Evanston aldermen [were] scheduled to approve spending just over $1 million to purchase a new aerial ladder truck for the city’s fire department.
The new rear-tiller steered Pierce truck, equipped with a 100-foot aerial ladder, would replace a similar 23-year-old model that officials say is in poor condition.
Three years ago the city replaced its other aerial ladder truck, a 1990 model, with a new one for $958,000. That purchase was largely funded by a $600,000 federal homeland security grant.
The city has failed to qualify for a similar grant for the new truck, and so it plans to fund the purchase of the new vehicle — which has a projected 20-year life cycle — through general obligation bonds issued this year.
The articulated tiller design of the truck is designed to provide a tighter turning radius to more easily maneuver Evanston’s narrow streets.
For the finest department portraits and composites contact Tim Olk or Larry Shapiro.
Personnel photos
#1 by nads on August 20, 2014 - 10:17 AM
Thanks for all the info guys!
#2 by Phil Stenholm on August 20, 2014 - 1:12 AM
BILL: Even when the Evanston F. D. ran with three truck companies and needed to replace the 25-year old Seagrave 65-ft SA in 1962, they wanted a 100-ft TDA (which they eventually received in 1968), but they had zero interest in acquiring a snorkel.
I do remember that when I was dispatching there in the 1980’s the MABAS box card for Evanston at that time listed only a Wilmette engine, a Skokie truck, a Morton Grove engine, and a Winnetka snorkel as being due to respond into Evanston, so apparently the potential need for a snorkel was recognized.
However, the Evanston Fire Department rarely requested a MABAS box back then, choosing instead to call-back off-duty firefighters in the case of a large fire, and circumvent MABAS by requesting a Wilmette engine and/or a Skokie engine and/or a Skokie truck ad hoc.
The individuals running the Evanston F. D. back in the day found MABAS to be a bit of a hassle, especially when Evanston was required to respond to an incident in another town. MABAS policy at that time required fire departments to respond to a MABAS box with four-man crews on their engines and trucks, and for Evanston to do that meant having to take an additional company out of service in order to get the 4th firefighter on the engine or truck that was assigned to respond to the MABAS box.
And when there was a large fire in Evanston that required mutual aid, it was just faster & easier to call Wilmette and/or Skokie directly and request whatever was needed, and have them respond with the normal three-man crews they had on their engines and trucks, rather than to force Wilmette & Skokie to place four firefighters on a rig before it could respond into Evanston on an “official” MABAS box.
One other thing about the tractor that was acquired by the Evanston F. D. in 1982 to replace the 1952 tractor on the reserve truck…
It was a GMC 9500 that had been previously owned by the Aurora F. D. in Colorado, and it was originally the tractor part of a 100-ft Senior TDA sold to Aurora by Pirsch in 1968.
#3 by Bill Post on August 19, 2014 - 7:57 PM
Thanks for the very informative piece on the Evanston Fire Department Phil.
Years ago (the late 1960s) I wondered why Evanston never purchased a Snorkel which quite a few other suburban fire departments had done such as Skokie, Niles, and Wilmette. However as I got a better look at some of Evanston’s side streets, I figured that the narrow clearances and tight turning radius’ was probably the reason why Evanston never bought a Snorkel or a tower ladder. correct?
I admit that I was surprised when Evanston was using the Seagrave rearmounted quint but apparently they didn’t stay with that concept.
Even though Evanston doesn’t own a tower ladder, Skokie, Wilmette, and now Lincolnwood all have tower ladders that can be in Evanston on short notice if called for.
#4 by Phil Stenholm on August 19, 2014 - 12:24 PM
BILL: Evanston purchased a GMC/Pirsch tractor in 1982 to replace the tractor on the 1952 Pirsch TDA (the one that had been refurbished in 1969). By that time the 1952 Pirsch TDA was the EFD’s reserve truck (known as “Truck 23”), and so the 1982 GMC/Pirsch tractor was lettered “23.”
The two front-line trucks at that time were Truck 21 (the 1979 Seagrave quint) at Station #1 and Truck 22 (the 1968 Pirsch TDA that had been Truck 21 before the Seagrave quint was placed into service) at Station #2).
