From Phil Stenholm:
Another installment in our series on the History of the Evanston Fire Department.
NBFU ’35
In 1935, the National Board of Fire Underwriters (NBFU) conducted a comprehensive inspection and evaluation of Evanston’s fire protection system. This assessment covered not only the department’s staffing, equipment, training, and code enforcement, but also the city's water supply, fire alarm systems, and potential conflagration hazards. Prior inspections had taken place in 1912, 1924, and 1930, with Evanston receiving a favorable rating in 1930. However, due to budget cuts during the Great Depression, the city had reduced six firefighter positions in 1933, which significantly impacted the 1935 evaluation.
Following the 1935 review, the NBFU issued a list of recommendations aimed at improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the Evanston Fire Department. These included:
- Relieving the two platoon commanders from truck company duties and providing them with an automobile and driver;
- Restoring the six positions that were cut in 1933;
- Hiring more personnel to increase nighttime staffing for engine and truck companies;
- Constructing a fifth fire station near Grant and Central Park with a 750-GPM pumper;
- Upgrading pumpers at Stations #3 and #4 to 750-GPM;
- Transferring the 500-GPM pumper from Station #4 to Station #1 as an inhalator squad;
- Building a new Station #2 with space for a ladder truck and relocating Truck Co. 2 there;
- Constructing a new Station #3 with a third truck company and additional staff;
- Dedicate a bay for a repair shop with spare parts for maintenance;
- Establishing a training school with a senior officer in charge;
- Assigning one company per shift to assist with fire code inspections;
- Testing pumpers twice a year instead of once;
Although the city struggled to implement these recommendations due to the economic downturn, a $45,000 bond was approved in April 1937. This allowed the EFD to purchase two new 750-GPM triple-combination pumpers and a 65-foot aerial-ladder truck—each equipped with an 80-gallon booster tank. The Seagrave Corporation won the bid, and all three units featured enclosed cabs, a first for the department. Future apparatus would follow this standard, except for two Seagrave pumpers purchased in 1957.
The new aerial truck joined Truck Co. 2 in November 1937, while the two new pumpers went into service with Engine Co. 1 and 3 in January 1938. Several older units were reclassified or repurposed, including the old Engine No. 1, which became Engine No. 4, and the former Truck No. 2, which was placed in reserve as Truck No. 3. Some equipment was even transferred to the Street Department for utility use.
Despite the improvements, the 1937 bond did not fund the restoration of the six lost positions, nor did it cover the construction of new stations. These recommendations would have to wait until later years before being fully realized.
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