From Phil Stenholm: Another installment in our ongoing series on the History of the Evanston Fire Department. NBFU ’59 By 1971, some changes had occurred: Skokie was upgraded to “Class 2,†and Winnetka moved up to “Class 3.†The 1959 NBFU report included several recommendations for improvement, such as adding an engine company at Station #1, restoring staffing levels to pre-1957 standards, requiring annual physicals for firefighters over 55, enforcing a mandatory retirement age of 62, and making the chief fire marshal a civil service position rather than a political appointment. Only one recommendation was fully implemented: the annual medical exams for older firefighters. In 1963, Squad 21 was reactivated at Station #1, replacing Engine 25. Although it had a 1,000-GPM pump and a water tank, it wasn’t classified as an engine due to the lack of a hose bed. In 1959, the old Gamewell Fire Alarm Telegraph boxes were replaced with 80 Western Electric emergency phones connected directly to the city’s communication center. These new units allowed callers to describe the nature of the emergency, improving response times. Each phone was housed in a bright red box with reflective lettering. If a call went unanswered, a police officer would investigate what was known as a “cold box.†Only when a real emergency was reported did the EFD respond. 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. New hires included Edward “Ted†Riley, LeRoy “Charlie†Rohrer, Leonard Conrad, and Ken Hatfield. Conrad later became the EFD’s first medical officer in 1978. 1959 also saw the deployment of inhalators to all five engine companies, reducing Squad 21’s role to special rescue calls. The EFD averaged around 100 inhalator calls per year in the 1950s, but this number increased significantly by the 1970s with the introduction of paramedic services. The EFD’s station wagons, F-1 and F-2, were equipped with stretchers and first-aid kits in 1959, serving as backup ambulances. They were used only when police ambulances weren’t available. F-1 was replaced in 1962, and F-2 in 1963. A Cadillac ambulance was offered by the Scott Funeral Home but declined due to staffing constraints. The funeral home eventually donated it to Skokie instead. In 1959, George and Effie Dye died in a house fire, marking one of the few multiple-fire fatalities in Evanston history. In November 1959, a major fire at Davis Furniture caused $155,000 in damage. Multiple units responded quickly, including reserve engines staffed by off-duty personnel. A mysterious explosion in 1961 damaged a store on Dempster Street, leading to a state-level investigation. Throughout 1959 and into 1960, the EFD continued to evolve, adapting to new technologies, regulations, and challenges that shaped its future. PVC coated overlay,PVC uncoated overlay,PVC film for card,PVC core sheet,folding box film JINJIANG HONGFILMS MANUFACTURING AND TRADING CO.,LTD , https://www.hongfilms.asia
The National Board of Fire Underwriters (NBFU) conducted a fire department inspection in Evanston in 1959, marking the first such evaluation since 1935. The Evanston Fire Department (EFD) received a rating of “Class 3,†matching its score from 1935. Among Chicago-area departments, only the Chicago Fire Department held a higher rating—“Class 2â€â€”for many years. At the time, Evanston and Oak Park were the only suburban departments rated “Class 3†by the NBFU.
June 26, 2025