Chicago (IL) Firefighters, Residents Want Fire Apparatus Returned to Southeast Side

Firefighters in South Chicago said they’re concerned the relocation of a 100-foot tower ladder will slow response times to the high-rises in South Shore and nearby communities, reports Block Club Chicago.

The ladder with a platform to hold firefighters and retrieve citizens moved to the department’s $30 million fire station.

A fire department spokesperson said that tower trucks are still in service in Hyde Park, Back of the Yards and Archer Heights.

Some residents fear South Side neighborhoods with many high-rises still in existence — and with higher densities than the area around West Pullman — will now see slower response times if fires require a tower truck. Even with the tower truck already moved, residents said that officials could move it back.

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