In the early morning of February 23, 1973, a fire broke out at the Ben Franklin five-and-dime store in Palatine. John Tobin, a high school senior living just a mile away, was deeply affected by the event. His father, Dave, a second lieutenant with the village’s volunteer fire department, had already rushed to the scene, as had the assistant chief who lived nearby. Determined to be there, Tobin skipped school and ran toward the burning building.
As he arrived, the towering 1969 75-foot Snorkel ladder truck stood above the flames, an iconic symbol of the firefighting effort. But nothing could have prepared him for what he witnessed. He heard a firefighter say that three others were trapped in the basement. The news hit hard, and Tobin felt a mix of fear and helplessness.
In his rush, he forgot his camera and ran home to get it. When he returned, he saw his father working safely outside and knew he was okay. However, it wasn’t until hours later that he learned the full extent of the tragedy: three firefighters—Warren Ahlgrim, Richard Freeman, and John Wilson—had been killed after being overcome by carbon monoxide in the basement.
The memory of that day stayed with Tobin for decades. The image of the Snorkel truck haunted him. For years, he searched for it, learning that it had been sold to Salem, Illinois, in 1981. In 2003, during a trip home from a convention, he visited Salem, only to find it had already been sold again, this time to Pierceton, Indiana.
In 2023, when the truck was up for sale, Tobin reached out. He offered $5,000, and the offer was accepted. “This is my childhood idol of a truck,†he said. Now, he's restoring it at the Bartlett Fire Department, polishing the paint, fixing the lights, and creating a tribute to the fallen firefighters.
On Tuesday, the restored truck made its way back to downtown Palatine, exactly where it had been 43 years ago. It was part of the annual memorial service at the Firefighters Memorial on Brockway and Slade streets. Afterward, Tobin plans to keep the truck in a barn on his property in West Dundee, preserving its legacy and honoring those who lost their lives.
John Tobin photo
John Tobin photo
The Ben Franklin store fire killed three Palatine firefighters. John Tobin photo
Thanks, Dan.
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