Chicago Civil Defense Homepage

1. HOMEPAGE

1244 N. Wells St. (Old Town)

1653 W. 43rd St.

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A HISTORIC WEBSITE FOR CURRENT EVENTS
AND PAST HISTORY OF THE FORMER VOLUNTEER

CHICAGO CIVIL DEFENSE - FIRE & RESCUE AND

CHICAGO FIRE DEPARTMENT - E.P.D.S.

(EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS & DISASTER SERVICES) UNIT,

ALONG WITH THE FIREFIGHTER'S OF THE CHICAGO FIRE DEPARTMENT

Featuring classic documents and memorabilia.
Classic C.F.D. fire & disaster videos, classic
C.F.D. fire & disaster audio files, along with
classic & recent fire, disaster & apparatus photo's
and video's. Official Federal, State & Local
Government Agency links, for just about anything in
the fire, disaster and Emergency Preparedness field.

LIVE 24 / 7 streaming audio feeds of the Chicago Fire 911/ O.E.M.C.
Center, (Main, Englewood Offices & Citywide Fire, w/ CTA Fire

and E.M.S. Services in Digital UHF & UHF).

Also with local news media of recent fires,
disasters and C.F.D.stories in the news. Special
website links to well known major fires & disasters
that occurred within the city of Chicago. Links
to other fire related and disaster service originations
and their websites. Included are links to purchase
your own Chicago Fire Department memorabilia on
EBay plus much more!

1905 - 1979

The History of the Chicago Civil Defense

Chicago Fire Department - E.P.D.S. Unit

January 1, 1958 - July 23, 1989

In 1957, then Chicago Fire Commissioner Robert J. Quinn had an idea. He knew of six heavy duty rescue trucks that the Federal Government had supplied the city, to use as they saw fit. The rescue vehicles were all brand new, fully equipped but just sitting idle in City of Chicago garages, collecting dust and waiting for the big one. After meeting with Charles (Jimmy) Johnson, a long time friend of Quinn's and an avid fire fan, Quinn decided to approach Mayor Richard J. Daley with a plan for these Rescue Squads.

It would involve an all-volunteer unit to facilitate and operate this equipment with proper training and personnel to provide ancillary support at fires and other disasters. Johnson would be the civilian Chief of the unit. A handful of volunteers were gathered together between October of 1957 and January of 1958. The Chicago Civil Defense, Fire and Rescue Unit was then born.

The first day the unit was in service, members responded to a major extra-alarm fire at 54 E. Hubbard St. It was immediately known from that point on, that the organization could play a vital role in the non-hazardous duties at fire scenes and other disasters within the city and the outlying suburbs.

.CLICK anywhere on above item to link to and view the complete story

7/29/2020

07/24/2020

Water Rescue

South Branch of

Chicago River

7/22/2020

7/15/2020

;

CONGRATULATIONS TO

1st Deputy Superintendent

Anthony Ricco

on his retirement with the

C.P.D. after 34 years of service

Chicago Police Seek

Arson Suspects

From Last Months Riots

7/02/2020

CONGRADULATIONS To

Deputy Chief Scott Stewart

Of The

Village of Merrionette Park

Fire Department on his

promotion effective 6/17/2020

Brother Scott Stewart was a

Chicago CD / Chicago Fire Dept. - E.P.D.S.

member at Wells St. Quarters in the 1970's.

...

RETIREMENT After

41 YEARS WITH C.F.D.

Battalion Chief

Jimmy O'Donnell

June 11, 2020

6/12/2020

2020

Chicago

Riots

Posted 6/03/2020

2020

Chicago

Downtown

Riots

06/02/2020

A Little Cheers Virus Humor From 1983

LIVE C.F.D. Audio in P25 Digital

> Main, Englewood & Citywide Fire Digital <

Chicago Fire Dept.

LIVE

Main F.A.O./North, Englewood F.A.O./South,

& Citywide Fire in Digital P25 UHF

[ WPSG 985 ]

CLICK on the 100 CLUB of CHICAGO icon to donate NOW!

ggggg

CLICK on the 100 CLUB of CHICAGO icon to donate NOW!

3/26/2020

************ Recently Uploaded Videos ************

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BULLETIN

Sydney (Synbad) Smith

is NOT and NEVER was a sworn Firefighter with
the Chicago Fire Department. He was NOT a
Firefighter on a westside Company, nor was he a
Firefighter on Truck Co. 10.

He was ONLY a volunteer member of the former
Chicago Fire Dept. E.P.D.S. Unit (Civil Defense)
back on the mid 1980's!

CLICK on above image to enlarge

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CLICK on image to link with Midwest Photo's on SmugMug

CLICK on image to link with KSC711 on SmugMug

CLICK on above image to link with Twitter/CFD-Media

CLICK on either icon to left and
go directly to the C.F.D. Media
page on Twitter, with all of the
latest C.F.D. information with
photos of fires, accidents, etc.

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CLICK on above image to view & purchase your copy

Classic C.F.D. Images of
The 1950's and 1960's

By Steve & Warren Redick

< < < < < < < < < < < < < < <

Suburban Chicago Fire Rigs At Work
By Steve Redick

< < < < < < < < < < < < < < <

Chicago Fire Rigs At Work

Volume II

By Steve Redick

< < < < < < < < < < < < < < <

CLICK on above image to view & purchase your copy

Chicago Fire Rigs At Work

Volume IIl

By Steve Redick

< < < < < < < < < < < < < < < <

NOW AVAILABLE FOR
DOWNLOAD TO YOUR
I-PHONE, I-PAD OR I-TOUCH

< < < < < < < < < < < < < < < <

CLICK on the link below to go to the
I-Tunes website to view

http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id483396144

CLICK on above image to go directly to ITunes.com

CLICK on above image to link w/ IllinoisFireTrucks.com

CLICK on above image to link with cfdphoto.smugmug.com

CLICK on above image to link w/ cfdphoto.smugmug.com

CLICK on above image to enlarge

BULLETIN

Thomas J. Palma

is NOT and NEVER was a sworn Firefighter
with the Chicago Fire Department.

He was ONLY a volunteer member of the former
Chicago Fire Dept. E.P.D.S. Unit (Civil Defense)