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“Hey, recently I visited Bedford Park Station #1 and observed a real labor of love in progress. The Bedford Park Fire Department finally brought home their very first Snorkel, which had been sitting outside their public works yard for over 20 years, to start a desperately needed restoration. Some mechanical work will be done in-house, while the bodywork will be completed at a local business. For those who don’t know, this Snorkel is historically significant—it was the very first produced by the Pitman Company for the fire service. It’s said that it was specified by the late Chicago Commissioner Quinn, only to be rejected because of its long wheelbase, which would have made it hard to navigate city streets. Bedford Park took the chance and bought it. Snorkel 5 is a 1960 GMC chassis with a V8 gas engine and manual transmission with a Pierce body.â€
The fire department in Bedford Park is currently working on a historic restoration project involving their 1959 Pitman Snorkel, the very first unit ever built by the company. This unique piece of firefighting history was originally designed for the Chicago Fire Department but was rejected due to its long wheelbase and tandem axle configuration, making it difficult to maneuver through city streets. The Bedford Park Fire Department (BPFD) stepped in and purchased the unit, bringing it into service in 1959 as Snorkel 5.
Karl Klotz recently visited the BPFD and spoke with Chief Sean Maloy about the ongoing restoration efforts. The unit, which served until 1979, was later used by the public works department before being left to sit unused for decades. Now, it's back at Station 1, where a full restoration is underway. Mechanical work is being handled in-house, and after that, the body will be repaired and refinished by the Automotive Mentoring Group (AMG).
From another reader:
Dennis McGuire, Jr. submitted images of the Snorkel during its time in the public works yard.