John Tobin photo
John Tobin photo
Excerpts from theDailyHerald.com:
On February 23, 1973, a fire broke out at the Ben Franklin five-and-dime store in downtown Palatine. For John Tobin, a high school senior living just a mile away, this was more than just a news event — it became a defining moment of his life.
That morning, his father, Dave, a second lieutenant with the volunteer fire department, had already rushed to the scene. So had the assistant chief, who lived just across the street. With no choice but to skip school, Tobin ran toward the chaos, where he saw the towering 75-foot Snorkel ladder truck that had become a symbol of the town’s emergency response.
But nothing could have prepared him for what he witnessed. As he stood in shock, he overheard a firefighter saying that three others were trapped in the basement. The weight of the situation hit him hard.
In his rush to get to the scene, Tobin forgot his camera. He ran home to grab it, only to return and find his father safely working outside the fire. But the horror wasn’t over yet.
“It wasn’t until hours later that we found out who was inside,†Tobin recalled. Three firefighters — Warren Ahlgrim, Richard Freeman, and John Wilson — had been trapped in the basement by carbon monoxide and lost their lives.
Forty-three years later, the memory still lingers. The image of the Snorkel truck has remained etched in his mind, fueling an obsession that would lead him on a journey decades later.
Tobin learned the truck had been sold to Salem, Illinois, in 1981. In 2003, while driving home from a convention, he made a detour to Salem — only to learn it had since been sold to Pierceton, Indiana. He visited the new location, determined to track it down.
In early 2023, when Pierceton officials decided to sell the old truck, Tobin reached out. He offered $5,000, and they accepted. “This is my childhood idol of a truck,†he said, full of emotion.
Now, Tobin is working tirelessly at the Bartlett Fire Department, restoring the truck. He’s polishing the paint, fixing the lights, and creating a tribute to the fallen firefighters — Ahlgrim, Freeman, and Wilson.
“It brings back old memories and honors those brave men who gave their lives that day,†he said.
On Tuesday, the restored truck was back in downtown Palatine, exactly where it had stood 43 years earlier, as the town held its annual memorial service at the Firefighters Memorial near Brockway and Slade streets.
After the ceremony, Tobin plans to keep the truck on his property in West Dundee, preserving it as a lasting tribute to the past and a symbol of remembrance.
Thanks Dan
The Ben Franklin store fire killed three Palatine firefighters. John Tobin photo
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