From Phil Stenholm:
Another chapter in the History of the Evanston Fire Department
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
On May 1, 1975, the Evanston City Council accepted bids for a new 1,000/300 triple-combination pumper, matching the specs of the two Howe pumpers bought the previous year. This new unit was meant to replace Engine 25, a 1952 Pirsch 1000/100 TCP that had once been Squad 21 before being rebuilt as a TCP by General Body in 1966. Mack won the bid with $53,725, outperforming FWD Seagrave, Pirsch, and other manufacturers. Chief George Beattie insisted the new Mack be painted “safety yellow,†just like the two recent Howe units.
In addition, Chief Beattie received a new red Plymouth sedan (fleet #301) in 1975, while his old station wagon was reclassified as F-2 after a light bar replaced the old Kojak lights. The former F-2, a 1971 Dodge, was given to the Fire Prevention Bureau to support a newly formed arson investigation unit. Firefighters Bob Schwarz, Pat Lynn, and Jim Hayes were appointed as investigators. One FPB captain position was eliminated after Capt. Joe Thill retired.
As part of the agreement from the 1974 firefighters’ strike, the average workweek was cut from 56 to 54 hours. Two new positions were added in 1975, increasing EFD membership to 102. A fireman was now assigned per shift to cover short days, and three per shift covered vacations and sick leave. This reduced the minimum staffing from 28 to 27, with six three-man companies, two four-man units, and the shift commander (F-2).
Eighteen new firefighters joined in 1974–75, including Samuel Boddie, Art Miller, Bill Betke, and others. Captain James “Guv†Whalen was promoted, while Harry Harloff and Ken Perysian retired after 23 years. Several others resigned.
On May 28, 1975, the EFD responded to a fire at Rust-Oleum’s storage yard on Oakton Street. A second alarm was called, followed by a MABAS box — the first since 1968. At its peak, 19 hand lines, two deluge nozzles, one ladder pipe, and a deck gun were used. Explosions of paint drums sent debris flying, leading to temporary evacuations. Water came from a 200,000-gallon tank and hydrants across the area, with help from neighboring departments.
The fire caused $775,000 in damage, making it the fourth-largest fire in Evanston’s history at the time. It was also one of the most dramatic. The next day, May 29, 1975, marked the EFD’s centennial. Though legally established on May 29, 1875, the department’s roots began earlier, with the formation of the Pioneer Fire Company on January 7, 1873.
The 1875 ordinance didn’t create a firefighting force but set the legal framework for organizing future volunteer companies. It established the fire marshal as chief and ensured cooperation between the Pioneer Hose Co. No. 1 and the upcoming C.J. Gilbert Hose Company. These groups would work together, not compete, under the fire marshal’s command.
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