From Phil Stenholm:

Another installment in the History of the Evanston Fire Department.

 

PROTO-MABAS

After Squad 21 was put into service in September 1952, there were slight changes in manpower assignments at Station #1. The two extra men who had previously been assigned to Engine 25 and Truck 21—two downtown companies that served high-value areas—were now reassigned to Squad 21. This allowed the squad to respond with a two-man crew to all inhalator calls, which totaled around 100 per year during the 1950s. In doing so, Squad 21 replaced Engine 21 as the city-wide inhalator unit, ensuring that Engine 21 remained available for fire incidents. Additional inhalators were kept on standby at Station #1 and could be loaded onto any EFD vehicle if needed.

Squad 21 wasn’t just limited to inhalator calls. Equipped with four mounted searchlights, a portable gas generator, power tools, smoke-ejector fans, floodlights, extra salvage covers, two portable turret nozzles, a backboard, a Stokes basket, ropes, rappelling gear, and an oxygen-acetylene cutting torch, the squad was ready for a wide range of emergencies. It responded to structure fires, rescues, and other complex incidents requiring specialized equipment.

The shift in staffing meant that each engine and truck company at Station #1 now operated with a maximum of five firefighters per shift. However, if one member was absent due to vacation, illness, or injury, they could run with just four. With Squad 21 always staffed by two people and a chief’s driver always on duty, the total daily staffing at Station #1 remained at 23, though it could drop to as low as 19 if multiple units were short-staffed.

The other three stations continued operating with four firefighters per shift since the addition of the Kelly Day in 1948. If someone was missing, they could operate with three. This meant the total staffing across the four stations ranged from 35 when fully staffed to as low as 28 if every unit was short. Due to restrictions on vacations and overtime during November through March, many shifts were often at full strength during the winter. But in spring, summer, and early fall, it wasn't unusual for several companies to be short one person.

In 1953, annual salaries at the EFD ranged from $7,200 for the Chief Fire Marshal down to $4,080 for a Fireman Recruit. Notably, Captain Lincoln Dickinson of Engine Co. 23 retired after 20 years of service, and Lieutenant Knud Hanson of Truck Co. 22 retired after 26 years. Dickinson had been laid off in 1933 during the Great Depression, so his career spanned two separate tours. Those laid off during that time did not receive credit for their service until they returned.

To fill the gaps left by Dickinson and Hanson, Lieutenant Erv Lindeman was promoted to captain of Engine Co. 24, and Captain Ronald Ford moved from Engine Co. 24 to 23. Firemen Harry Schaeffer Jr. and Richard Schumacher were promoted to lieutenant in 1954. Schumacher was the first post-WWII hire to reach that rank. Both would later retire as assistant chiefs.

Following a wave of retirements in the 1940s, only seven non-officers retired in the 1950s, including John Lee (26 years), Bernard Lindberg (26), John Linster (26), William Schreiber (22) in 1950, Francis Williams (24) in 1951, John Kabel (20) in 1953, and Charles Bammesberger (28) in 1955. Kabel, like Dickinson, had also been laid off in 1933, interrupting his career.

Although the Mutual-Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) was officially created in 1968, its roots can be traced back to July 1953. At that time, several North Shore fire departments—including Evanston, Wilmette, Winnetka, Glencoe, Northbrook, Highland Park, and the Glenview Naval Air Station—participated in a joint training exercise under the Northeastern Illinois Fire Chiefs Association. This event was prompted by a large fire at St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church in Wilmette in November 1952, where multiple departments had responded without a coordinated system, leading to some confusion.

The 1953 training exercise provided a chance for these departments to practice working together in a complex scenario. Evanston’s participation included Engine Co. 23, Truck Co. 23, Engine Co. 25, Squad 22, and Squad 21. Captains Ed Fahrbach and Michael Garrity led the engine and truck units, while Assistant Chief William Murphy stayed behind to manage operations in Evanston. During this time, Engine Co. 21, 22, 24, and Truck Co. 21 covered the city while others were in Winnetka.

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