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Palatine Fire Department history
The Ben Franklin store fire in Palatine on February 23, 1973, claimed the lives of three local firefighters—Warren Ahlgrim, Richard Freeman, and John Wilson. At the time, John Tobin was a high school senior who lived just a mile from downtown. When the fire broke out, his father, Dave, a second lieutenant with the volunteer fire department, was already at the scene. So was the assistant chief, who lived across the street. Without hesitation, Tobin decided to skip school and run toward the burning building.
As he approached, the towering 75-foot Snorkel ladder truck from 1969 stood above the flames, a symbol of the brave men fighting the blaze. But nothing could have prepared him for what he saw next. He heard one firefighter say that three others were trapped in the basement. In his rush to get there, Tobin had forgotten his camera, so he ran home to retrieve it. By the time he returned, he saw his father working safely outside and knew he was okay.
It wasn’t until hours later that he learned the full extent of the tragedy. The three firefighters had been overcome by carbon monoxide while trying to rescue people from the basement. The memory of that day left a deep mark on Tobin, and over the years, the image of the Snorkel remained etched in his mind.
For decades, Tobin searched for the old ladder truck. He learned it had been sold to Salem, Illinois, in 1981, then moved to Pierceton, Indiana. In 2003, he made a stop in Salem while traveling home from a convention, but by then the truck had already been sold again. Eventually, he tracked it down and made an offer of $5,000 when it was up for sale.
“This is my childhood idol of a truck,†Tobin said. Now, he's restoring it at the Bartlett Fire Department, carefully polishing the paint, fixing the lights, and creating a tribute to the fallen firefighters. “It brings back old memories and honors those who gave their lives that day.â€
On Tuesday, the restored truck was back in downtown Palatine, exactly where it had stood 43 years ago, as the community held its annual memorial service at the Firefighters Memorial. Afterward, Tobin plans to keep the truck on his property in West Dundee, ensuring its story continues to be told.
John Tobin photo
John Tobin photo
The Ben Franklin store fire killed three Palatine firefighters. John Tobin photo
Thanks, Dan.