Chicago Fire Department Mobile Ventilation Unit in Action

Chicago Fire Department Responding

'Still & Box Alarm' at St. Constance Church, 5843 W. Strong St.

Special Apparatus: Mobile Ventilation Unit 9-2-3

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Chicago
• Fire
• Department
• CFD
• Ambulance
• Truck
• Still
• Box
• Alarm
• lights
• siren
• police
• mobile
• ventilating
• unit

[CSILCPD]

what is the green light on the fire trucks for?

has it something to do with the irish tradition?

[dogstar7]

Those are navigation lights such as found on boats: Red for Port (drivers side in America), Green for Starboard. Apparatus need to maneuver in low-light situations of smoke and haze without running into one another.

[artistvrd]

and if embers are remaining under large pieces of wood? that's not going to feed the fire?

[dogstar7]

Good question artisvrd,

The on-scene commander must make sure that all 'hot-spots' have been taken down and there is no smoldering materiel in the draft. The fire scene is never abandoned and is being closely monitored for air-quality during the entire process.

[radliff17]

Here is IL the green light signals the Command Vehicle. That is where incoming personnel report to to get their orders

[1stresponder1]

@USMC3531tsd k thanks man

[USMC3531tsd]

@1stresponder1 < It's for High Rise ventilation as well as Positive pressure applications. For High rise use the men will attach a tube to the fan and vent the stairwell opening the door to stairway on the fire floor, since the stairs and fire floor are mostly sealed with only windows vented in the burned unit this machine will be powerful enough to vent a room 30 floors up.

[Hex13337]

does it actually have any effect?

[emt3212]

This tradition can be followed back to 1927, When Goodrich started as commissioner this is one of the things he first implemented on CFD's completely motorized fleet.These green lights have come to represent a strong tradition comprised of courage and sense of belonging among firefighters in the Chicago area. Green lights that appear on apparatus, command vehicles, and stations have also become a symbol for fallen fighters.

[E68E71]

@Skateboarder00 a fan

[jr1883]

Never seen one of those before. In Baltimore the truck co is responsable for all ventalation. We carry portable fans and blowers somtimes up several floors and place them in windows and doors to vent. Would be alot easier if we had 1 of these. Does Chicago fd still use portable fans? Is this unit used for all venting or only on large structures?

[1stresponder1]

whats the point of that rig?

[nuen8]

Where was Jesus when this happened?

[JNHstudios]

@dogstar7 Actually, I heard that the reason CFD uses green on the PS front of their apparatus is because one of the early chiefs was a naval captain and decided to use the same lighting scheme boats use... then tradition has kept it to this day. Might be truth to both though...