for #throwbackthursday – classic apparatus and ambulance photos from the Evanston Fire Department
Larry Shapiro photo
Perhaps Evanston’s first modular ambulance. Larry Shapiro photo
Larry Shapiro photo
Evanston Engine 21. Larry Shapiro photo
Larry Shapiro photo
Larry Shapiro photo
Jeff Rudolph photo
Larry Shapiro photo
Larry Shapiro photo
Larry Shapiro photo
Larry Shapiro photo
#1 by Jim on May 8, 2017 - 11:43 AM
How many ambulances are in service everyday in evanston?
#2 by Phil Stenholm on May 5, 2017 - 3:08 AM
MIKE L: Ambulance 1 wasn’t totaled but it was heavily-damaged in a crash (broadsided by a drunk-driver at Church & Ridge) while en route to an EMS call in the 1900 block of Dewey in late 1976. Paramedics Jerry McDermott, Jim McLaughlin, and Phil Burns, and a nurse from St Francis Hospital (who was on a ride-along) were injured in the crash. BTW, almost exactly 50 years earlier, Truck 2 (the 1917 Seagrave city-service truck) was broadsided and nearly-demolished at exactly the same intersection while responding to a private-plane crash at Noyes & Ashland.
So Ambulance 1 (the 1975 Dodge van MICU pictured above – top picture) was Evanston’s one & only MICU in 1976, backed-up by three Evanston Police stretcher & first-aid equipped station-wagon patrol-ambulances (the Evanston Police had been providing ambulance service in Evanston since 1958) and three EFD stretcher & first-aid equipped staff-car station-wagons (one at Station #1, one at Station #2, and one at Station #5) that were used by the Training Officer and FPB Inspectors during the day and manned by personnel from Squad 21, Truck Co. 22, and Engine Co. 25 at night and on weekends and holidays.
The EFD had only ten paramedics in 1976 (the first EFD firefighters to graduate from the St. Francis Hospital Paramedic Program), with three FF/PM assigned to Ambulance 1 each shift (Ambulance 1 ran with a three-man crew in 1976, with no support engine for incidents in Station #1’s district). Initially EFD Captains were not allowed to be paramedics, but that changed in 1977 when Capt. Bill Best was certified as a paramedic.
At the time of the 1976 crash, Ambulance 2 (1977 Dodge modular MICU that is NOT pictured above) was on order but had not arrived yet, so the EFD “borrowed” (eventually purchased) one of the Skokie Fire Department’s two reserve Cadillac ambulances (the 1968 model, which was the older one of the two), and it ran as EFD Ambulance 1 beginning on the day after the crash. (Since the EFD did not provide ambulance service prior to 1976, it did not have any old Cadillac ambulances in reserve like Skokie did).
So Ambulance 2 (the 1977 Dodge modular MICU) arrived in early 1977, at which point two paramedics were assigned to each of the two ambulances each shift (additional firefighters had been certified as paramedics by this time), with Ambulance 2 taking EMS calls and Ambulance 1 (the ex-Skokie F. D. Cadillac ambulance) responding to fire calls and second-call EMS. Squad 21 was cut-back to a two-man crew at this time, and the 1965 International/General Body pumper-squad was replaced by the Chevrolet/Penn Versatile Van (see picture above – bottom picture).
The original Ambulance 1 MICU returned from the repair shop in Spring 1977, but the EFD kept the ex-Skokie F. D. ambulance (now known as “Ambulance 3”) as the ready-reserve BLS ambulance (ALS equipment wasn’t purchased for Ambulance 3 until 1979). Ambulance 3 was staffed when needed by the two firefighters from Squad 21 (and then later by Truck Co. 21 after Squad 21’s manpower was cut to one FF in 1980).
Even after Ambulance 1 (the original EFD MICU) came back from the shops, Ambulance 2 continued to respond to all first-call EMS runs and Ambulance 1 responded to fires and second-call EMS. Why? Because.
The policy changed in 1980 when the two twin 1980 Ford modular MICU ambulances were acquired (see picture above – third picture down from the top), with both Ambulance 1 & Ambulance 2 still at Station #1, and with Ambulance 1 responding to calls east of Asbury and Ambulance 2 responding to calls west of Asbury (changed to every-other call rotation in 1986, which I might add was my suggestion — and the paramedics really liked it, too, because the A1 or A2 crew would know that the other ambulance was “on the bubble” for the next call allowing the crew to get supplies at the hospital or maybe even take a shower or watch a Bears game, back when the Bears were good,
The original Ambulance 1 (the 1975 Dodge van MICU) and the ex-Skokie F. D. Cadillac ambulance were scrapped when the two Ford MICUs arrived in 1980, and the original Ambulance 2 (the 1977 Dodge MICU) had it’s modular body mounted on a new Chevrolet chassis (see picture above – 2nd down from top) and it became the new Ambulance 3. All three ambulances were located at Station #1 at that time, with Truck Co. 21’s three-person crew (see picture of Truck 21 above – third picture up from the bottom) having at least two paramedics assigned each shift so that Ambulance 3 could run ALS.
However, in order for Ambulance 3 to be available to respond to an EMS call, Truck Co. 21 had to be in service and in quarters (with its paramedics) – AND – Truck Co. 22 had to be in service to provide truck company coverage for the city. Otherwise, Ambulance 3 could not be dispatched, and we would have to call for mutual-aid from Wilmette F. D. or Skokie F. D.
