From Phil Stenholm: Another part in the History of the Evanston Fire Department. NBFU ’59 The NBFU’s 1959 report included several recommendations for improvement: adding an engine company at Station #1 to replace Engine 25, restoring staffing levels to five firefighters per shift at Station #1 and four at other stations, requiring annual physicals for firefighters over 55, implementing a mandatory retirement age of 62, and making the chief fire marshal a civil service position rather than a political appointment. Of these, only the annual physical exams for older firefighters were fully adopted. In 1963, Squad 21 was reactivated as a front-line unit at Station #1, though it wasn’t considered an official engine company because it lacked a hosebed. Despite this, the squad still carried a 1,000-GPM pump and a 100-gallon tank. That year also marked the replacement of the old Gamewell Fire Alarm Telegraph boxes with 80 new Western Electric emergency phones connected directly to the city’s communication center. These new units allowed callers to clearly describe emergencies, 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 became known as a “cold box.†Only when a real emergency was reported would the EFD respond. Also in 1959, 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 during the 1958–1959 period, including Edward “Ted†Riley, LeRoy “Charlie†Rohrer, Leonard Conrad, and Ken Hatfield. Conrad would later become the department’s first medical officer in 1978. Inhalators were assigned to all five engine companies in 1959, shifting Squad 21’s role to special rescue calls and fire responses on order from a chief. The EFD averaged about 100 inhalator calls per year in the 1950s, but this number increased significantly by the 1970s as paramedic services expanded. Two 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 if no police ambulances were 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 declined due to budget constraints. The offer was later accepted by Skokie instead. In 1959, George and Effie Dye died in a house fire at 1803 Hartrey Avenue. This was the first time more than one person died in a single fire in Evanston since 1905. Their home was located near the edge of the city, just within NBFU standards. Later that year, a fire at Davis Furniture on Main Street caused $155,000 in damage. Multiple engine and truck companies responded quickly, and off-duty firefighters helped manage the water supply for master streams. In 1960, Fire Prevention Bureau Captain George Croll passed away after a long illness. In 1961, Art Windelborn retired after 33 years of service. William Lapworth was promoted to captain, and three new firefighters joined the department, including Bob Schwarz, who later became a key member of the arson investigation unit established in 1975. In 1961, a mysterious explosion damaged the North Shore Overall store on Dempster Street. Though no one was injured, the blast caused $107,000 in damage. At the time, the EFD’s Fire Prevention Bureau lacked the expertise to investigate, so the Illinois State Fire Marshal was called in. Tri-N-Octyl Aluminum,Tri-N-Octyl Aluminum Hexane,Tri-N-Octylaluminum Solution,Tri-N-Octyl Aluminum Hexane Solution Jiangsu MO opto-electronic material Co., Ltd. , https://www.jsmochem.com
In 1959, the National Board of Fire Underwriters (NBFU) conducted its first inspection of the Evanston Fire Department since 1935. The EFD was rated “Class 3,†the same rating it had received a quarter-century earlier. In the Chicago area, only the Chicago Fire Department held a higher rating—“Class 2.†Evanston and Oak Park were the only suburban departments to maintain a “Class 3†rating at that time. By 1971, however, Skokie had moved up to “Class 2,†and Winnetka had also improved to “Class 3.â€