stills" are the basic structure fire response assignments of the Chicago Fire Department. The Rapid Intervention Team (R.I.T.)is activated when the "Still" becomes a "Working Fire." The Mayday Assignment can be used as an upgrade at any alarm level.
Box Alarms and Still and Box Alarms, also known as "Boxes" and "Still and Boxes" are the other main assignment utilized by the Chicago Fire Department. Both are considered to be their own assignments, but can also be upgrades of Still Alarm Assignments. While a "Still and Box" is usually an upgrade of a "Still", a "Box" can be assigned on its own depending on the situation and the incident. For example, while a residential dwelling fire may require a "Still" or a "Still and Box", a large commercial building, such as a warehouse or a factory fire may require a "Box" straight out, with an upgrade of a Working Fire Assignment. "Still and Boxes" and "Boxes" are usually assigned to an incident at a high-risk location, such as a hospital, nursing home, government building, etc.
Higher-alarms for larger fires and more serious incidents are assigned as 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th Alarm Assignments as upgrades of a "Still and Box", a "Box", or a "Working Fire". Each alarm level is signified by the level of alarm, followed by the number 11, i.e., a 2nd Alarm would be a 2-11, a 3rd Alarm would be a 3-11, etc. The higher the alarm levels, the more department officials and the more special units will respond.
Special Incidents are incidents handled by the Chicago Fire Department that are emergencies other than fires. While a Still and Box Alarm Assignment might be used for an El Train de-railment, a water rescue or a collapse rescue has its own assignment. Many of these Special Incident Assignments include many specialized units not ordinarly found at the scene of a fire. When these units are called into action, designated by their Shop ID Unit number(i.e., Special Unit 6-8-2 is one of the CFD's helicopters), they are referred to as "Specials" and can be specially-called into action at the scene of any incident where they are needed. Thus, a 5th Alarm Fire with a Special Unit response would be called, a"5-11 and a Special".
Because the Chicago Fire Department handles the city's Emergency Medical Services, certain large-scale incidents, such as a major vehicle accident, a building collapse, etc. will require a special EMS Response, also known as a "Plan" from the CFD's Emergency Medical Services Division. These plans consist of numbers EMS Units, and sometimes fire suppression units depending on the incident. EMS Plans can also be assigned to fires where a large EMS presence is needed or special events, such as a marathon where injuries may arise. There are currently three EMS Plans in the CFD's infrastructure.
During a Hazardous Materials(Haz-Mat.) Incident, such as a chemcial spill or leak, the Chicago Fire Department assigned three specific levels of response depending on the size and magnitude of the incident. Aside from standard fire suppression equipment and haz-mat. equipment, the CFD also can dispatch standard fire suppression equipment who's crews have special training in hazardous materials situations and mitigation. These companies are called Haz-Mat. Incident Team(H.I.T.) Companies.
The history of the Chicago Fire Department includes several notable fires, most notably the Great Fire of Chicago on October 8–10, 1871.
As early as 1849, when the population of Chicago was still under 20,000, a significant fire destroyed a central portion of the city including the Tremont House. Chicago Mayor James Hutchinson Woodworth used this incident to seek an expansion and better funding for the Chicago Fire Department as detailed in his Inaugural Addresses. Woodworth's support for firefighters set a high standard for the relations between the department and the mayor, and the formal funding he was able to obtain for the department marked the evolution of early Chicago from a trading post to a major Midwest trading center.
On December 22, 1910, The Chicago Union Stock Yards fire resulted in the deaths of 21 firefighters, which until September 11, 2001 was the largest single instance of firefighter line of duty deaths in the United States.
On the morning of December 22, 2010, the 100th anniversary of the Chicago Union Stock Yards Fire (the incident happened during the commemmoration ceremony for the anniversary of the 1910 fire), while working to contain a fire at 1744 E 75th Street in South Chicago, a portion of the roof and walls in the rear of the structure collapsed,[1] trapping four firefighters. Fourteen other firefighters were also injured in the efforts to control the fire and rescue those trapped. Two of the four trapped, Firefighters Edward Stringer and Corey Ankum, died as a result of injuries they sustained from the collapse. Four other firefighters were left critically injured.
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