Evanston Fire Department history Part 48

In 1949, Lt. John Schmidt returned from Germany and was promoted to captain, following Lt. William Owens’ promotion to captain and subsequent retirement after 20 years of service. At the same time, Lt. Ed Fahrbach was also promoted to captain and assigned as company officer of Engine Co. 4. Meanwhile, Irish-born Capt. Michael Garrity used his seniority to switch stations, moving from Station #4 in the less developed southwest area of Evanston to Station #3 on Green Bay Road in North Evanston—where better access to public transportation made a big difference. Around this time, Fireman Charles Novak was also promoted to lieutenant.

By 1950, Evanston’s population had grown to 73,641—a 20% increase since 1930. This growth was largely due to the post-World War II baby boom and the expansion of residential areas in both the southwest and northwest parts of the city. However, the Evanston Fire Department had not kept up with these changes. Even though 50 new firefighters—mostly WWII veterans—had been hired between 1946 and 1949, the leadership of the EFD was aging, worn out, and in poor health. But change was coming.

On September 24, 1950, EFD Chief Albert Hofstetter passed away at the age of 70 after 49½ years of service, including 36 years as Chief Fire Marshal. Despite being very ill in the weeks before his death, he had hoped to retire on his Golden Anniversary in March 1951—but it wasn’t meant to be.

Just 17 days later, 67-year-old First Assistant Chief J.E. Mersch died of a heart attack while leading the annual Fire Prevention Week parade on Orrington Avenue. He had served the department for 45 years and was the first Fire Prevention Inspector, holding that role for 22 years after a leg injury in 1927. He helped establish the Fire Prevention Bureau in 1929 and ran it solo until his final moments.

This tragedy came just two years after two other long-serving chiefs—Assistant Chief Tom McEnery (46 years) and Assistant Chief Carl Windelborn (38 years)—had retired. Together, the four veteran chiefs had served a total of 178 years with the EFD, averaging over 44 years each. It marked the end of an era.

The last major fire during Hofstetter’s time was the destruction of the North Shore Flour Supply Company warehouse at 709 Chicago Ave in April 1950. Located just a few hundred feet from Station #2, Engine Co. 2 arrived within a minute, quickly taking the hydrant next door and attacking the fire through the front door. Engine Co. 1 and Truck Co. 1 joined in, with truckmen laddering the roof and ventilating, while Engine Co. 1’s pipemen brought a second line into the building. However, Truck Co. 1 struggled with the reinforced roof, forcing the interior crews to retreat to avoid the intense heat and smoke.

Engine Co. 4, Engine Co. 5, and Truck Co. 2 responded on a second alarm, with Engine Co. 3 switching to Station #1. Off-duty personnel were called in to man the reserve engine at Station #4 and the reserve truck at Station #3, as well as to assist those working at the fire scene. Nearby Station #2 became a staging area for the opposite platoon and a recovery zone for exhausted firefighters.

The fire eventually burned out, but not before causing $70,000 in damage. A few days later, the assistant chiefs who led Truck Co. 1 and 2 arranged training sessions on “proper vertical ventilation.” During the session, they noticed significant wear on the wooden aerial ladder of Truck No. 1, which was already 25 years old. While the ground ladders had been replaced in 1938, the aerial ladder, trailer, and tractor remained outdated.

With Chief Hofstetter on medical leave, Assistant Chief Henry Dorband—company officer of Truck Co. 1—met with the mayor and aldermen to address the issue. Three options were presented: replace the wooden ladder ($15,000), replace the ladder and trailer ($25,000), or replace all three components ($35,000). The city chose the third option.

The EFD advertised for bids for a new tractor-drawn aerial ladder truck, specifying an 85-foot metal ladder, waterproof compartments, and a canopy cab with seating for four behind the driver. To everyone's surprise, Peter Pirsch & Sons of Kenosha, Wisconsin, submitted the lowest bid and won the contract. The new TDA was expected to arrive by August 1951, marking the first non-Seagrave apparatus purchased by Evanston since 1911.

For decades, Evanston had been a major customer of Seagrave, spending over $135,000 between 1917 and 1949 on eight pumpers, three ladder trucks, and a tractor, plus repairs and rebuilds. But by 1950, Seagrave was overwhelmed with post-war orders, sometimes delivering equipment as late as two years after the order. As a result, they were losing contracts they would have won in the past.