**From Phil Stenholm:**
Another chapter in the history of the Evanston Fire Department:
Almost there! By 1955, all three of Evanston’s brand-new fire stations were operational. Station #5 at 2830 Central Street opened on January 25th, Station #2 at 702 Madison Street followed on March 12th, and Station #3 at 1105 Central Street became active on September 3rd.
In the meantime, while waiting for their new homes to finish up, Engine Company 23 and the reserve truck were temporarily stationed at the newly built Station #5 in northwest Evanston, vacating old Station #3 on Green Bay Road on January 25th. For its final days, Station #3’s aging apparatus floor was propped up with temporary wooden beams in the basement. Since Engine Company 23 had to move quickly, Engine Company 25 stayed put at Station #1 for most of 1955, only relocating to Station #5 once the new Station #3 was ready in September.
Chief Dorband, the Fire Prevention Bureau, and Truck Company 22 moved over to the new Station #2 on Madison Street on March 12th. Meanwhile, the two assistant chiefs who had been serving as platoon commanders at Station #1 were reassigned from company officer duties. They received a Chevrolet station wagon ("F-2") and a driver, making them more like Chicago FD battalion chiefs. Chief Dorband only attended to active fires. If he wasn’t on duty, his driver based at Station #2 would pick him up from his home at 1424 Wesley Avenue and take him straight to the fire scene.
On April 1, 1955, the Evanston Fire Department grew from 88 to 100 personnel with the hiring of Peter Erpelding, David Henderson, Roger Lecey, Roger Schumacher, Joseph Burton, Patrick Morrison, Robert Pritza, Richard Ruske, Donald Searles, Frank Sherry Jr., and Richard Zrazik. Additionally, Edward Pettinger returned from leave. Firefighters James Wheeler and William Windelborn were promoted to captain, replacing the former platoon commanders.
Squad 21 continued handling inhalator calls and specialized rescues but began responding to **all** fire calls—citywide—with a four-man crew starting April 1st. If someone was out, they’d manage with at least three. Squad 21 didn’t have a company officer; instead, the platoon fire equipment mechanic usually led the team. In 1956, Squad 21 responded to over 400 calls, which was 25% higher than the busiest engine company, Engine Company 24!
Though Squad 21 had a 1000-GPM pump, a 100-gallon water tank, and a booster hose reel, it lacked a hose bed or standard hose load. This meant it couldn’t operate as a full-fledged engine company. Still, it could handle small fires in a pinch or initiate a limited attack with its booster if no engine company arrived first.
Engine Company 21, Truck Company 21, Engine Company 25, Squad 21, Engine Company 22, and Truck Company 22 were twelve-man units, with six members per platoon. Engine Company 23 and Engine Company 24 were smaller, at ten men total, with five per platoon. However, the platoon commander's driver (F-2) was technically part of Squad 21, and the chief’s driver (F-1) was assigned to Engine Company 22, leaving those two companies with slightly fewer available personnel per shift compared to others.
Each shift had one man on a Kelly Day, meaning Engine Companies 21, 25, Squad 21 (including F-2), Engine Company 22 (including F-1), and Truck Company 22 typically ran with five members per shift, or four if someone was absent. Engine Companies 23 and 24 operated with four members, or three if short-staffed. If the truck company lost a member but the engine company was fully staffed, the truck company would take the extra person from the engine company.
Every shift included a platoon commander, a driver/radio operator for the platoon commander (F-2), and a driver/administrative assistant for the chief (F-1). The buggy drivers doubled as photographers for the department. Additionally, one firefighter served as a fire prevention inspector and administrative assistant to the Fire Prevention Bureau chief (F-3).
As of April 1, 1955, the maximum staffing per shift across the Evanston Fire Department was 39 if all units were fully staffed, while the absolute minimum was 31 if every unit was down by one person simultaneously. Shifts tended to run at full capacity from November through March when vacations weren’t allowed. During the warmer months, though, staffing often dipped due to vacation time and the use of overtime comp days accumulated during the colder months.
This 39/31 setup brought the Evanston Fire Department’s shift staffing back to pre-World War II levels, aligning with the staffing numbers seen between 1933 and 1942. Alongside acquiring new vehicles and building new stations, restoring shift staffing was one of Chief Dorband’s top priorities in his modernization plan.
*P.S. I’ve been hearing rumors about some exciting changes coming next year. Stay tuned!*
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