Prospect Heights and Wheeling Crews Training at Chicago Executive Airport
 
By Battalion Chief Mark Oeltgen
April 10, 2019
 

This past Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, crews from the Prospect Heights Fire District and Wheeling Fire department participated in joint training on airport operations. Crews performed driving exercises coordinated with the Air Traffic Control Tower. This evolution is practiced to increase familiarity with airport runway and taxiway layout, and coordination during stressful incidents. Both agencies work to contain costs while striving to provide the specialized equipment for airport response. The Crash Truck pictured here (a 1992 Emergency One Titan) was obtained from a federal grant program where it had previously served at an Air Force base in Louisiana. It was purchased for $1.00 on that resource relocation grant, but PHFD crews put $65,000 into refurbishing it and it continues to serve the Chicago Executive Airport. To replace this truck with a brand new unit of similar capabilities would cost approximately 1.2 Million Dollars!