Evanston Fire Department history Part 47

From Phil Stenholm:

Another chapter in the History of the Evanston Fire Department.

A NEW POLICE / FIRE HQ AND ANOTHER SUDDEN DEATH

In January 1949, a brand-new Seagrave Model J-66 canopy cab pumper was introduced into service at Fire Station #1. This unit featured a 1000-GPM pump, an 80-gallon tank, and was powered by a Pierce-Arrow V-12 engine for maximum performance. It was equipped with a Mars FL-8 light on the roof, two high-mounted red flashers, a Delco-Remy Twin-Blast siren, and a bell to alert the public. This became Engine No. 1, replacing the previous Engine No. 1 — one of the two 1937 Seagrave Model G-80 canopy cabs that had been serving as Engine No. 1. That older unit was then moved to Station #4 and re-designated as Engine No. 4.

Engine Co. 1 continued to serve as the second engine responding to all structure fires and inhalator calls throughout the city, while Engine Co. 5 remained the dedicated “high-value district” engine company. Meanwhile, the 1917/1930 Seagrave Suburbanite, which had been operating as Engine No. 4 since June 1947, was placed back into reserve. At this time, the EFD once again had both a pumper (Engine No. 6) and the city’s ladder truck (Truck No. 3) in reserve status.

Starting in January 1949, the Evanston Fire Department no longer provided fire protection to the College Hill area of Skokie. The Skokie Fire Department had opened its new Station #2 at 8340 Hamlin Ave., marking a significant expansion of their services. This station was staffed primarily by full-time firefighters and operated a brand-new 1948 American LaFrance Model 710 PJO pumper. Alongside their downtown Station #1, which was also staffed mostly by full-timers, the Skokie F.D. was rapidly growing into a strong suburban fire department in the post-war era.

Meanwhile, the Wilmette Fire Department was still mostly part-time, though it had begun transitioning toward more full-time staffing. Their combined police/fire station, built in 1915 at 831 Green Bay Road, housed two front-line units: a 1942 Seagrave Model G-80 750-GPM pumper and a 1943 Seagrave Model J-66 750-GPM quad. A 1915 American-LaFrance Model 75 750-GPM pumper was kept in reserve.

The Winnetka Fire Department occupied a unique three-bay firehouse at Green Bay Road and Ash Street. Originally built in 1870 as the Academy Hall school, it was later remodeled into a fire station in 1925. Like Wilmette, Winnetka’s department was partly full-time but largely part-time. They had a 1947 American-LaFrance Model 775 PGC 750-GPM pumper and a 1926 American-LaFrance Type 14 750-GPM quad in active service, with a 1919 American-LaFrance Type 75 750-GPM pumper in reserve.

The old Evanston Police/Fire headquarters at Grove & Sherman was condemned in 1948 due to serious plumbing issues, structural damage, and outdated electrical wiring. As a result, a new two-story Public Safety headquarters was constructed at the northwest corner of Lake and Elmwood during 1949 and officially opened on August 27th. The old building was demolished shortly after, and the site was used as a parking lot for the Valencia Theater for over 25 years before becoming the location of One American Plaza from 1975 to 1977.

The new facility was slightly larger than its predecessor but followed the same layout. The Evanston Police Department occupied the east side at 1454 Elmwood Avenue, while Fire Station #1 was located on the west side at 909 Lake Street. A brick drill tower replaced the old one behind Station #3, and the west bay was used as a repair shop. The two bays closest to the shop were longer, designed to accommodate aerial ladder trucks.

A small two-bay garage for the police ambulance and prisoner wagon was located on the northeast corner of the building, just steps from the EPD front desk. The building also included a basement parking garage for police vehicles and a handball court shared by both police and firefighters.

On September 20, 1949, Captain Ed Hanrahan of Engine Co. 1 suffered a fatal heart attack while playing handball in the basement court, less than a month after the new station opened. A 22-year veteran of the EFD, Hanrahan had previously served as a buggy driver under Chief Hofstetter before being promoted to lieutenant in 1945. He was known for his popularity and dedication. At only 44 years old, he was the fifth EFD officer under 50 to die suddenly from a heart attack since 1929, following similar tragic deaths among other officers over the years.

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