#3 by Phil Stenholm on May 5, 2017 - 2:14 AM
MICHAEL M:
1968 Pirsch 100-ft TDA pictured above was Truck 21 1969-79 and then Truck 22 1980-90
1979 Seagrave 100-ft RMA with 1250 GPM pump and 300 gallon tank was Truck 21 1979-91. This rig was ordered hurriedly in 1977 after an NFBU report lowered the EFD’s rating from “3” to “4” in part because of inadequate aggregate GPM in its rigs, and acquiruing a ladder truck with a pump would help address that issue. Unfortunately, the water tank could not be filled otherwise the rear axle would break – – which it did, twice, and the stick could not be raised at certain angles otherwise the rig could tip-over. (The EFD bosses figured out — too late — that it should have been ordered with dual-rear axles and two stabilizers on each side). The EFD had hoped to eventually place this truck in service at Station #3 as a four-man quint company to replace both Truck Co. 21 and Engine Co.23, which also would have allowed a third MICU (Ambulance 3) to be fully-manned (at Station #3), with Ambulance 1 remaining at Station #1, and with Ambulance 2 being moved from Station #1 to Station #2, but the plan could not be implemented because of the water tank issue that could not be corrected.
1968 Pirsch 1250 GPM pumper pictured above was Engine 21 from 1968-83.
There was another Pirsch pumper (not pictured above) that looked very much like Engine 21 (it was a 1970 1000 GPM that ran as Engine 22 1970-79) that was donated to the Evanston Fire Department by Northwestern University (coincidentally) after the City Council approved re-zoning that allowed for the construction of Engelhart Residence Hall at Emerson & Maple in 1969. Oddly, the new engine was NOT placed in service at Station #3 (which housed the engine company first-due to Engelhart Hall). In fact, one could reasonably come to the conclusion that N. U. donating the rig to the Evanston Fire Department wasn’t about fire protection at Engelhart Hall at all.
The 1974 Howe-International (Engine 23) pictured above was in front-line service 1974-87 and was (as you can see) originally painted yellow. It was re-painted red in 1978. It’s twin was Engine 24, which also was originally painted yellow before being re-painted red in 1979. The original top mounted booster reel reel was replaced by a deck gun and transverse hose tray and the hose bed was replaced (reconfigured for large-diameter supply hose) in 1982. Same thing with the 1976 Mack (pictured above), which EFD Chief George Beattie wanted painted yellow (like the two Howe-International pumpers) when it was ordered in 1975, but before the rig was delivered the color was changed to “Rock Island Red” by ex-Rock Island F. D. Chief Glen Ayers when he became the new EFD Chief in 1976. (The only other EFD vehicle painted yellow was a 1974 Dodge cargo van, and that was traded-in for a Chevrolet window-van in 1979).
The 1979 Pirsch 1250- GPM (lettered “ENGINE 22” in the photo above) was originally assigned to Station #2 when it arrived in 1979 (replacing the 1970 Pirsch 1000 GPM pumper and thus upgrading GPM at Station #2), but it was moved to Station #1 and became “ENGINE 21” in 1983 when the Spartan/Welch 1250 GPM pumper (not pictured above) arrived. (The Spartan was purchased with a federal government grant that required it be placed in service at Station #2 and provide fire protection in the 3rd Ward in southeast Evanston, which is why the 1979 Pirsch was moved to Station #1 after only four years at Station #2).
#4 by MABAS 21 on May 4, 2017 - 3:58 PM
Thanks for sharing! Keep throwback Thursday going!
#5 by Mike L on May 4, 2017 - 3:48 PM
Pretty sure the Dodge van ambulance marked as MICU Co 1 (the 1st ALS ambulance when the first medics finished school) was totaled in a crash. Evanston borrowed Skokie’s Cadillac ambulance until they could get a new one.
#6 by Mike L on May 4, 2017 - 3:42 PM
Brings me back! Climbed on or rode on every one of those rigs! In the early 80s there was quite a mix of rigs. The 79 Seagrave Trk 21; the Pirsch tiller had been reassigned to Trk 22 when the Seagrave arrived. Eng 21 was the Cincinnati cab Pirsch, Eng 22 was a Spartan/Welsh while Eng 23 and Eng 24 had the International Howe pumpers and Eng 25 had the Mack MB. The step van Sad 21 replaced the “real” Squad 21 (International) which had been manned full time until the late 70s. Reserve rigs were the former Pirsch rigs of Eng 21 and 22 while the spare truck was the 50s 85′ Pirsch tiller that had its tractor replaced with a GMC Top Kick in 1983. The ambulances were all over the map, too, until the white over red Ford’s were delivered. The switch to Pierce started with the delivery of the 1987 Dash to Eng 23 followed by the first enclosed (4 door) cab to Eng 25 in 1988.
#7 by Michael M on May 4, 2017 - 11:53 AM
What year are the Pirsch Tiller and the Seagrave rearmount as well as the Pirsch engine?
#8 by CrabbyMilton on May 4, 2017 - 8:45 AM
Great eye candy here. Thanks!
#9 by Marty Coyne on May 4, 2017 - 8:08 AM
Very nice thanks. Do you have any pictures of Evanston ambulances when they were part of the police dept?
#10 by Admin on May 4, 2017 - 10:38 AM
none have been submitted to chicagoareafire.com