Evanston Fire Department history Part 40

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 more than just the fire department’s staffing and equipment—it also looked at water supply, alarm systems, and potential fire hazards across the city. Previous evaluations 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.

The NBFU issued a detailed list of recommendations aimed at improving the department’s efficiency and safety. These included:

  1. Relieving platoon commanders from truck company duties and providing them with an automobile and driver;
  2. Restoring the six positions cut in 1933;
  3. Hiring additional staff to increase nighttime coverage for engine and truck companies;
  4. Building a fifth fire station near Grant and Central Park with a 750-GPM pumper;
  5. Upgrading pumpers at Stations 3 and 4 to 750-GPM models;
  6. Transferring the 500-GPM pumper from Station 4 to Station 1 as an inhalator squad;
  7. Constructing a new Station 2 with space for a ladder truck and moving Truck Co. 2 there;
  8. Building a new Station 3 with a third truck company and additional staff;
  9. Dedicating a bay for a repair shop with sufficient spare parts;
  10. Establishing a training school with a senior officer in charge;
  11. Assigning a company per shift to assist with fire code inspections;
  12. Testing pumpers twice a year instead of once;

Despite these recommendations, the city couldn’t afford to implement them immediately due to the economic downturn. However, in April 1937, voters approved a $45,000 bond to purchase two 750-GPM triple-combination pumpers and a 65-foot aerial ladder truck—each equipped with an 80-gallon booster tank and hose reel. The Seagrave Corporation won the bid, and all three vehicles featured enclosed cabs, a first for the EFD. The pumpers even had canopy cabs that allowed firefighters to ride on a jump seat behind the driver, rather than on the back step. This marked a shift toward safer and more modern equipment.

The new ladder truck joined Truck Co. 2 in November 1937, while the two pumpers were assigned to Engine Co. 1 and Engine Co. 3 in January 1938. The old Engine No. 1 was moved to Station 4, and the 1917 Seagrave Model “E” was placed into reserve at Station 3. Meanwhile, some older equipment was repurposed or retired, including a 1917 Seagrave chemical pumper that became a utility truck for the Street Department, and a 1906 American LaFrance steamer that was sold for scrap.

Though the bond issue helped modernize the fleet, it didn’t address all the NBFU’s recommendations. The six job cuts, station expansions, and platoon commander reassignments would have to wait for better financial times ahead.

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