From Phil Stenholm: Another installment in our series on the History of the Evanston Fire Department. HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Chief Beattie also received a new Plymouth sedan (fleet #301) in 1975, which was painted red instead of safety yellow. His previous 1973 Plymouth station wagon was transferred to the platoon commanders as the new F-2 after a light bar was installed, replacing the old portable “Kojak light.†The former F-2, a 1971 Dodge station wagon, was given to the Fire Prevention Bureau (FPB) to support the newly formed fire investigation unit—commonly known as the “arson squad.†Each shift now had a trained investigator on duty. Bob Schwarz, Pat Lynn, and Jim Hayes were appointed as the first investigators under Chief Beattie. Additionally, one of the FPB captain positions was eliminated after Capt. Joe Thill retired. As part of the agreement from the firefighters’ strike in February 1974, the average workweek was reduced from 56 to 54 hours. In 1975, two new positions were added to the EFD, increasing the total number of firefighters from 100 to 102. One firefighter was assigned per shift to cover those on a “short day†(formerly called a “Kelly Dayâ€), while three covered vacations and sick leave. This led to a slight reduction in the minimum staffing per shift, from 28 to 27. The department operated with six three-man companies (five engine companies plus Truck 22), two four-man companies (Truck 21 and Squad 21), and the shift commander (F-2). Eighteen new firefighters joined the department in 1974–75, including Samuel Boddie, Art Miller, Bill Betke, Jim Potts, Dave Lopina, Bob Hayden, Mike Adam, Don Gschwind, Thomas Simpson, Joe Hayes, Bob Wagner, Keith Filipowski, Ken Dohm, Tom Kavanagh, Milton Dunbar, Ward Cook, Jim Keaty, and Donald Williams. Captain James “Guv†Whalen was promoted, while Harry Harloff and Ken Perysian retired after 23 years of service. Several others also left the department during this time. On Wednesday, May 28, 1975, the EFD responded to a fire at the Rust-Oleum Corporation’s storage yard at 2301 Oakton Street. A second alarm was immediately called, and eventually a MABAS box was pulled—the first time the EFD had used this system since its introduction in 1968. At the height of the fire, 19 hand lines, two deluge nozzles, one multi-versal, one ladder pipe from Truck 22, one street jack, and a deck gun from Squad 21 were deployed. Explosions of 55-gallon paint drums sent debris flying hundreds of feet into the air. Nearby residents were temporarily evacuated by the Evanston Police Department. A 200,000-gallon water tank located at Cleveland & Hartrey was supplied by a 24-inch feeder main extending south from Church Street. The tank fed a 1,000-GPM pump operated by Rust-Oleum’s own fire brigade, along with the local residential water mains. Fire departments from Evanston, Skokie, Wilmette, Morton Grove, and Winnetka helped supply water from hydrants east and north of the fire, including one at the dead-end of Cleveland Street, just a quarter-mile north of Rust-Oleum. The fire was eventually contained and extinguished, but not before causing $775,000 in damage—making it the fourth-largest fire loss in Evanston’s history up to that point. Only the fires at American Hospital Supply (October 1963), Rolled Steel Corporation (January 1970), and Bramson’s clothing store (October 1971) caused more damage. It was certainly the most dramatic fire in the city’s history. The next day, May 29, 1975, the Evanston Fire Department celebrated its centennial. While the official founding date was May 29, 1875, the real beginning of the department was on January 7, 1873, when the 60-member volunteer Pioneer Fire Company of Evanston was officially accepted by the village board. The fire department ordinance passed on May 29, 1875, wasn’t about creating a firefighting force—it was about establishing a legal framework for future volunteer fire companies. By that time, the Pioneer Fire Company had already existed for over two years, having been renamed “Pioneer Hose Co. No. 1†in December 1874 after the Holly High-Pressure Waterworks came online. The C.J. Gilbert Hose Company was already in the process of being organized and trained. The ordinance aimed to ensure cooperation between the two companies rather than competition. It also established the fire marshal as chief of the department, placing all hose companies—and any future ones—under their command. Scroll Compressor,Air Conditioner Scroll Compressor,Central Air Conditioning Compressor,Flexible Scroll Compressor Taizhou Tentcool Trade Co., Ltd. , https://www.tentcoolcompressor.com
On May 1, 1975, the Evanston City Council accepted bids for a new 1,000/300 triple-combination pumper, matching the specs of two recently purchased Howe pumpers. This new unit was meant to replace the 1952 Pirsch 1000/100 TCP (Engine 25), which had previously been Squad 21 before being rebuilt as a TCP by General Body in 1966. Mack won the contract with a bid of $53,725, beating out FWD Seagrave and Pirsch. As expected, EFD Chief George Beattie insisted that the new Mack be painted “safety yellow,†following the same color scheme as the two recent Howe pumpers.