Chicago Fire Department Signatures
CFD Radio
CFD Districts & Battalions
  • Front line companies (Engines, Trucks, Tower Ladders, Ambulances, Squads, Battalion Chiefs) normally ID with their type and number, e.g. "Engine Twenty Nine", "Tower Ladder Four", "Ambulance Fifteen", et cetera (actually, the Ambulances are often referred to as "Number", as in "Number 8").
  • Note: All the units below are believed to be in service, but the signatures may be historical and no longer in use.
  • A red dot red ball appears next to signatures known to still be active and heard on the air.
  • District Chiefs (2-1-2x) work a regular 8x5 shift. Deputy District Chiefs work rotating 24-hour shifts to provide 24x7 coverage.
  • 24x7, staffed Fire Suppression and Rescue Division companies have a red background while similar EMS Division companies have a yellow background
Updates, corrections to the CARMA list.
Last Update: Tuesday, 20-Apr-2010 16:43:55 MST
Signature Unit (Notes)
1 - 1-2-9 Engines 1 - 129
2-1-1 Englewood Fire Alarm Office
2-1-2 Main Fire Alarm Office
2-1-3red ball Fire Commissioner
2-1-4?red ball Deputy Fire Commissioner - Bureau of Administrative Services
2-1-5red ball Deputy Fire Commissioner - Bureau of Operations
2-1-6red ball Deputy Fire Commissioner - Bureau of Fire Prevention
2-1-7?red ball Deputy Fire Commissioner - Bureau of Employee Relations
2-1-8red ball Deputy Fire Commissioner - Bureau of Support Services
2-1-11red ball Department Inspector
2-1-12red ball Assistant Deputy Fire Commissioner - Bureau of Operatons - Fire
2-1-13 Assistant Deputy Fire Commissioner - Bureau of Operations - EMS
2-1-14 Assistant Deputy Fire Commissioner - Bureau of Support Services
2-1-15 Diversity Officer
2-1-19red ball Assistant Affirmative Action Officer
2-1-20 Executive Assistant to Commissioner
2-1-21red ball
2-2-1red ball		 District Chief
Deputy District Chief - 1st District (@ Engine 42)
2-1-22red ball
2-2-2red ball		 District Chief
Deputy District Chief - 2nd District (@ Engine 108)
2-1-23red ball
2-2-3red ball		 District Chief
Deputy District Chief - 3rd District (@ O'Hare Rescue 1)
2-1-24red ball
2-2-4red ball		 District Chief
Deputy District Chief - 4th District (@ Engine 38)
2-1-25red ball
2-2-5red ball		 District Chief
Deputy District Chief - 5th District (@ Engine 84)
2-1-26red ball
2-2-6red ball		 District Chief
Deputy District Chief - 6th District (@ Engine 81)
2-1-27red ball ????
2-1-30red ball Director of Training
2-1-33red ball Director of Safety
2-3-1 - 2-3-10
2-4-1 - 2-4-10
2-5-1 - 2-5-4		 Battalion Chiefs 1 - 24
2-7-1red ball Command Van (@ Engine 42)
2-7-2red ball Command Van (@ Engine 112)
2-7-3red ball Command Van (@ Engine 49)
2-7-4red ball Command Van (@ Engine 122)
2-7-8red ball Command Van (@ Rescue 3 - O'Hare Airport)
2-7-9red ball Incident Managment Command Post
2-8-2 Training Vehicle - Ambulance
2-8-3 Training Officer - Engineer
2-8-4 Training Officer - EMS
2-8-5 Training Officer - Fire Prevention
2-8-6 Training Vehicle - Engine Co
2-8-7 Training Vehicle - Truck Co
2-8-8 Training Vehicle - Ambulance
2-8-9 Training Division - SCUBA Instructor