BACKGROUND:
Prior to the opening of new Station #2 at 702 Madision Street in March 1955, both Truck Co. 21 and Truck Co. 22 were in service at Station #1, and had been since September 1924 when Truck Co. 2 was organized as the EFD’s second truck company. (Truck Co. 1 operating with the brand-new 1924 Seagrave 85-ft TDA took calls east of Asbury, and Truck Co. 2 operating with the ex-T1 1917 Seagrave CST and later with the 1937 Seagrave 65-ft SA took calls west of Asbury).
When Station #4 was first proposed in 1924, it was supposed to have been built at Dempster & Dodge, and Truck Co. 2 was to have been relocated to the new Station #4 and cover the west side of the City (everything west of Asbury Ave) from there. But when Station #4 was finaly constructed (and Engine Co. 4 was organized) In December 1927, it was located at 1817 Washington Street in sparsely-populated southwest Evanston (the City was unable to acquire land for Station #4 at Dempster & Dodge), and so Truck Co. 2 would remain at Station #1 (with Truck Co. 1) for another 28 years. (Engine Co. 4 and Engine Co. 5 were both organized in the same day in November 1927, with Engine Co. 4 initially assigned to Station #2 until the new station #4 was completed on Washington Steeet in December 1927, and with Engine Co. 5 assigned to Station #1 until it was relocated to new Staiion #5 in NW Evanston in 1955).
When Station #2 and Station #3 were rebuilt and Station #5 was constructed in 1955, Truck Co. 22 (now operating with the 1952 Pirsch 85-ft TDA) was moved from Fire Station #1 to the new Fire Station #2, as 12 new firefighters were hired (increasing EFD staffing fromm 88 to 100) and Truck Co. 23 (operating the ex-T2 1937 Seagrave 65-ft SA) was organized at new Fire Station #3 at 1105 Central Street (located in northeast Evanston near Evanston Hospital, Dyche Stadium, and the Northwestern University campus).
For the seven years that three truck companies were in service (1955-62), the truck districts divided at Greenleaf Street and Emerson Street. (Truck Co. 22 was first-due south of Greenleaf, Truck Co. 23 was first-due north of Emerson, and Truck Co. 21–operating with the 1951 Pirsch 85-ft TDA– took everything in between, including the downtown Davis Street “high-value district”). Three engine companies and two trucks responded to alarms at hospitals, nursing homes, retirement homes, and schools during school hours, and three engines and one truck responded to alarms in the Davis Street downtown high-value district.
In 1961-62, the Evanston Fire Department requested the City Council appropriate funds to purchase a 100-ft TDA for Station #1, with the old Truck 21 going to Station #3 as the replacement for Truck 23. (Truck 23 was 25-years old at this point in time, and the EFD descided it could not remain in front-line service).
But the City Council refused to appropriate funds for as new TDA, and so on January 1, 1963, Truck Co. 23 was disbanded and company manpower was transferred to Squad 21 (previously staffed by a two-man crew that responded only to inhalator calls and to working fires) and the two remaining truck companies, with Squad 21 now responding to ALL fires (not just working fires) & extrication calls anywhere in the city, as well as to engine company details (inhalator calls, trash fires, car fires, et al) in Station #1’s district (keeping Engine Co. 21 available for structure fires). So Squad 21 was now essentially the Evanston Fire Department’s version of SS1.
With Truck Co. 23 now out of service, and with Truck Co. 21 at Station #1 on Lake Street and Truck Co. 22 at Station #2 on Madison Street and no truck company at Station #3, the truck districts were divided at Dempster Street to help even-out the number of runs between the two remaining truck companies, even though Station #1 was located on Lake Street (which is only two blocks north of Dempster). But even then, Truck Co. 21 was always busier than Truck Co. 22. NOTE: Truck Co. 22 would “transfer” (change quarters) to Fire Station #1 anytime Truck Co. 21 was at a working fire.
BACK TO 1979:
The Seagrave quint was purchased at the same time as a Pirsch 1250 GPM pumper (initially assigned to Engine Co. 22, then moved to Station #1 in 1983 where it ran as Engine 21 for several years) to increase aggregate front-line GPM after an ISO inspection report in 1977 had downgraded Evanston’s ISO rating from 3 to 4.
Because Squad 21’s 1965 International pumper-squad had been replaced by a Chevrolet Versatile Van–the “pie truck”–that featured an air cascade, divers gear, and all of the sophisticated extrication equipment acquired by the EFD in the 1970’s, and because the manpower on Squad 21 was cut so that Ambulance 2 could be placed into service in January 1977, the EFD’s sixth engine company (the second engine at Station #1) was effectively taken out of front-line service. So replacing the TDA at Station #1 with a quint was supposed to address that issue (since Squad 21 no longer was operating as a quasi-engine company).
