Chicago Proves Value of Aerial Platforms for Fire Fighting
Spectacular rescue operation at recent elevated train collision received world-wide press notice. Over 60 persons were removed from train by this unit and transported safely to ground, 50 feet below
Chicago Proves Value of Aerial Platforms for Fire Fighting
“Quinn’s Snorkel” stimulates new interest in the hydraulic tower as a substitute for older water tower
THE CHICAGO FIRE DEPARTMENT recently added three new types of water and rescue towers which Fire Commissioner Robert J. Quinn believes “will revolutionize fire fighting and rescue methods.” Nicknamed “Quinn’s Snorkels” by Chicago newsmen, these towers have been responding to fires since October 1958 and have repeatedly proven themselves one of the most spectacular fire fighting machines since the invention of the pumper itself. What began as a trial experiment last fall, has developed into what may well be one of the significant
fire fighting advances in more than 20 years.
Since his appointment as fire commissioner early in 1957, Quinn has tried to improve the conventional water tower. A fireman for over 30 years, he believes the water tower to be a valuable piece of equipment. However, he feels that its effectiveness to reach the base of a fire is limited due to restricted maneuverability.
Last September, the commissioner and his administrative assistant, Bill Quinn (no relation), noted workmen using a 50-foot aerial platform while cleaning a
large sign over a busy downtown sidewalk. They stopped and watched the hydraulically operated boom swing the basket around the sign with the greatest of ease. Both remarked that perhaps such a unit might be the answer to the water tower problem.
Quinn asked his chief automotive engineer, Edward Prendergast, to contact the manufacturing company and inquire whether or not they would be interested in testing a machine as a fire fighting apparatus. The company agreed and sent a 50-foot hydraulic boom to the fire department shops where Division Marshal Eugene Brennan, uniformed officer in charge, installed fire fighting equipment.
—All photos courtesy Chicago F. D.
“Snorkel” combines best features of aerial ladder, water tower and elevator. Shows promise for small as well as large departments
Mounted on a GMC Model 354 chassis and built by the Pitman Manufacturing Company, the first Snorkel cost the fire department $14,000, considerably less than a conventional water tower. The unit is capable of delivering 1,200 gallons of water per minute through a 2-inch tip at a maximum pressure of 100 pounds. On each side of the rig hydraulically operated jacks extend to steady the apparatus while in operation. In addition, these jacks add to the maneuverability of the Snorkel. They can be raised or lowered in a few seconds to permit the apparatus to be moved around a fire building without any difficulty.
The apparatus is equipped with a manually operated turret gun and a 50foot length of 3 1/2-inch “boat hose.” Engine companies leading into a Snorkel Siamese their lines into the boat hose. On the newer units, No. 2 and 3, the hose in turn leads to a pipe running up the jointed tower. This gives the units greater maneuverability, allowing them to be moved an additional 100 feet if necessary without disconnecting.
Placing the equipment on the original rig didn’t make it a fire truck. It was subjected to many tests to be sure it was capable of performing the work it would be required to do at an actual fire. One of the first problems which had to be overcome was the critical weight limitation of the basket. After a number of tests, it was determined that the basket could carry three persons without difficulty. Back pressure on the nozzle was checked to insure the safety of the fireman riding in the basket. All tests were conducted under the watchful eyes of Commissioner Quinn, Bill Quinn, Second Deputy Fire Marshals Frank Thielmann, Harry Mohr and William O’Brien.
During the tests, the Snorkel was weighted to a point which simulated the icing problems the boom might encounter during the colder months. To insure maximum safety during the test period and the unit’s first weeks of operation, the Pitman Company assigned two engineers to work with the fire department and assist in ironing out any bugs that might be found.
Radio equipped
Because communications to a point some 50 feet above ground level was difficult, the fire department shops installed a two-way radio system between the ground and basket. This enables personnel to pass instructions and the fireman in the basket to inform the chief on the ground of conditions he can view from his perch high above the street. After weeks of experimenting, the apparatus went into service in mid-October in downtown Chicago to respond to all fires of the 2-11 or more caliber.
At 1:00 a.m., October 18, a 4-11 alarm fire was sounded for a large lumber yard at 1731 Cermak Boad, on the southwest side of the city. The fire started in a shed located in the middle of the yard and quickly spread to a number of stacks of lumber nearby. Due to the great area involved, and because the large stacks of lumber were practically next to each other, firemen were forced to fight the fire from an outside perimeter. Intense heat and smoke prevented them from getting in close, as the fire extended from stack to stack.