2-9-0 Training Division - Academy Bus
2-9-1 Training Officer - 1st District
2-9-2 Training Officer - 2nd District
2-9-3 Training Officer - 3rd District
2-9-4 Training Officer - 4th District
2-9-5 Training Officer - 5th District
2-9-6 Training Officer - 6th District
2-9-7 Training Officer - HAZMAT
2-9-8 Training Officer - O'Hare Airport
2-9-9 Training Officer - O'Hare Airport (burn pit)
2-9-12 - 2-9-13 Safety Officer - Airports
3-1-1 Aerial Tower 1
3-1-2 - 3-7-2 Trucks 2 - 62 Except as noted below
3-1-5 Tower Ladder 5
3-1-10 Tower Ladder 10
3-2-4 Tower Ladder 14
3-3-1 Tower Ladder 21
3-3-3 Tower Ladder 23
3-4-4 Tower Ladder 34
3-4-7 Tower Ladder 37
3-4-9 Tower Ladder 39
3-4-10 Tower Ladder 40
3-6-4 Tower Ladder 54
3-7-3 Tower Ladder 63
4-0-0 Canteen Service - Supervisor
4-0-1 - 4-0-4 Canteen Service - Deputy Supervisors
4-0-5 - 4-0-8 Salvation Army Units
4-0-9red ball Canteen Service - Maintenance Coordinator
4-1-0 Building and Property Management - Commanding Officer
4-1-1 Chaplain - Catholic
4-1-2 Chaplain - Protestant
4-1-3 Chaplain - Jewish
4-1-4 Personnel Division - Department Physician
4-1-5 Personnel Division - Director
4-1-6 Personnel Division - Assistant Director
4-1-7red ball Media Affairs - Director
4-1-8red ball Media Affairs - Assistant Director
4-1-9 Media Affairs - Liason
4-1-10 - 4-1-13 Media Affairs - Officer
4-1-15 Commander Medical Service
4-2-0 Communications - Director
4-2-1 Communications - Deputy Director
4-2-2 Communications - Chief Dispatcher
4-2-3 Communications - Administrator
4-2-4 Communications - Training Officer
4-2-5 Communications - Specialist
4-2-6 Communications - Repair Foreman
4-2-7 - 4-2-12red ball Communications - Repair Technicians
4-3-1 Mayor
4-3-2 Mayor's Chief of Staff
4-3-3 Mayor's Escort Car
4-3-4 Commissioner - Streets & Sanitation
4-3-5 Commissioner - Health Dept
4-3-6 Commissioner - Water Dept
4-3-7 Chairman - Finance Committee
4-3-8 Chairman - Police & Fire Committee
4-3-9 Mayor's Mobile Office
4-4-0 EMS - Chief Paramedic
4-4-1red ball EMS - Deputy Chief Paramedic - North (8x5)
4-4-2red ball EMS - Deputy Chief Paramedic - South (8x5)
4-4-3 EMS - Deputy Chief Paramedic - Field Support
4-4-4red ball EMS - Medical Advisor
4-4-5red ball ???
4-4-11red ball EMS - Assistant Deputy Chief Paramedic - Field Division North (24x7)
4-4-12red ball EMS - Assistant Deputy Chief Paramedic - Field Division South (24x7)
4-4-13 EMS - Assistant Deputy Chief Paramedic - Training
4-4-20 EMS - FACT Program Coordinator
4-4-21 EMS - Assistant FACT Program Coordinator
4-5-1red ball EMS - Field Officer - 1st District (@ Engine 42)
4-5-2red ball EMS - Field Officer - 2nd District (@ Engine 112)
4-5-3red ball EMS - Field Officer - 3rd District (@ Engine 79)
4-5-4red ball EMS - Field Officer - 4th District (@ Engine 117)
4-5-5red ball EMS - Field Officer - 5th District (@ Engine 88)
4-5-6red ball EMS - Field Officer - 6th District (@ Engine 81)
4-5-7red ball EMS - Field Officer - 7th District (@ Engine 23)
4-5-8red ball EMS - Field Officer - 8th District (@ Engine 63)
4-5-9red ball EMS ???
4-6-0 Investigations Governmental Affairs Officer??
