In northern Lake County, the **North Chicago Fire Department** operates a fleet of **Pierce** and **Medtec** units from two fire stations. Their 8-square-mile jurisdiction borders the Great Lakes Naval Training Center on both sides. Recently, they introduced a new 85-foot tower ladder from **Pierce**, replacing an older 1977 **Hendrickson 1871-S/Pierce/LTI** model. The department is set to receive another new **Pierce** unit in January—a custom **Contender** engine designed to replace a 1986 **Pierce Dash** engine with open jump seats.
*North Chicago's 1977 Hendrickson 1871-S/Pierce/LTI 85' tower ladder which was disposed of recently with the arrival of the new tower ladder. Larry Shapiro collection*
*The new 85-foot tower ladder from Pierce, replacing the older model.*
At **Station 2** on Buckley Road, the department’s latest ambulance has been making waves. Purchased in 2009, this unit was originally a **Medtec demonstrator** built in 2002. It arrived with blue decals, a design Medtec used to appeal to traditional rescue squads. However, the blue color was soon removed, and the ambulance was rebranded with red graphics, giving it a more distinct look compared to other North Chicago ambulances.
*Prior to changing the graphics on this 2002 Medtec demonstrator that North Chicago purchased in 2009, it was in service for a short time with the blue graphics seen here. This photo was taken on-scene at a 2nd alarm fire response in Libertyville in July of 2009 shortly after the new ambulance was delivered. Larry Shapiro photo*
*The ambulance with updated red graphics, now matching the rest of the fleet’s branding.*
This evolution in equipment and design reflects the department’s ongoing efforts to modernize and adapt to the needs of their community while maintaining a strong visual identity.
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