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QUINN SNORKEL
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Arriving at the scene, the Snorkel quickly swung into action with Fireman (now Lieutenant) John Windle riding in the basket high above the raging flames. His turret, fed by four 2 1/2-inch lines delivered water with amazing accuracy and within 30 minutes the fire was halted and the 4-11 struck out by First Deputy Fire Marshal James Bailey. The Snorkel did a remarkable job in extinguishing the flames and Bailey was able to send home all the extra-alarm companies shortly after their arrival. After the fire, Bailey, a veteran of over 30 years on the department, had nothing but praise for the Snorkel. He said, “I can’t believe how quickly and accurately it worked. It really plastered this fire in a hurry.” Fireman Windle said that he could see the fire in each pile and direct his turret to a burning stack, extinguishing the fire there and then moving on to the next one. Chief Fire Marshal Raymond J. Daly said that in his 33 years as a Chicago fireman, he never saw anything “as effective and maneuverable as the Quinn Snorkel.”
Since that night, the original Snorkel has responded to almost 200 extra-alarm fires and has been called upon to render its service at more than 30 others. A few weeks after its first use, a two-day school was conducted for all chief officers in the department. Commissioner Quinn told the chiefs that if they needed it for any purpose, all they had to do was request it and the fire alarm office would dispatch it.
Chicago presently has three Snorkels in service, one spotted in the downtown area, one on the south side and another on the northside of the city. Each responds to the “still and box” alarms in their respective districts. In the case of an extra alarm, a second Snorkel responds on a 2-11 and the third responds on a 3-11. Commissioner Quinn has plans to keep increasing the number of Snorkels until one is available to respond to all fires except automobiles and grass.
Snorkels are operated by two-man crews. All three have dual controls. One is set in the basket, so the fireman-operator has complete control. This permits him to swing the boom back and forth, up and down, to direct his water rather than move the turret pipe. As a safety factor, a set of identical controls have been placed at the base of the boom so the second crew man can also operate in case of an emergency. The Snorkels are capable of rotating 360 degrees at any height from ground level to their fullest extent. This feature makes them valuable regardless of the height of a fire.
Operators seasoned men
All personnel assigned to the Snorkels are seasoned fire fighters. The three officers, Lieutenant John Windle, Lieutenant Tom Wilson and Lieutenant Tom Connolly, hold honor citations for their previous fire duty exploits. All are former members of Rescue Squad 3, one of the busiest fire companies in the world. These men have played an important part in the success of the Snorkels.
A great advantage of the Snorkel is its capability of permitting a fireman to open dangerous truss roofs without ever getting out of the basket. If the roof gives way under him, the fireman still remains safe in his basket and can easily swing himself away from the fallen structure.
At a recent fire in a windowless cold storage plant, the Snorkel operator, unable to find any opening in the burning building, took up a power saw and hammer and cut an opening through the wall large enough for effective work. Firemen have available in the basket a 100-foot length of heavy-duty rope, an axe and a pike pole. While working, they strap themselves into the basket with a standard pompier belt.
Chicago still maintains three conventional water towers in service. However, their main purpose at a fire is to drown the blaze with thousands of gallons of water. This may result in heavy water damage if the fire is confined to the upper floors of a building. In most cases, a tower is placed in the street anywhere from 40 to 65 feet from the burning building. Once a tower is set up, it is very difficult to move it from one location to another. The Snorkels eliminate these problems. It can place its nozzle into a window or an opening in a wall or roof. In nine cases out of ten, its stream may be directed at the seat of the fire to extinguish the blaze with a minimum amount of water damage to building and contents. The Snorkel can also be moved around the fire building within a matter of a few minutes because of its quickacting jacks.
At a 5-11 alarm factory fire at 2931 La Salle Street, heavy rolls of paper were burning in the fifth floor and chiefs did not want to risk the lives of the men in the structure. But the Snorkel moved up to a window and paved the way for the men to get inside. A water tower throwing four streams from the street was not as effective as the single Snorkel stream.
