Certainly! Here's a rewritten version of the text:
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A query was directed at Bill Post by Mike McAuliffe:
> Bill, regarding the topic of Snorkels, do you think you could shed some light on why Fire Commissioner Quinn was so frugal with funds that he didn't buy a new compact Snorkel for SS-3 or a replacement for Snorkel 1, which later became SS-3? Most importantly, why didn't he acquire a new Snorkel to replace Snorkel 7?
> Snorkels were clearly his favorite, but in my view, he became so attached to them that it clouded his judgment about the potential benefits of adopting tower ladders like the Aerialscope. Why didn’t he replace them? During that period, Snorkels were quite popular. Some departments even used smaller Snorkels as secondary engine units. Crown was producing excellent Snorkels on the West Coast. The LACityFD had two they wanted to sell. It seems like it wouldn’t have been too hard to find a decent deal on either a used or brand-new one.
> I always thought it was a black mark against Quinn that the city only had one Snorkel on the South Side—Snorkel 3—for most of the 1970s. Whenever there was a South Side fire, you'd hear over the radio, "Snorkel 5 to Snorkel 3?"
Looking forward to your response.
Mike, you hit the nail on the head. The Chicago Fire Department faced serious financial constraints in the 1960s. That’s why, from the early 1960s until late 1966 or early 1967, the department focused on purchasing specialized vehicles. These included the Magirus 144-foot and 100-foot aerial ladders, Snorkels, Snorkel Squads, Fog Pressure Wagons, the original helicopter (441), jet boats, ambulances, and chief buggies.
The city was desperate for capital. Eventually, Mayor Richard J. Daley had to campaign to get voter approval for a bond issue to fund essential infrastructure, including new fire trucks. I recall a special half-hour TV program on Channel 9 highlighting the urgent need for new apparatus. Commissioner Robert J. Quinn appeared on the show, stating, “I don’t see how the voters could deny us the funding we need.â€
The bond passed. Regarding Snorkel Company 1, Commissioner Quinn recognized the need for a new Snorkel Squad on the bustling West Side. He transformed Snorkel 1 into Snorkel Squad 3 and acquired three longer-chassis Fog Pressure Wagons to serve as backup units for the squads. Snorkel Squad 3 began operations on May 16, 1965, at the firehouse at 2858 W. Fillmore. Engine 66 moved to Engine 44, and Squad 7 was decommissioned that same day.
One key reason the CFD didn’t replace Snorkel 1 was the lack of available space on the West Side. For instance, to deploy Snorkel Squad 3, Engine 66 had to relocate, and Squad 7, one of the busiest in the city, was replaced with a modern Snorkel Squad. Similarly, Squad 3, located with Engine 61, was near Engine 60, Truck 37, and Snorkel Squad 2. Commissioner Quinn strategically placed Snorkels 4 through 7 in 1961 and 1962 to ensure coverage across all seven divisions.
Snorkel Company 1, the smallest at 50 feet, shifted from Engine 50 (on the South Side in the 4th Division) to Engine 109 (in the 2nd Division on the West Side). Space was limited at Engine 109, as it housed Truck 32 with its 1954 FWD tillered aerial ladder, which had an 85-foot wooden ladder extending far behind. Snorkel 1 was the only Snorkel small enough to fit in this tight setup.
In the early 1960s, the South Side wasn’t much better off. Divisions 4, 5, and 7 lacked sufficient space for Snorkels. Division 5, on the far Southeast Side, accommodated Snorkel 6 at Engine 46 due to its spacious apparatus bays. Division 7, covering the Southwest Side, had only Engine 84’s house large enough, located at Halsted south of 57th Street, just two blocks south of Division 4’s southern boundary.
Snorkel 3 moved from Engine 50 to Engine 84 after replacing Snorkel 1 for six months. It was a tight fit at Engine 50. After relocating to Division 7 in 1962, there was no Snorkel in Division 4 from March 24, 1962, until October 28, 1964. Once Engine 28’s new station opened, Snorkel 2 moved there. Prior to that, Snorkels 2 and 4 were stationed less than a mile apart from May 6, 1961, to October 28, 1964, due to insufficient space at numerous firehouses.
This is part one of a three-part series.
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