The City Manager’s “master plan” was to eventually move Truck Co. 21 (operating with the Seagrave quint) and the previously unmanned ALS Ambulance 3 (Ambulance 23) that was staffed by Truck Co. 21 when a third ambulance was needed from Station #1 to Station #3, and Ambulance 2 from Station #1 to Station #2. (All three ambulances were located at Station #1 at the time, and Truck Co. 21 always had two paramedics assigned to it so that it could operate Ambulance 3 as an ALS unit).
SIDE NOTE: When Ambulance 1 and Ambulance 2 were both located at Station #1 (1977-87), the two districts were initially divided at Asbury Avenue (Ambulance 1 was first-due east of Asbury, and Ambulance 2 was first-due west of Asbury). After a paramedic from Ambulance 2 complained to us dispatchers about going on three runs in a row while Ambulance 1 got to stay in quarters and watch the Bears game (all three calls were west of Asbury Ave, and A-2 kept going back into service just in time to get another run), I suggested that since both ambulances were at Station #1, that the two ambulances go on an every-other-call rotation. My idea was that the two ambulance crews would know when they were “on the bubble” for the next call, and the crew not “on the bubble” could maybe pick up supplies at the hospial, or take a shower (or watch the Bears game without interruption). So they actually did implenent my idea, and it was used as long as the two ambulances were both at Station #1 (Ambulance 2 was moved ro Station #4 in 1987).
BACK TO THE MASTER PLAN (1979):
So the idea was that with Truck Co. 21 (operating the Seagrave quint) and unmanned ALS Ambulance 3 (23) relocated to Station #3, the two paramedics assigned to Truck Co. 21 would be reassigned FULL-TIME to Ambulance 3 (23) at Station #3 (so that there would now be three front-line ambulances in service, with no “jump” companies), and the three firefighters previously assigned to Engine Co. 23 would combine with the third firefighter still assigned to Truck Co. 21 to form Truck Co. 23 (which would be a four-man “quint” company).
Needless to say, it never happened. The Seagrave quint was poorly-designed, with only one rear-axle (should have been two) and only one stabiliizer jack on each side of the rig (should have been two). As a result, filling the 300-gallon water tank (necessary for the truck to run as a qunit) caused the single rear-axle to break (twice), so that the water tank could not be used. And because there was only one stabilizer jack on each side, the truck (which was longer than the CFD Seagrave RMAs that were in service at that time because of the pump & hose tray located mid-ship) had to be positioned on an angle in relation to a fire building (not always possible if the fire-building was on a narrow street) to keep the truck from tipping over when the aerial-ladder was extended.
So the plan was dropped, and Truck Co. 21 (with one FF/EMT and two paramedics assigned) and Ambulance 3 (unmanned, but staffed by Truck Co. 21 when needed) remained at Station #1.
However, Ambulance 3 could be staffed by Truck Co. 21 ONLY if Truck Co. 21 was in service and in quarters, and Truck Co. 22 also had to be in service (to provide truck coverage for the city while Truck Co. 21 was staffing Ambulance 3). As a result, it was sometimes necessary to request a “mutual aid” ambulance from Wilmette or Skokie even when Ambulance 3 was available.
Based upon my six years dispatching in Evanston (1981-87), I can tell you that the number of times a Wilmette or Skokie ambulance came into Evanston on “mutual aid” versus the number of times an Evanston F. D. ambulance responded into Wilmette or Skokie was probably at least 4 to 1.
And thinking back, I personally cannot recall ever dispatching an EFD ambulance into Wilmette (doesn’t mean it didn’t happen when I wasn’t there), probably because Wilmette had two front-line ambulances in service and they just never (or at leaast very rarely) needed a third ambulance. So if an Evanston ambulance went out of town, it was almost always Skokie that needed “mutual-aid,” not Wilmette.
Also, because the Wilmette F. D. was on Evanston’s radio frequency (Skokie was not), and becasuse Wilmette always semed to have an ambulance available, and because Skokie’s two front-line ambulances were located in their two west-side stations west of Skokie Blvd (the stations now known as 16 & 18), we always called Wilmette first when we needed a mutual-aid ambulance. And they were always very cordial and willing and they almost always were able to respond, too. But it was a very one-sided arrangement. I was told at the time by one of the Evanston chiefs that Wilmette didn’t mind responding an ambulance into Evanston without much (if any) reciprocation, because “it gives them something to do.” (I really kind of doubt that Wilmette looked at it that way, but that’s what the chief said).
