The fire department in Bedford Park is working on a historic restoration project involving their 1959 Pitman Snorkel, the very first unit ever built by the company. This unique piece of firefighting history was originally designed for the Chicago Fire Department but was rejected due to its long wheelbase and tandem axle, making it difficult to maneuver through city streets. Fortunately, the Bedford Park Fire Department (BPFD) stepped in and purchased it.
![first Pitman Snorkel unit]()
Larry Shapiro photo
Karl Klotz recently visited the BPFD and spoke with Chief Sean Maloy about the ongoing restoration of this iconic vehicle. The unit, known as Snorkel 5 (later renumbered 712), was in service from 1959 until 1979 when it was replaced by a Seagrave model. After that, it was transferred to the public works department and used by the street light division until around 1995, when it was left to sit unused in the back parking lot.
![vintage magazine ad for the first Pitman Snorkel unit]()
Bill Freidrich collection
Currently, the unit is being restored inside Bedford Park Station 1. The mechanical work is being handled by the fire department’s own staff, and once completed, it will be sent to Automotive Mentoring Group (AMG) for body repairs and refinishing. The project is supported in part by the BPFD Foreign Fire Board and the Village of Bedford Park.
![first Pitman Snorkel unit ever built]()
Jack Connors photo
From another reader:
“Hey, I recently visited Bedford Park Station #1 and saw a real labor of love in progress. The BPFD finally brought their very first Snorkel back from the public works yard, where it had been sitting in disrepair for over 20 years. They’re doing a much-needed refurbishment. Some mechanical work is being done in-house, and the bodywork will be handled by a local business. For those who don’t know, this Snorkel is historically significant — it was the very first one produced by the Pitman Company for fire service. It was reportedly spec’d out by the late Chicago Commissioner Quinn, only to be rejected because of its long wheelbase, which would have made it hard to navigate city streets. Bedford Park jumped at the chance and bought it. Snorkel 5 is a 1960 GMC chassis with a V8 gas engine and manual transmission with a Pierce body.â€
![fire department refurbishes 1st Snorkel ever built]()
Karl Klotz photo
Dennis McGuire, Jr. shared some photos of the Snorkel during its time in the public works yard, showing how far it has come since then.
![fire department refurbishes 1st Snorkel ever built]()
Karl Klotz photo
![fire department refurbishes 1st Snorkel ever built]()
Karl Klotz photo
![fire department refurbishes 1st Snorkel ever built]()
Karl Klotz photo
![fire department refurbishes 1st Snorkel ever built]()
Karl Klotz photo
![fire department refurbishes 1st Snorkel ever built]()
Karl Klotz photo
![fire department refurbishes 1st Snorkel ever built]()
Dennis McGuire, Jr. photo
![fire department refurbishes 1st Snorkel ever built]()
Dennis McGuire, Jr. photo
![fire department refurbishes 1st Snorkel ever built]()
Dennis McGuire, Jr. photo
![fire department refurbishes 1st Snorkel ever built]()
Dennis McGuire, Jr. photo
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