From Phil Stenholm:
Another installment in the History of the Evanston Fire Department.
NBFU ’59
In 1959, the National Board of Fire Underwriters (NBFU) conducted its first inspection of the Evanston Fire Department since 1935. The EFD received a rating of “Class 3,†the same score it had in 1935. Among fire departments in the Chicago area, only the Chicago Fire Department was rated higher with a “Class 2†rating. At that time, Evanston and Oak Park were the only suburban departments in the region to hold a “Class 3†rating. However, by 1971, Skokie had moved up to “Class 2,†and Winnetka had also improved to “Class 3.â€
The NBFU’s 1959 report included several recommendations for improvement. These included adding an additional engine company at Station #1, restoring staffing levels to five firefighters per shift at Station #1 and four at other stations, implementing annual physical exams for firefighters over 55, setting a mandatory retirement age of 62, and making the chief fire marshal a civil service position rather than a political appointment. Of all these, only the annual physical exams for older firefighters were actually implemented.
Regarding the proposed engine company at Station #1, Squad 21 was reactivated in 1963 and stationed there as a full unit. However, the 1952 Pirsch they used lacked a hose bed, so it wasn’t officially classified as an engine company. Despite this, it still played a role in emergency response.
In 1959, the iconic Gamewell Fire Alarm Telegraph boxes, which had been in use since 1895, were replaced by 80 Western Electric emergency telephones connected directly to the city’s communication center. These new units allowed callers to clearly describe emergencies, ensuring faster and more accurate responses. Each phone was housed in a bright red box with reflective lettering. If a call came through without a voice, a nearby officer would check the “cold box.†Only in cases of actual fires or inhalator needs would the EFD respond directly.
That same year, Captains Jim Wheeler and Willard Thiel were promoted to assistant chief, while Dan Lorden and Ed Pettinger became captains. Assistant Chief Jim Mersch retired after 23 years, and Captain Joe Schumer resigned. Four new firefighters were hired in 1958–1959: Ted Riley, Charlie Rohrer, Leonard Conrad, and Ken Hatfield. Conrad later became a captain in 1964 and the EFD’s first medical officer in 1978.
Inhalators were assigned to all five engine companies in 1959, meaning Squad 21 no longer served as the city’s primary inhalator unit. It was reserved for special rescues and fires when requested by a chief. In the 1950s, the EFD averaged about 100 inhalator calls annually, but this number increased significantly over the years, reaching one per day by 1965 and two or three per day by 1976, when the paramedic MICU ambulance service was established.
Both F-1 and F-2, the EFD’s station wagons, were equipped with stretchers and first-aid kits in 1959, serving as backup ambulances. They were only used if police ambulances weren’t available. F-1 was replaced in 1962, and F-2 in 1963.
A local funeral home offered a Cadillac ambulance (once a hearse) to the EFD in 1959, but the city manager declined. The police department already provided ambulance services backed by EFD station wagons, and adding another ambulance would have required hiring more personnel or taking a truck out of service—neither option was feasible. The ambulance was instead donated to Skokie.
In 1959, George and Effie Dye were killed in a house fire on Hartrey Avenue. Though crews arrived within four minutes, they couldn’t save them. This marked the first time more than one person died in a single fire in Evanston since 1905. Their home was located at the edge of the city, near the furthest point from any fire station, though still within NBFU standards.
In November 1959, a fire at the Davis Furniture store on Main Street caused $155,000 in damage. Three engine companies, two trucks, Squad 21, and cross-trained officers responded quickly. Engine 25 and Truck 23 were moved to Station #1, and reserve engines were staffed by off-duty personnel.
Fire Prevention Bureau Captain George Croll passed away in January 1960, and Fireman Art Windelborn retired in 1961 after 33 years of service. William Lapworth was promoted to captain, and Bob Schwarz, Richard Beucus, and William Lemieux were hired. Bob Schwarz later became a key member of the EFD’s arson investigation unit, established in 1975.
In May 1961, a mysterious explosion damaged the North Shore Overall store on Dempster Street, causing $107,000 in damage. No injuries occurred, as the store was closed. The EFD’s Fire Prevention Bureau lacked the expertise to investigate, so the Illinois State Fire Marshal was called in.
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