So with Truck Co. 21 remaining at Station #1. the “junp company” system was put into service in 1988, with the three ALS ambulances being assigned to Station #1, Station #2, and Station #5, and staffed by personnel from Engine Co. 21, Engine Co. 22, andf Engine Co. 25 when needed (all three “jump” engine companies had two paramedics assigned each shift). Each of the three “jump company” engine companies operated with a four-man crew, and the companies responded to EMS calls without a “support company” even if it meant driving past another occupied fire station to get to the call.
The “jump company” system did not work very well (only two engines would be left in service if there were three EMS runs going simultaneously, and the “jump company” crew could be out of service for upwards of 45 munites at a time, and also the ambulance wouldn’t be avauilable if the jump company was at a fire), sio it was dropped after only about a yeat.
The next plan (circa 1990-91) was to move Truck Co, 21 (now operating with one of the new Pierce/Smeal TDAs) and Ambulance 3 (23) to Station #3, but (unlike the previous plan) keep Engine Co. 23 in service. Truck Co. 23 would continue to staff Ambulance 23 when needed (just like it did when they were at Station #1).
Because Truck Co. 23 could be out of service staffing Ambulance 23, Engine Co. 23 was assigned a telesquirt pumper to provide at least a modicom of ladder capability on the north-side of town until Ambulance 23 was back in quarters and Truck Co. 23 could go back into service.
Over the cource of the 1990’s, the number of paramedics on duty each shift increased and ALS gear was purchased for each of the five engine companies so that an engine company could respond as an ALS first-responder to EMS calls.
The City Manager attempted to put the third ambulance (Ambulance 23) into dedicated front-line service again a couple of years ago by taking Truck Co. 23 out of service and moving Truck Co. 22 from Station #2 to the more centrally-located Station #1 (to provide just one city-wide truck), but a law suit put a kibash on that plan.
Bottom line is, there should be five engines, two trucks, and three dedicated ambulances (plus a chief) in service each shift (with a 28-FF shift minimum, instead of 26 as has been the case since 1980).
The need for three front-line dedicated ambulances was obvious even back in 1976 when the EFD took over ambulance service from the Evanston Police Department. (The EPD operated three station-wagon patrol-ambulances from 1958-76). The main reason it wasn’t considered in 1976-77 was simply because there were only two MICU ambulances and four paramedics on each shift, and so they couldn’t have staffed three ambulances even if if they had been so inclined. And then by the time the EFD had a third MICU and more paramedics were trained that could staff a third ALS ambulance, the “two ambulances plus a reserve jump ambulance” deployment scheme was accepted as the norm.
#5 by Bill Post on August 19, 2014 - 9:27 AM
Mike in my earlier reply to you on Evanston’s ambulances, about 3 paragraphs down I meant to say given that Evanston has many businesses and even some new residential buildings I don’t see why they couldn’t afford to make Ambulance 23 into a full-time unit and not a jump company the way it is today.
The sentence that I wrote had mistakenly said that they wouldn’t be able to put another ambulance in service while in reality since Evanston has been having somewhat of a building boom why shouldn’t they make Ambulance 23 full-time?
#6 by Bill Post on August 19, 2014 - 6:22 AM
Phil , thanks for printing the inventory Evanstons Truck companies. Did the 1952 Pirsch run with 2 or 3 Tractors.
That last GMC Tractor that they were using before they bought the Pierces in the early 90’s ,was that being using on the 1968 Trailer ? What year was the GMC Tractor from?
Thanks.
#7 by Bill Post on August 19, 2014 - 6:13 AM
Mike when you say Evanston should add two more ambulances I assume that you mean that there should be 2 more ambulances in full time service , correct?
Currently I would settle for putting Ambulance 23 in full time service with being a “jump company”.
I don’t really know if they could justify adding a 4th Ambulance in service as of yet but Ambulance 23 should definitely be a full time company. Would know how often that Evanston has to ask for a mutual aide ambulance to come into town because Ambulance’s 21 , 22 and 23 are not available? Last week I was listening to Evanston one afternoon and they had given Ambulance 23 a run however Ambulance 22 had put themselves in service about a minute later and they told Ambulance 23 to stay home.
