Images from Dave Fornell’s collection showcasing Chicago’s Ford C-Series Ward LaFrance fire engines.
The Ward/Ford canopy pumpers were delivered in late 1969. There were ten units in the order, and they were the only Ward LaFrance/Ford canopy pumpers ever delivered to the Chicago Fire Department (CFD). In addition to these, several non-canopy Ward/Fords were also received, along with a number of Pierce/Ford, E-One/Ford, and even a few Seagrave/Ford canopy pumpers.
The Ward LaFrance/Fords were assigned to some of the busiest stations in the city, where they were put through rigorous use. All of them featured rear-mounted winches and were built on Ford C-8000 chassis with a 175-inch wheelbase. Later models from E-One and Pierce had shorter 153-inch wheelbases due to the smaller canopy seating area.
During that time, apparatus orders were often distributed among vendors with political connections. When these rigs were delivered, Schuster Equipment was the designated supplier. Pierces and Seagraves came from Illinois FWD Truck and Equipment in Rosemont, owned by Ray Schuster—yes, the brother of the owner of Schuster Equipment. Later E-One units were supplied by Able Fire and Safety.
The photos illustrate various stages of these iconic engines:
The first image shows one of the rigs being tested on Lake Michigan near McCormick Place.
Engine 19's rig is pictured shortly after delivery, parked in front of its station.
As time passed, Engine 95 and Engine 61 are seen in front of their respective stations.
Note that Engine 95 operated with 150 feet of 3-inch supply line, with 100 feet carried on the driver’s side and the rest in the hose bed. This setup was an early version of the 150-foot 4-inch lines now commonly mounted on the front bumpers of modern Chicago rigs.
One photo captures this unusual configuration in action during a junkyard fire on the West Side in the late 1970s—a practice not yet standard in the CFD at the time.
Another photo shows Engine 19 in action during a 1977 fire, featuring a three-compartment body on the driver’s side. According to local lore, a wealthy lawyer crashed into the truck, and the insurance payout allowed 3D Metals in Wisconsin to replace the original body.
All of the 1969 Ward/Ford units had a two-compartment body on each side. Later models from E-One, Seagrave, and Pierce featured half-height compartments stacked above the lower ones.
These rigs marked the end of the line for Ward/Ford fire apparatus in the CFD.
Capt. Dave
Dave Fornell collection
Dave Fornell collection
Dave Fornell collection
Dave Fornell collection
Dave Fornell collection
Dave Fornell collection
Dave Fornell collection
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