Station 85
If you have recently attended any public events in downtown Palatine, these are most likely the apparatus you have seen standing by or driving through the center of town. Tower and Squad 85 are definitely 2 of the most unique apparatus utilized by the fire department. Tower 85, with its massive 100 foot aerial ladder, has a basket on the ladder’s tip making accessing difficult areas a breeze. Each firefighter working on this vehicle has received special training to handle these situations and properly operate this fire truck. Squad 85, its partner at station 85, is the fire departments "toolbox." Carrying a variety of equipment for all facets of emergency fire, EMS, and rescue situations, the squad responds on calls all over the Village of Palatine. Both of these units also have a built in SCBA air cascade system, which can fill the empty air bottles of firefighters while on the scene of an incident if needed.
Formerly referred to as Station 18, Station 85 is the oldest fire station in Palatine, and is currently the fire department administrative and headquarters station. The shift commander is stationed here 24 hours a day and responds in Battalion 8 from this station to all major incidents in Palatine.
Availability
The administrative staff is available Monday through Friday, generally between the hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Fire Chief, Deputy Chiefs, and our Management Analyst can be contacted directly at this station during these operating hours.
Apparatus
Tower 85 is a 2013 Spartan ERV tower ladder. It has a 100 foot main aerial device equipped with platform, over 200 feet of ground ladders, a PTO generator and a 6-bottle, high-pressure air cascade system. A pre-piped waterway on the aerial supplies a master stream device that can flow over 1,000 gallons per minute. In addition to fires, Tower 85 responds to any specialized rescue incident, and consequently this vehicle carries additional tools and equipment. Some of this includes Genesis hydraulic extrication equipment with preconnected reels mounted in the front bumper for vehicle crashes, Paratech air lift bags, stabilization struts, jacks, an extensive selection of saws and forcible entry tools, a thermal imaging camera, and self-contained breathing apparatus. This unit, like all of our apparatus, is equipped with a selection of Advanced Life Support medical equipment.