Chicago Truck 18 shown here with their 1970 Ward LaFrance/Grove 100' rear mount aerial. Bill Friedrich photo Truck 12 also had one of the 100-foot Grove aerials with a Ward LaFrance Ambassador cab and chassis. As shown here, the booster reel has been removed. Larry Shapiro photo Chicago Truck 7 at the fire academy when it was ready to go in service. The booster reel is visible above the ground ladders. Jack Connors photo Truck 34 during a fire prevention week parade on State Street. Jack Connors photo Truck 21's apparatus (E-185) was later assigned to Truck 39. Jack Connors photo Truck 21’s unit was later reassigned to Truck 39, and Truck 7’s unit was reassigned to Truck 61. This kind of reassignment was common as the department updated its fleet over time. Truck Company 61 was assigned the unit that was previously Truck 7. Jack Connors photo This unit (Shop #E-185) was given to Truck 39 after it saw service as Truck 21. The booster reel, as seen in the image of Truck 21, was removed prior to the re-assignment to Truck 39. Jack Connors photo These historical photos and notes help preserve the legacy of the Chicago Fire Department’s equipment and the firefighters who operated it. It’s fascinating to see how the apparatus evolved over time, and how certain units found new homes in different companies. The Grove aerials, in particular, were a significant part of the city’s firefighting history during the 1970s. Disposable Shoe Cover Production Machine Changzhou shanglai automation equipment co., ltd , https://www.slautomate.com
CFD Apparatus History – Ward LaFrance trucks (1970)
Part 2 of the series on the CFD Ward LaFrance apparatus in Chicago focuses on the Grove aerials. Bill Friedrich shared the following details:
Five WLF P80/Grove 100-foot rear-mount aerials were ordered. These units were assigned to Truck 12 (E-183), Truck 34 (E-184), Truck 21 (E-185), Truck 18 (E-186), and Truck 7 (E-187). The aerials came with booster reels, but these were later removed from Trucks 12 and 18.