From Phil Stenholm: Another installment in the History of the Evanston Fire Department. LOOKS LIKE A DUCK, SWIMS LIKE A DUCK, QUACKS LIKE A DUCK… Captain Harry Schaeffer Jr. was promoted to assistant chief and took over as commander of the Fire Prevention Bureau, replacing Chief Breitzman. Meanwhile, firefighters George Strom, Sanders “Sam†Hicks, Len Driskell, Joe Thill, and Len Conrad were promoted to captain and became company officers, filling the roles left by five retired EFD officers after the American Hospital Supply Corporation fire. Notably, Capt. Hicks would later become the first African-American captain in the EFD. In the wake of the AHSC fire, new firefighters were hired, including Michael Lass, Robert Becker, John “Skip†Hrejsa, Roger Pettinger, Tom Fisherkeller, Tony Howson, John Kloiber, Jim Marti, and Jim McIntyre. Michael Lass would go on to lead IAFF Local 742 and became a key figure in union activism. Though he was promoted to captain in December 1970, his true calling was in labor relations, and he resigned in 1971 to take a full-time role with the IAFF in Illinois. Squad 22, a 1924 Seagrave tractor high-pressure wagon that had been retrofitted with a pumper body from an old 1917/1930 Seagrave Suburbanite, was taken out of service after the AHSC fire and eventually scrapped in 1964. The 1,750 feet of three-inch “fireboat hose†it carried was redistributed among the five front-line pumpers, with 500 feet assigned to Engine 21. After Squad 22’s removal, the EFD no longer had a mounted high-pressure deluge nozzle in service. In 1964, the Evanston Fire Department acquired a U.S. government surplus WWII-era GMC 6x6 DUKW amphibious vehicle from the Office of Civil Defense. Painted yellow and designated “F-7,†this “duck†was stationed at Fire Station #1 and responded to emergencies on Lake Michigan during boating season from 1964 to 1974. Equipped with a winch, life jackets, axes, fire extinguishers, and more, the DUKW was used for water rescues and other emergency calls, often manned by Squad 21 when needed. Two major fires struck Evanston in April 1965. The first occurred at the Kozlow Brothers Radiator Repair Service garage on Chicago Avenue, where an explosion injured three workers and sent them to local hospitals. Engine 22, Truck 22, Engine 24, Squad 21, and F-2 arrived within minutes. The fire quickly turned defensive, with Engine 22 taking the hydrant across the street and laying two 2.5-inch lines, while Engine 24 backed up from Howard Street and supplied water for Truck 22’s master stream. F-2 ordered a second alarm, bringing in additional units to manage exposures and control the blaze. A few days later, the Dickson Weatherproof Nail Company plant on Greenwood Street caught fire. Engine 24 was first on scene, and upon arrival, the EFD quickly deployed resources. With memories of the AHSC fire still fresh, F-2 called for a second alarm, bringing in more engines and trucks to attack the fire. Despite the intensity, the EFD managed to contain the flames without any spread to surrounding buildings. The damage was estimated at $100,000. Triethyl Aluminum ,Triethyl Aluminum Solution,Triethyl Aluminum Hexane Solution,Triethyl Aluminum Solution Jiangsu MO opto-electronic material Co., Ltd. , https://www.jsmochem.com
A 27-year veteran of the Evanston Fire Department and one of just four men hired during the peak of the Great Depression between 1932 and 1939, 49-year-old Assistant Chief Lester Breitzman was appointed Chief Fire Marshal on February 10, 1964, following the retirement of Chief James Geishecker. While Chief Henry Dorband focused on operations and modernization, and Chief Geishecker was passionate about training, Chief Breitzman dedicated his efforts to fire prevention.