Evanston as a town seems to be thriving and they have opened and are still building some new highrise offices and condominiums in addition to their many beautiful old homes and given the of the stores and business’s that they have in town it would seem (to me) that they wouldn’t be able to hire three more paramedics to make Ambulance 23 into a full time unit. I really don’t know how often they have to call in for a mutual aide ambulance because Engine 23 is out on a run and therefore Ambulance 23 is unable to go on a run as Engine 23’s crew man’s Ambulance 23.
The city management seems to be quite cheap as they would only consider putting Ambulance 23 in full time service if they could take one of the Truck companies out of service.
I know that over the last couple of years they have had an increased gang problem in a Evanston where there had been a few shooting near the HIgh School however as things to the area around Dodge and Church street really isn’t so bad (at least during the day). I transfer buses at that intersection periodically. That area is fairly well patrolled by the Evanston police.
I wonder if the Evanston Police has increased the size of their force lately as perhaps that’s why they haven’t enlarged the fire department? This is only speculation as I find that usually places like Evanston give priority to adding police officers to fire fighter/paramedics.
Mike I was curious if Evanston was willing and able to add a fourth Ambulance where you put them , at Station 24 or 25? Perhaps the city fathers could finally be convinced to hire few more people so they could put Ambulance 23 in full time service. The fourth Ambulance would still have to be a “pipe dream”.
#8 by mike on August 18, 2014 - 3:53 PM
Evanston should add 2 more Ambulance s
#9 by Phil Stenholm on August 18, 2014 - 1:53 PM
Evanston F. D. ladder trucks:
1872 Babcock H&L (hand-drawn)
1885 Davenport H&L – two horse hitch – hose box added 1907
1902 Seagrave combination truck (chemical engine & H&L) – two-horse hitch – hose box added 1907
1907 American LaFrance 85-ft HDA – four horse hitch – demolished in collision with Evanston Railway Co. streetcar September 1916
19?? American LaFrance H&L (55-ft ground-based extention ladder) – two horse hitch – leased from ALF September 1916 then returned to ALF in 1917 when it was sold to Toronto, ON (Canada) – nearly brand-new ex-Peru, IN “traded-in” when Peru motorized their F. D. in 1916
1891 LaFrance/Hayes 55-ft HDA – two-horse hitch – leased from American LaFrance in 1917 – ex-Chattanooga F. D. “traded-in” when Chattanooga purchaed automobile TDA from ALF in 1916
1917 Seagrave Model “E” city service truck – 55-ft ground based extension ladder – 50 gal chemical tank
1924 Seagrave 85-ft TDA – tractor converted to High Pressure rig in 1952
1937 Seagrave 65-ft “Service Aerial” (built on city service chassis) – 80 gal booster
1951 Pirsch 85-ft TDA
1952 Pirsch 85-ft TDA (tractor & trailer refurbished in 1969)
1968 Pirsch 100-ft TDA
1979 Seagrave 1250/300 100-ft aerial-quint
1990 Pierce/Smeal 105-ft TDA
1991 Pierce/Smeal 105-ft TDA
1990 Pierce 105-ft RMA – purchased as “reserve truck” after refurbished by Pierce in 1998 (aerial-ladder replaced) – supposedly ex-San Antonio, TX F. D.
2011 Pierce 100-ft TDA
#10 by Bill Post on August 15, 2014 - 10:47 AM
That’s good news. As of only about a year or two ago about the time Truck 22 had been replaced the plan was to purchase a new Tractor Cab for Truck 23 and to just rehab the trailer. In the long run it probably is just better to get a completely new Tillered Truck anyway.
The Evanston fire department has been pretty lucky so far as only a couple of years ago the city manager had wanted to take one of the Truck companies out of service permanently in order to put their third Ambulance in full time service. While it isn’t a bad idea to have their third ambulance in full time service it shouldn’t be done at the expense of one of their Truck companies. Currently if the third ambulance is needed Engine 23 goes out of service and the 3 man crew cross/mans Ambulance 23. Having only one Truck in service for the town of Evanston is too much of a risk and would be too long a wait for a mutual aide Truck to arrive on the scene.
Fortunately a judge ruled in favor of the Evanston fire fighters so the Town had to keep 2 Trucks in service.