Another Lake County (Division 4) department has been added to the site. The Lake Villa Fire Department, Lake Villa Fire District, and Lake Villa Rescue Squad form a unique partnership that blends resources and responsibilities. Together, they operate from three fire stations in Lake Villa and Lindenhurst. The downtown station, along with most of its equipment, is managed by the Lake Villa Fire Department, a private organization. They fundraise independently while also receiving payment for contract services provided by the Lake Villa Fire District. The other two stations and their apparatus are owned by the Fire District, while all ambulances across the three stations—white and blue—are operated by the Rescue Squad. The Lake Villa Fire Department station which has been expanded three times since the original building was constructed. Photo by Hank Sajovic The Lake Villa Fire Department station in downtown Lake Villa is an interesting building that has seen three major expansions over the years. Today, it features eight bays, with each pair of bays marked by a stone engraved with the year of that particular addition. All of the fire suppression equipment, except for a 1973 CF-Mack/Welch unit, was manufactured by Pierce. This includes four engines, a pumper/squad, a 105′ ladder, and two tankers, most of which are on Dash chassis. The newest piece is a 2009 Arrow XT engine stationed at Station 1. The rescue squad currently operates five Ford/Osage Type III ambulances painted in the traditional blue and white color scheme. As mentioned in a previous post HERE, two new ambulances are on order and will be red, matching the design of the current units, which are labeled for the Lake Villa Fire District. The Mack/Pierce engine shortly after it was purchased. It was Engine 2420 at the time, and had not yet been equipped with the Wil-Burt Nightscan on the roof. Lake Villa had long been a Mack customer. When Mack stopped producing fire trucks, many customers continued using the CF chassis with other manufacturers completing the units. This vehicle marked the beginning of Lake Villa’s shift to Pierce. By the time they were ready for their next purchase, Mack no longer offered the CF chassis. Photo by Larry Shapiro This engine from Annandale, NJ is an example of a four-door model built by Mack. The rear doors are flat and recessed, covering the step. Originally built in 1981, it was refurbished in 1996 by The Swab Wagon Company. Photo by Larry Shapiro Lake Villa has three truly unique vehicles in its fleet. One is a 1933 Pirsch antique in excellent condition. The other two represent a time when all Lake Villa engines were built by Mack on CF chassis. One is a 1973 CF-Mack that was restored with a new body by Welch, and the other is a 1989/1990 CF-Mack/Pierce hybrid. A notable feature of this last unit is the four-door conversion fabricated by Pierce, which preserved the original contours and body lines from front to back. This is one of the earlier CF Mack engines used before the transition to Pierce. Engine 621, built in 1969, carried 750 gallons of water and featured a 1,000-GPM pump. Photo by Larry Shapiro New Energy Automobile Gear Automatic Production Line New Energy Automobile Gear Automatic Production Line, Automatic Gear Cutting Machine, Gear Hobbing Machine Zhejiang Toman Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd , https://www.tomanmachines.com