4-6-1red ball Office of Fire Investigation (OFI) - Commanding Fire Marshall
4-6-2 OFI - Assistant Commanding Fire Marshall
4-6-3 OFI - Senior Supervising Fire Marshall
4-6-4red ball OFI - Supervising Fire Marshall
4-6-5 - 4-6-9red ball OFI - Fire Marshalls
4-6-10 OFI - Major Incident Investigation Unit
4-6-11 - 4-6-13 OFI Support Units
4-6-19red ball Office of the State Fire Marshall - Cause & Origin Dog
4-7-0 Deputy Coordinator Emergency Preparedness
4-7-1 Cook County Coordinator
4-7-3 - 4-7-9 Cook Co EMA Units
4-8-0 Director of Safety
4-8-1 Safety Officer - Breathing Apparatus
4-8-2 Safety Officer - Building Maintenance
4-8-3red ball Safety Officer - Records & Statistics
4-8-4red ball Safety Officer - Fire & Rescue
4-8-5red ball Safety Officer - Public Education
4-8-6red ball Coordinator - Breathing Apparatus
4-8-7red ball Safety Officer - Employee Relations
4-8-8 Safety Officer - Academy Operations
4-8-9red ball Safety Officer - Fire Commissary??
4-8-10 Safety Officer - Training
4-8-11 Safety Officer - Air-Sea Rescue
4-9-0 Fire Prevention - District Chief
4-9-1 Photo/Video Unit - Commander
4-9-2 Photo/Video Unit - Photo Unit
4-9-3red ball Photo/Video Unit - Video Unit
4-9-4 Building and Property Maintenance - Director
4-9-5 Fire Prevention Engineer
4-9-6 Chief Fire Prevention Engineer
4-9-7A - 4-9-7D Public Education Units
4-9-8 Coordinator of Community Services
4-9-9 Assistant Coordinator Community Services
5-1-0red ball Coordinator, Hazardous Incident Team
5-1-1/5-1-1Ared ball HAZMAT Unit/Tender (@ Engine 22)
5-1-2red ball HAZMAT Unit (@ Engine 60)
5-2-1red ball Special Operations - Collapse Rescue Unit (@ Engine 5)
5-2-2red ball Special Operations - Collapse Rescue Unit ("The Lumber Truck")
5-2-3red ball Special Operations - Air Compressor
5-2-5 Special Operations - Technical Rescue Team
5-2-6red ball Special Operations - Tunnel Rescue
5-3-0red ball Special Operations - Decontamination Unit (@ Engine 22)
5-4-0red ball Special Operations - CTA liason
With the exception of Squad 7, squad companies are two piece companies consisting of a Heavy Rescue and a Snorkel Unit. The Snorkel is identified as "Squad XA", where X is one of the numbers listed. Squad 7A is a mini-pumper at O'Hare used to access parking garage incidents. The signatures are historical.
5-5-1 Squad 1 (@ Engine 42)
5-5-2 Squad 2 (@ Engine 91)
5-5-5 Squad 5 (@ Engine 116)
5-5-7 Squad 7 (@ O'Hare Rescue 3)
5-6-1 Special Operations Unit (@ Engine 4)
5-6-2 Special Operations Unit (@ Engine 124)
5-6-3 Special Operations Unit (@ Engine 47)
5-6-5 Special Operations Unit
5-7-1red ball Rehab Unit
5-7-3red ball Building and Property Maintenance - Building Engineer
5-8-0 Internal Affairs Division - Director
5-8-3 - 5-8-13red ball Internal Affairs Division - Investigators
6-1-1red ball Hose Wagon (@ Engine 81)
6-1-2red ball Hose Wagon
6-2-1 Dry Chem Unit 1 - formerly at Meigs Field
6-2-2 Dry Chem Unit 2 (@ Engine 65)
6-2-3 Dry Chem Unit 3 - formerly at Meigs Field
6-2-4 Dry Chem Unit 4 (@ Engine ??)
6-2-5 Dry Chem Unit 5 (@ Engine 46)
6-2-6 Dry Chem Unit 6 (@ Engine 26)
6-3-0 Logistics Unit - O'Hare
6-3-1 High Expansion Foam Unit (@ Engine 26)
6-3-2 Bulk Foam Carrier (@ Engine 28)
6-3-3 Portable Stairway Unit - O'Hare
6-3-4 Portable Stairway Unit (MDW)
6-3-5 Portable Stairway Unit (ORD)
6-3-6 Chemical Unit - formerly at Meigs Field
6-3-7 Mini-pumper (at MDW)
6-3-8 Chemical Unit (@ Engine 80)
6-3-9 Triage Van - O'Hare
6-4-1 Air Mask Unit - Assistant Coordinator
6-4-xred ball Support Services except below
6-4-4 - 6-4-5red ball Breathing Apparatus Service
6-4-9red ball Air Mask
6-4-16red ball High Rise Unit
6-4-18red ball ???
