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From: Phil Stenholm
Subject: Another Installment About the History of the Evanston Fire Department
Hey everyone,
Here's another piece I’ve put together about the history of the Evanston Fire Department. This one focuses on some of the challenges they faced back in the early '60s.
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In 1962, the city of Evanston got some big news when plans were announced for a new high-rise office building named "State Bank Plaza." Naturally, this sparked concerns about the department's ability to handle potential fires in such tall buildings. Chief Geishecker immediately requested that the city buy a new 100-foot aerial ladder truck for Station #1. His idea was to move the older 1951 Pirsch TDA from Station #1 to Station #3, replacing the aging 1937 Seagrave 65-foot ladder truck, which was nearing retirement.
However, Truck Company 23 wasn’t exactly keeping busy—they averaged only about two runs per week. As a result, the city manager didn’t agree with Chief Geishecker’s suggestion, and the city council didn’t approve the funds for the new truck. That left Chief Geishecker with a tough decision. He could either redistribute the manpower from Truck Company 21 to Squad 21 and relocate their 1951 Pirsch TDA to Station #3, keeping Truck 23 operational but leaving the downtown area without adequate aerial coverage—or he could take Truck 23 out of active duty altogether and shift its crew over to Squad 21.
The first option would maintain better coverage across the city while ensuring downtown businesses remained satisfied. However, the downtown district was home to much of Evanston’s tax revenue and key commercial properties, so maintaining strong ladder coverage there was crucial. At the time, even having two truck companies within walking distance of Fountain Square wasn’t enough according to the National Board of Fire Underwriters (NBFU) standards. Their 1959 report actually recommended adding another engine company at Station #1 to replace Engine Co. 25, which had been relocated to the new Station #5 back in 1955. Restoring Squad 21 to full operational status at Station #1 would increase manpower by three firefighters per shift and ensure quicker response times for all general alarms.
Ultimately, Chief Geishecker decided to take Truck 23 out of service starting January 1, 1963, transferring its personnel to Squad 21. This meant Truck 23—now the 1937 Seagrave 65-foot aerial truck—became the department’s reserve unit. While this decision helped keep the downtown area safer, it also increased response times for northwest neighborhoods like Willard School and the Presbyterian Retirement Home, which were now served by stations farther away.
Interestingly, Squad 21 had briefly been in service from 1955 to 1957, during which time it was one of the busiest units in the department. It was taken offline in 1957 due to budget cuts tied to the introduction of the three-platoon system. Since then, it had mostly sat idle except for occasional maintenance runs. When it returned to active duty, Squad 21 quickly reclaimed its reputation as the busiest company in the department. Equipped with a 1,000-gallon-per-minute pump and a 100-gallon water tank, it handled everything from major fires to minor incidents, freeing up Engine 21 to focus more on serious structural emergencies.
Unlike the traditional ladder trucks, Squad 21 didn’t have a hose bed. Instead, it carried two 50-foot lengths of 1-1/2-inch hose in its compartments. These could be deployed quickly if needed, though often it was faster to use the booster line ("red line") for smaller fires or initial responses.
On the other hand, Engine 21 carried 300 feet of 1-1/2-inch hose, while Engines 22 and 25 each had 250 feet. The newer Seagrave pumpers, Engines 23 and 24, boasted larger hose loads at 650 feet each, with two leads pre-connected to rear discharge ports. Engine 21 also carried specialized "hotel loads" of both 1-1/2-inch and 2-1/2-inch hose to better handle downtown fires.
Each engine had different configurations for suction hoses depending on whether they were mounted on the rear or front bumpers. They also carried varying amounts of hard and soft suction hose for additional flexibility. Squad 22, the high-pressure hose truck, came equipped with 1,750 feet of three-inch fireboat hose, while the ladder trucks had smaller 50-foot rolls of three-inch hose for elevated operations. Even the reserve engines maintained full hose loads despite sitting idle most of the time.
Hose supplies were also strategically distributed throughout the stations. Station #1 held an extra 700 feet of 1-1/2-inch hose, while Stations #2 and #5 had 250 feet each. Stations #3 and #4 kept 650 feet apiece. Additionally, every station maintained 1,500 feet of 2-1/2-inch hose. All hose was regularly rotated to prevent degradation and ensure readiness.
Overall, this shift marked a significant change in how resources were allocated within the department. Though it created some logistical challenges, it ultimately strengthened the department’s ability to respond effectively to emergencies across the city.
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Let me know what you think! I always appreciate feedback.
Best,
Phil