A good example of Snorkel capabilities was illustrated at a difficult 3-11 alarm fire in a food company warehouse on the west side of the city. A four-story building, the fire was raging on the third floor, threatening to involve the fourth floor and possibly go through the roof. Two Snorkels arrived on the scene and quickly swung into action. Reaching the thirdfloor level, Lieutenant Windle in the basket of Snorkel 2 and Lieutenant Tom Wilson on Snorkel 3 broke all the windows on the fire floor, using a pike pole and axe to let out the heavy smoke and heat. Windle then put his turret pipe to work on the seat of the fire on the third floor. Wilson moved his Snorkel to the other side of the building and poured water in at that angle. Within a few minutes, the seat of the fire had been extinguished and only a minor amount was left burning. Then, instead of the firemen dragging their lines up the three stories, hose was placed in the basket of a Snorkel and shuttled up to the third floor for overhauling purposes. The fire never reached the fourth floor and water damage to the foods stored in cases on the first and second floors was practically nil. Because of quick maneuverability, not only to provide immediate ventilation, but to spot the seat of the fire and extinguish it just as quickly, serious loss to both the building and the foods stored within it was prevented.
Chicago’s Mayor Richard J. Daley first saw the Snorkel in action at a 4-11 alarm fire which had totally involved a two-story factory building on Chicago’s near south side. Watching it swing from window to window with its powerful stream knocking the fire down as it moved, Mayor Daley immediately asked Commissioner Quinn for a full explanation of the apparatus. This resulted in the mayor giving his permission to purchase two more Snorkels immediately. Delivered early in 1959 by Mobile Aerial Towers, Inc., and called “Hy-Rangers,” they are a 65-foot and a 75-foot Snorkel. All are proving themselves at Chicago’s extraalarm fires.
Maneuverability unlimited
The Snorkels have been able to go to work on residential streets as well as on main streets. They are considerably shorter than the average ladder truck and their maneuverability is practically unlimited. The 75-foot Snorkel is capable of placing its basket up to a sixth-floor window. This, the tallest of the present units is stationed downtown. It already has been instrumental in extinguishing a 2-11 alarm fire on the top floor and roof of a five-story building.
The potential of the unorthodox apparatus in the field of rescue is tremendous. Each Snorkel has a different capacity for carrying persons. No. 1 can carry three, No. 2 has a capacity of six and the third Snorkel can accommodate seven. All operating personnel are trained in rescue operations.
On May 18, 1959 a crowded elevated train rammed into the rear of another. This happened some 50 feet above ground level and there was no way to evacuate the injured persons other than by ladders. The fire department was summoned and Snorkel No. 3, located just a few blocks from the scene of the crash, responded. Upon arriving, Lieutenant Windle raised the boom to a door of the crippled train and began to help those who coidd walk into the basket. As soon as he got four persons aboard, he lowered them to the ground and waiting ambulances. This continued until over 60 persons had been removed, including a number of victims on stretchers. Doctors and first-aid equipment were raised to the train. The Snorkel also raised power tools to help firemen free persons trapped in the wreckage. As soon as the fire alarm office received a report of the conditions at the scene, another Snorkel was dispatched and it emptied another carload of victims.
After all aboard the disabled train had been led to safety, the fire alarm office received a request for an inhalator at one of the trains which was stalled behind the wreck. The office dispatched a fire department ambulance to the scene. Upon arrival, the ambulance crew reported to the fire alarm office that there was no way they could reach the stricken victim some 50 feet above the ground. Immediately a Snorkel was dispatched and the resuscitator and crew raised to the train. Oxygen was administered and the victim revived. A short time later, he was placed in the basket of the Snorkel and lowered to the ambulance below.
Possibilities unlimited
The Commissioner recently said, “Here in Chicago, we don’t know just what these Snorkels can do. They have certainly proved themselves an asset to our department and it takes some imagination to realize just what they are capable of doing. They have handled everything we have thrown at them, and I can’t believe other than that the machine definitely belongs in the fire service.”
The Snorkel has proven itself under every possible condition it might possibly face fighting a fire and has passed all tests with flying colors. At the present time, the Pitman Company is manufacturing still another Snorkel which will include many new improvements.
The unique apparatus is not a cure-all and firemen still take a beating in smoky basements. On very large fires they still need water towers and high-pressure units to deluge the blaze. Even when the Snorkel does pave the way, they must go inside the building to overhaul the wreckage with hand lines.
But they can get in quicker now, and many a Chicago fireman has had a welcome gulp of fresh air after the Snorkel has opened a roof or reached in to stop a rolling fire. As one blueshirt explains: “We’re never sorry to see that ugly thing come in and go to work.”
