Firefighters fix own equipment

Firefighters fix own equipment

DEPARTMENTS

Dispatches

Lake Forest, IL, firefighters saved the city $47,000 when they decided two years ago to rebuild an ailing fire truck and build a new pumper using the, vehicle’s serviceable parts.

The Lake Forest Fire Department’s firefighters and paramedics did the work themselves instead of spending $130,000 to hire mechanics and buy new equipment.

In 1982 the department’s pumper needed body and part replacements. However, the motor and pump were both functional. They also had a 22-year-old ladder truck, which needed a new motor.

The firefighters solved the problem by installing the pumper’s motor in the ladder truck. They then bought a new cab, frame, and engine for the pumper, and installed the vehicle’s still working pump.

In addition to the savings to the city, the project also served as a morale booster for the department, according to Chief Edward Burns. “Working together to design the way the equipment would be carried really pulled people together.”

NJ Apartment Building Fire Displaces 41, Sends One to Hospital

A fire tore through the top floor of an apartment building on Palisade Avenue in Bogota on Sunday.

Providence (RI) Firefighter Pinned by Sliding Fire Truck During Snowstorm

A Providence firefighter was pinned between a fire engine and a parked car early Sunday morning when the truck got stuck and slid into the…