Under reconstruction---I am upgrading from the old 2001 site and making things more friendly to smart phones and tablets. Please bear with us and we will get the missing items back..

---

• Building a model or reconstructing an older full size emergency vehicle, or just a model? What are the different options available for light bars, sirens and radios for the year vehicle you are working on?

  I will mainly focus on equipment that is no longer manufactured or supported by it's builder and have also included non vehicle things like portable radios, accessories, and hard to find license plates.

• Hi, My name is Dick Paul, I have been a ham radio operator since 1959, graduated from DeVry Tech in 1963 with my 2nd class Phone license. I received my 1st class RT license in 1964. During that time I worked for a Motorola MSS in the Chicago area and later in the Navy at N.A.S. Glenview as a ETN-2 mobile radio tech, responsible for all mobile comm equiptment and ground aviation radios, radar.

• I am a former Federal S&S dealer and have for the past 55 years installed/repaired/maintained radio communication systems, lights, lettering, etc on police and fire department vehicles of many Chicago area Municipalities.
  

• I joined the Park Ridge Police Dept in 1968 and retired in 1993. During which I also served as Chief Communications officer for the city.

• I was lucky to be chosen by the Federal VP of Engineering, Mike McConnell, (My neighbor in Park Ridge), to test one of the first Jetsonics after it was installed on my squad by two FS engineers at the factory. (The light had some problems....first bulb sockets were pot metal (not good)).

• In the 80's I drove from Chicago to Quad Cities in a Chicago PD squad, field testing the first in car computer. I also designed and installed Microwave systems for the first IDOT Kennedy Expwy system reversable lanes system.  ;

• I was also a member of APCO from 1967 to 1994, serving on the National Operating and Procedures committee. (APCO were the people who wrote the 10 codes and got the 911 number and decided that "car 49 from car 45" was better than saying "car 45 to car 49 ", all that stuff.)

• (Don't buy those 1956 model cars with "Dial 911" on the side, the number didn't exist then)

• What I am trying to do here, make your equipment more authentic, for example, don't put an AeroDynic on a 1954 Ford. Also, I hope to be able to supply photos, parts lists and diagrams for those who have an older piece of equipment but no documentation and also provide a year when the equipment was first available. 

  

Park Ridge Police Memorial Site....Use Back Button to return here.

1978	1973	Hummm	1984