Some additional details about the aerial ladders acquired by the Chicago Fire Department in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Several people have asked about the fact that many of these units were delivered with booster reels and 300- or 500-gallon water tanks. During this period, the CFD purchased a variety of aerial apparatus from different manufacturers.
The fleet included:
- (3) 1968 Mack CF/Pirsch 100-foot rear-mount aerials with red cabs and 300-gallon tanks
- (1) 1968 Seagrave aerial with an FWD chassis and rear steering, assigned to Truck 63 at O’Hare Airport
- (8) 1970 Seagrave rear-mounts equipped with 250-gallon tanks
- (5) 1970 Ward LaFrance/Grove units assigned to Truck 7, 12, 18, 21, and 34, each with 300-gallon tanks
- (3) 1972 Mack CF 700/Pirsch 100-foot rear-mounts featuring silver cabs and 300-gallon tanks
At some point, the department removed the booster reels and drained the water tanks, as seen in several photos. These modifications likely occurred during maintenance or upgrades, though the exact timeline isn’t clear.
In future posts, we’ll share more images and stories about these historic units. For now, the photos below give a glimpse into the variety and design of these early aerials.
Earlier posts in this series covered CFD trucks with boosters from 1967 and 1968, showing how these systems evolved over time. These older models played a key role in firefighting operations before more modern equipment became standard.
This is a 1968 Seagrave Rear Admiral 100′ aerial with a 500-gallon booster tank and twin booster reels. It features an FWD chassis with rear steering and was assigned to Truck 63 at O’Hare Airport. Larry Shapiro photo
Truck 5 was assigned one of three 1972 100-foot Pirsch rear-mount aerials mounted on a Mack CF chassis with a 500-gallon water tank and twin booster reels. Larry Shapiro photo
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