Chicago FD Portable Radios

[Firemed18]

Can anyone tell me what portable radios the Chicago Fire Department issues it's firefighters? When I was at the Taste of Chicago, I saw a few firemen walking through with radios that appeared to be prehistoric Motorolas. Just curious how wrong I am. Thanks for your input!

[ATFDFF]

Hey. There's a whole mix. They have a good number of the XTS-1500's, but there still are a ton of really old Motorola's! But hey...some of those Jedi Series radios could survive a nuclear bomb!

[Crosslaid]

Can anyone tell me what portable radios the Chicago Fire Department issues it's firefighters? When I was at the Taste of Chicago, I saw a few firemen walking through with radios that appeared to be prehistoric Motorolas. Just curious how wrong I am. Thanks for your input!

You saw correctly. But for the most part we are not “issued” radios. During a normal tour of duty every member of a Squad company has his / her own radio (see what I did there?). Trucks get 3 radios, and Engines get 2. All ALS and BLS apparatus get a corresponding EMS radio, but is only for EMS communication, not fire side communication. On the fire side of operations they are pretty old radios, but for the abuse they take I can’t say they are the worst things out there, though admitedly I really don’t have much to compare them to. The newer EMS radios seem pretty sturdy, but I have heard some rumors about us getting new radios for the fire side. Who knows, you know how rumors and the fire service go.

Hope that answers your question though. Stay low.