From Phil Stenholm: Another chapter in the history of the Evanston Fire Department. THAT’S QUITE INTERESTING! During the World War II years, Evanston didn't experience any major fires, which made the volunteer Evanston Auxiliary Fire Service, formed in June 1942, quite unnecessary. This auxiliary unit had Auxiliary Truck Company 3 stationed at Fire Station #3 and Auxiliary Engine Company 7 at Station #4. However, when Auxiliary Engine Company 7's 1917 Seagrave 300-GPM chemical and hose booster-pumper (previously Engine 3) broke down during a training drill in 1944 and couldn't be fixed, the EAFS was disbanded shortly thereafter. Meanwhile, the older members of the Evanston Fire Department found themselves under immense pressure due to the manpower shortage caused by the draft. Many young firefighters were recruited but were quickly sent off to serve in the military. Additionally, many potential recruits who were on civil service lists either enlisted or were drafted before they could join. This situation left many long-standing members feeling disheartened and physically unwell. They were forced to work overtime without the benefit of comp days since these couldn't be utilized due to wartime constraints. Capt. Anthony Steigelman, a 29-year veteran of the EFD, passed away at 57 after a long illness in June 1944. Capt. Henry Tesnow retired after 30 years of service, Lt. Ed Newton retired after 34 years, and Master Fire Equipment Mechanic J.K. "Karl" Wilen retired after 21 years of service that same year. Firemen Lawrence Ahrens (24 years), Frank Altenberg (28 years), Jerry Moriarty (25 years), Herman Peters (21 years), and Herman Windelborn (24 years) also retired in '44. Lt. Jim Geishecker, who would later become chief of the EFD, was promoted to captain and took over as company officer of Engine Co. 1 from Capt. Steigelman. Lt. Frank Sherry became captain and replaced Capt. Tesnow as company officer of Engine Co. 2. Firemen William Murphy, William Rohrer, and Edward C. Fahrbach were promoted to lieutenant. It's worth noting that there was an Edward C. Fahrbach and a much older Edward G. Fahrbach in the EFD during the 1920s and 1930s. Truck Co. 1's 21-year veteran Lt. William Elliott died at 43 while off-duty in January 1945. Afterward, chief’s buggy driver Ed Hanrahan was promoted to lieutenant. Lt. John Reddick retired after 22 years of service with the EFD in 1946, and Jim Mersch was promoted to lieutenant. With Lt. Schmidt in Berlin, chief’s buggy driver and future EFD chief Lester Breitzman was promoted to lieutenant and took over as assistant company officer of Engine Co. 1 and administrative assistant to Chief Hofstetter in 1947. Between 1945 and 1947, firemen Herman Godeman (21 years of service), John M. Mersch (40 years), Michael Olk (22 years), John Balmes (34 years), Harry Nelson (disability pension after 18 years), Lou Morgan (20 years), Charles Lapp (20 years), Harold Anderson (20 years), George Wilson (20 years), William Brundage (23 years), George Paugels (25 years), and Fred Godeman (27 years) also retired, creating a severe shortage of experienced firefighters to cover shifts. Although the World War II years were relatively calm in terms of large-scale fires, the EFD faced a significant blaze at the iconic Rood Building on Fountain Square in downtown Evanston on February 15, 1946, just a few months after the war ended. Built in 1895, this magnificent four-story building, decorated with cupolas, gables, and turrets, was mostly empty and awaiting demolition at the time. A high-value district response (three engines and a truck) followed by a second-alarm (one engine and one truck) and a call-back of the off-duty platoon was necessary to extinguish the fire and protect exposures to the north. The structure still carried $46,000 in fire insurance, making the timing of the fire somewhat curious. With little inside to salvage and no occupants to rescue, the firefighting efforts quickly turned defensive. At the peak of the blaze, all four EFD engines were pumping water from nearby hydrants, and both Truck Co. 1 and Truck Co. 2 operated elevated master streams from their aerial ladders, dousing the former Rood Building's roof and attic with tens of thousands of gallons of water. As usual for an extra-alarm fire in Evanston's downtown high-value district, Engine Co. 4 transferred to Station #1 to provide city-wide engine coverage until the off-duty platoon arrived. Members of the off-duty platoon of Engine Co. 2 manned reserve Engine No. 6 at Station #2, and members of the off-duty platoon of Engine Co. 3 manned reserve Truck No. 3 at Station #3. The off-duty platoon from the four Station #1 companies walked to the fire to offer rotation relief for the firefighters working at the scene, which was just a block north of Station #1. During the war, the production of aircraft, ships, submarines, tanks, trucks, jeeps, and other vehicles for the military meant that police cars and fire chief’s automobiles were scarce between 1942 and 1945. However, once the war ended, automobile manufacturers resumed production, allowing police and fire departments to update their fleets. In 1946, the Evanston Fire Department acquired two new automobiles to replace the aging 1936-37 Fords. Chief Hofstetter received a Ford Deluxe Fordor sedan, and a Ford Deluxe Tudor sedan was assigned to the Fire Prevention Bureau.

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