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Evanston Fire Department history Part 77
From Phil Stenholm:
Another chapter in the history of the Evanston Fire Department (EFD):
THE GHOSTS OF THE EFD
Between 1980 and 1981, the number of sworn members in the Evanston Fire Department dropped from 114 to 106 due to normal retirements and resignations. Eventually, this number fell further to 104. The role of Fire Equipment Mechanic was transferred to Fleet Services, as the city employed a civilian mechanic to look after EFD vehicles. Apparatus maintenance moved to the city yards instead of being handled at Fire Station #1. Additionally, firefighters who were out sick or injured weren’t replaced by extra firefighters assigned to each shift.
Under an agreement with IAFF Local 742, the minimum shift staffing for the EFD was set at 26 in 1980—the lowest it had been since 1926 when Evanston’s population was around 50,000, and long before the EFD took over ambulance services. Each shift had a company officer and two firefighters assigned to each of the two truck companies and five engine companies. Two paramedics were assigned to each of the two MICU ambulances, with the shift commander (F-2) in charge.
As part of the 26-man minimum staffing, Squad 21 was taken out of regular service and staffed by just one firefighter from Station #1—usually someone from Truck Co. 21—only when the specialized rescue equipment on the vehicle was needed. If no firefighters were available at Station #1, Squad 21 couldn’t respond until at least one firefighter arrived to provide manpower.
All three ambulances were stationed at Station #1. A-1 responded to EMS and fire calls east of Asbury Avenue (inclusive), and A-2 covered west of Asbury. In 1985, after a couple of paramedics complained about receiving three calls in a row during a Bears game while A-2 got none, a communications operator suggested eliminating the arbitrary Asbury Avenue boundary and alternating calls between the two ambulances since they had identical equipment and were based at the same firehouse. This idea was quickly adopted, allowing paramedics on the "off" ambulance to stay at the hospital ER longer, maybe do some shopping, or even take a shower, knowing the other ambulance would handle the next call.
At least six paramedics were assigned per shift, with two assigned to each ambulance and the other two to Truck Co. 21, which became the "jump company" for the unmanned but fully equipped MICU Ambulance 3 at Station #1. If Truck Co. 21 wasn't in quarters, Ambulance 3 couldn't be staffed. Similarly, if Truck Co. 22 was out of service, Truck Co. 21 couldn’t staff Ambulance 3, even if it was in quarters, because that would leave both truck companies out of service.
There were instances where Truck Co. 21 was operational and ready to staff Ambulance 3, but a mutual aid ambulance had to be requested from Wilmette or Skokie simply because Truck Co. 22 was out of service. Back then, paramedics and advanced life support gear weren’t assigned to all companies, so delays caused by waiting for an ambulance from another jurisdiction could be critical.
Vacations and Kelly Days were planned in advance and spread evenly throughout the year, allowing these absences to be covered by the five extra firefighters assigned to each shift. However, unpredictable absences due to injury or illness required off-duty firefighters to cover for absent colleagues. These firefighters worked voluntary "hire-back" overtime: time-and-a-half for the first eight hours of the 24-hour shift, and straight time for the remaining 16 hours. On average, two firefighters were absent daily due to illness or injury, so the seven positions eliminated were kept in the budget as "ghost" overtime slots.
In the 1980s, IAFF Local 742 negotiated a change in the overtime policy. Firefighters now received time-and-a-half for the entire 24-hour shift, increasing the need for nine "ghost" positions instead of seven. This led to further reductions in EFD membership, bringing the total down to 104. Although these nine "replacement" firefighters didn’t exist, their salaries remained in the budget and were pooled into an aggregate overtime fund, paid to firefighters working off-duty hours as injury and illness replacements.
Starting in January 1982, the City of Evanston Police/Fire communications operators (collectively called "Dispatch") took over all aspects of fire dispatching. Although half of an operator's salary came from the police department and half from the fire department, they received one paycheck from the city. Operators wore an Evanston PD patch (with a "Communications" rocker above it) on their left sleeve and an Evanston FD patch on their right.
A few months after the transition, the number of operators increased from seven to nine, with two operators always on duty instead of just one handling 9-1-1 calls and radio traffic from 11 PM to 7 AM. This change followed a tragic early-morning house fire that killed two children. An analysis of the radio traffic revealed that the single operator on duty was overwhelmed, leading to some errors.
A police sergeant or lieutenant supervised the communications operators, with the fire department providing input on radio room operations specific to firefighting. Occasionally, a police desk officer would fill in as a communications operator, expected to handle fire and EMS calls, but firefighters were not allowed to work as operators.
Previously, the communications operator would alert firefighters of a fire or medical emergency, then hand off further radio traffic to a firefighter at the Station #1 desk ("KSC 732"). Officers maintained their own logs, noting the time after every transmission. Under the new system, radio traffic from EFD units in the field was directed to "Dispatch," and the operator acknowledged and logged all transmissions. This eliminated the need to note the time after every message.
Around the same time, the EFD adopted a version of the Phoenix Fire Department's Dispatch & Incident Command System, developed by Chief Alan Brunacini in the 1970s. Radio procedures changed significantly: plain English replaced the "10-code," stations were referred to by number instead of call sign, daily tests were consolidated, and new incident command terms replaced outdated jargon. One operator was tasked with adapting the Phoenix manual to fit the EFD, such as changing addresses.
In 1987, ADT, a private alarm company, purchased a CAD (Computer-Aided Dispatch) system for the city to monitor hundreds of fire and burglar alarms connected to the communications center. The CAD system automated logging of calls and replaced manual logs. MDTs (mobile data terminals) were installed in EFD vehicles starting in 1994.
On New Year’s Eve 1984, a fire destroyed the Byer Museum of the Arts at 1700 Hinman Avenue. Besides losing a historic landmark (once home to the prestigious University Club), most of the museum’s priceless contents, including its unique "Treasures of the Orient" collection, were lost. Two truck companies from Evanston and a truck company from Skokie responded but managed to save only a portion of the contents, estimating the loss at over $5 million.
Later, the insurance company revised the loss estimate to around $1 million after some items thought lost in the fire were discovered elsewhere. The discrepancy sparked years of litigation. If accurate, the initial $5 million loss would have been the highest in Evanston fire history at that time.
The cause of the fire remains uncertain. Lead investigator FF/PM Dave Pettinger suspected arson since the fire alarm system was disabled and no origin point was identified. However, EFD Chief Sam Hicks attributed it to an electrical issue.
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