6-5-1, 6-5-2red ball Crash Truck (MDW)
6-5-3, 6-5-7, 6-5-8red ball Crash Truck - O'Hare Rescue 3
6-5-4 - 6-5-6red ball Crash Truck - O'Hare Rescue 2
6-5-9 Crash Truck - Spare @ Engine 34
6-5-10 Crash Truck - formerly at Meigs Field
6-5-11 Crash Truck - Gary
6-5-12 Crash Truck - Spare
6-6-1red ball Reserve Snorkel (@ Engine 35)
6-7-1 - 6-7-2 Deluge Units
6-7-3 Deluge Unit (@ Engine 108)
6-7-6 Deluge Unit (@ Engine 104)
6-8-0 Air-Sea Rescue - Commander
6-8-1 - 6-8-3red ball Air-Sea Rescue - Helicopters
6-8-7red ball Air-Sea Rescue - SCUBA Team ("Dive Van" - 6-8-7A is reserve)
6-8-9 ? (@ Engine 104)
7-1-0 Director - Equipment & Supplies
7-1-1 Assistant Director - Equipment & Supplies
7-1-3 Repair Shop - Shift Lieutenant
7-1-4 Repair Shop - General Foreman
7-2-1 - 7-2-3 Repair Shop - Fuel Trucks (Historical - now operated by Fleet Services and not CFD)
7-3-1 Repair Shop - Electricians
7-4-1 Repair Shop - Mechanic - North
7-4-2 Repair Shop - Mechanic - South
7-4-3 Repair Shop - Mechanic - Marine
7-4-4 Repair Shop - Mechanic - Citywide
7-4-5 Repair Shop - Mechanic - O'Hare
7-4-6 Repair Shop - Automotive Tester
7-4-7 Repair Shop - Mechanic - O'Hare
7-4-8 Repair Shop - Parts Delivery Truck
7-5-1n North Messenger
7-5-1s South Messenger
7-5-2 Repair Shop - Wrecker - Light Duty
7-5-3 Repair Shop - Wrecker - Medium Duty
7-5-4 Repair Shop - Wrecker - Heavy Duty
7-5-5 Repair Shop - Ladder Repair Truck
7-5-6 Repair Shop - Tire Repair Truck
7-5-7 Repair Shop - Mobile Lube Truck
7-6-1 Hose Repair Truck
7-6-2 Ready Room Truck
7-6-3 Warehouse Truck
7-6-4 MRE Delivery Truck
7-6-5 Supply Truck
7-7-0red ball District Commander - EMS Support
7-7-1 Specialist - EMS Equipment
7-7-2 EMS Supply Truck
7-7-3 EMS Supply Truck
7-7-4 EMS Supply Truck
8-1-1 - 8-1-10 Ambulances 1 - 10
8-2-1 - 8-2-10 Ambulances 11 - 20
8-3-1 - 8-3-10 Ambulances 21 - 30
8-4-1 - 8-4-10 Ambulances 31 - 40
8-5-1 - 8-5-10 Ambulances 41 - 50
8-6-1 - 8-6-9 Ambulances 51 - 59
8-7-5 Reserve Ambulance
8-7-10 Reserve Ambulance
8-8-2 Mass Casualty Units (@ Field Division North)
8-8-3red ball Mass Casualty Units (@ Field Division South)
8-8-4 Mass Casualty Units (@ Engine 42)
8-8-6 Triage Van (MDW)
8-8-7 Command Support Unit
8-8-8 Triage Van?
9-1-1red ball Light Wagon (@ Engine 28)
9-1-2red ball Light Wagon (@ Engine 68)
9-1-3red ball Light Wagon (@ Engine 83)
9-1-4red ball Light Wagon
9-1-5red ball Light Wagon (@ Engine 101)
9-1-6red ball Light Wagon (@ Engine 47)
9-2-1 Mobile Ventilation Unit (Smoke Ejector) (@ Engine 107)
9-2-2 Mobile Ventilation Unit (@ Engine 123)
9-2-3 Mobile Ventilation Unit (@ Engine 106)
Last Update: Tuesday, 20-Apr-2010 16:43:55 MST
Author: Peter Laws
URL: http://plaws.net/scan/IL/cfd-signature.html