Evanston Fire Department history Part 64

From Phil Stenholm:

Another chapter in the History of the Evanston Fire Department.

LOOKS LIKE A DUCK, SWIMS LIKE A DUCK, QUACKS LIKE A DUCK…

In 1964, Assistant Chief Lester Breitzman, a 27-year veteran of the Evanston Fire Department and one of only four men hired during the Great Depression between 1932 and 1939, was appointed as chief fire marshal following the retirement of Chief James Geishecker. While previous chiefs like Henry Dorband focused on operations and modernization, and James Geishecker on training, Breitzman brought a new focus: fire prevention.

Captain Harry Schaeffer Jr. was promoted to assistant chief and took over command of the Fire Prevention Bureau, replacing Breitzman. Meanwhile, several firefighters—George Strom, Sanders “Sam” Hicks, Len Driskell, Joe Thill, and Len Conrad—were promoted to captain and became company officers. This change came after five EFD officers retired following the tragic American Hospital Supply Corporation fire. Notably, Capt. Hicks became the department’s first African-American captain, marking an important milestone in the city's firefighting history.

In the wake of the AHSC fire, new recruits such as Michael Lass, Robert Becker, John “Skip” Hrejsa, Roger Pettinger, Tom Fisherkeller, Tony Howson, John Kloiber, Jim Marti, and Jim McIntyre joined the ranks. Among them, Lass would later become president of IAFF Local 742. Under his leadership, the union grew more active in the early 1970s. Though he was promoted to captain in 1970, Lass eventually left the EFD in 1971 to take a full-time position with the IAFF in Illinois, where he found his true calling in labor relations.

Squad 22, a high-pressure hose truck that had been in service since 1953, was taken out of commission after the AHSC fire and later dismantled in 1964. The 1,750 feet of three-inch "fireboat hose" it carried was redistributed among the department's five front-line pumpers, with 500 feet going to Engine 21. With Squad 22 removed, the EFD no longer had a mounted high-pressure deluge nozzle in operation, a loss that would be felt in future emergency responses.

In 1964, the EFD acquired a surplus U.S. government WWII-era GMC DUKW amphibious vehicle from the Office of Civil Defense. Painted yellow and designated as 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 heavy-duty winch, life jackets, axes, fire extinguishers, and rescue gear, it was often manned by Squad 21 when needed for water rescues or boat towing.

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 and fire injured three workers. They were transported to local hospitals by police ambulances. Within minutes, Engine 22, Truck 22, Engine 24, Squad 21, and F-2 arrived on scene. The response was immediately defensive, with Engine 22 securing a hydrant across the street and deploying two 2-1/2 inch lines. Engine 24 backed up along Chicago Avenue, laying down additional hose lines before connecting to a hydrant at the northwest corner of Howard & Chicago to support Truck 22’s master stream.

F-2 quickly ordered a second alarm, assigning Engine 21 to supply water from the west side of Chicago Avenue. Engine 23 and Truck 21 were tasked with covering exposures to the east, while Engine 25 moved to Station #1. An off-duty platoon was called in to man reserve units. Companies from the Chicago Fire Department also responded, though they did not engage directly. The EFD successfully contained the fire without any damage to nearby buildings, with an estimated loss of $93,000.

A few days later, another fire broke out at the Dickson Weatherproof Nail Company on Greenwood Street. Engine 24 was first on scene, reporting smoke. Companies from Station #1 arrived shortly after, with Engine 24 and 21 securing hydrants and Truck 21 laddering the roof. Due to the recent AHSC fire, F-2 ordered a second alarm, bringing in Engine 22, Truck 22, and Engine 25. The truck companies ventilated the roof and assisted with salvage, while the engine companies attacked the fire’s source. Engine 23 transferred to Station #1, and an off-duty team was called in to manage reserves. The fire caused an estimated $100,000 in damage.

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