Evanston Fire Department history Part 60

Another installment in the History of the Evanston Fire Department.

 

 

A fire broke out at Foster Elementary School on 2010 Dewey Avenue during the early evening hours of Tuesday, October 28, 1958. Engine Co. 23 was the first to arrive and deployed a 1-1/2 inch pre-connected hose line. Engine 25 provided a supply line for Engine 23 and also laid a dry 2-1/2 inch line as a backup before connecting to a hydrant. Engine 25 then pulled another 1-1/2 inch pre-connect from Engine 23, while Truck Co. 23 helped locate the fire’s origin. Cross-trained police officers assisted by positioning ladders on the second floor, dragging hoses, and preparing to man Engine 25’s backup 2-1/2 inch hand line.

The fire was discovered in the attic of the school’s older section, and crews from Engine 23, 25, and Truck 23 struggled to contain it from below. A second alarm was called by F-2, quickly followed by a third. Engine 21, Truck 21, and Squad 21 (driven by the mechanic) responded on the second alarm, and Engine 24 and Truck 22 arrived with the third. Engine 22 temporarily moved to Station #1.

Engine 21 and Truck 21 entered the west alley, and Engine 24 laid a supply line for Engine 21 and a dry 2-1/2 inch backup before connecting to a hydrant. Crews from Engine 21 and 24 pulled hand lines from the west side of the school. Truck 22 assisted with salvage operations. Truck 21 immediately extended its main to the roof and began vertical ventilation.

Dewey Avenue was a through-street at the time, so Squad 21 was parked north of Foster on Dewey, with the mechanic setting up the squad’s four “night sun” floodlights. Chief Geishecker (F-1), who had just returned home, ordered a full Code 10—calling back both off-duty platoons. As soon as the first reserve engine was put into service, Engine 22 was sent to the scene to provide an elevated master stream atop Truck 21 on the west side. Squad 22 was dispatched in case its high-pressure turret was needed.

In the end, all three reserve engines were activated. Two pumpers were sent to Station #1 for city coverage, while Engine 27 (formerly E23) responded directly from Station #3 to support Truck 23’s elevated master stream on the east side. Additional firefighters arriving from home were picked up at their stations and transported to the scene via the CD pick-up truck. Eventually, about 90 men were working at the fire, allowing for regular rotations.

By the time Chief Geishecker arrived, the flames had spread significantly. To avoid repeating the disaster of the Boltwood School fire in 1927, he requested mutual aid from the Chicago Fire Department. However, the request may have been misinterpreted, as six Chicago FD engine companies and the Chicago Civil Defense Fire & Rescue Service arrived only to find they weren’t immediately needed. They returned to their stations, but the CCDFRS crews stayed for a while.

Foster School suffered significant damage to its roof and attic, some smoke and water damage on the second floor, and extensive water damage on the first and basement levels. While not destroyed, the $325,000 loss made it the second-highest fire-related loss in Evanston history at that time, behind only the 1940 Northwestern University Technological Institute fire.

This fire marked the last time the Chicago FD responded to an emergency in Evanston. From then on, the EFD relied on suburban departments like Wilmette and Skokie, especially after Wilmette became a fully professional department in 1958 and Skokie’s new chief, Raymond Redick, reorganized their fire department. The Skokie Civil Defense Fire & Rescue Corps (using the call sign “Squad 26”) provided valuable support in many fires after 1959.

Although the Chicago FD did not respond again after the Foster fire, the Chicago Civil Defense Fire & Rescue Service did so once more in September 1959, after a microburst knocked down trees and caused power outages. Three squads from the CCDFRS helped clear streets using winches and chainsaws throughout the night and into the next morning.

Following the fire, the EFD officially established its Training Bureau on November 1, 1958. Captain Willard Thiel was appointed as the first “training officer.” Previously, each platoon had its own drillmaster, but Thiel oversaw training for all three platoons and even the police officers. He also managed the EFD repair shop and equipment mechanics.

The creation of the training officer role and moving mechanics under the Training Bureau reduced maximum shift staffing from 32 to 31 and minimum shift staffing from 29 to 28. Engine 21 no longer had a four-man crew, though Truck 21 still operated with four men. The extra personnel were usually assigned to Engine 21, Truck 22, or Engine 25 when not covering for absent crew members, though it was rare for them to actually serve as the fourth firefighter on a rig.

In addition to the Training Bureau, the EFD's Fire Prevention Bureau was upgraded in 1958. Captains replaced firemen as inspectors, and a civilian clerk-typist/administrative assistant was hired (Catherine Leahy in the first year, followed by Margaret Wood and Eleanor Franzen). Captain Ed Fahrbach was promoted to assistant chief and took over as a platoon commander, while firemen John Becker, George Croll, George Neuhaus, and Lou Peters were promoted to captain.

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