From Phil Stenholm: Another installment in the History of the Evanston Fire Department. PROTO-MABAS Following the introduction of Squad 21 into service in September 1952, staffing at Station #1 was slightly reorganized. Previously, two additional personnel were assigned to each shift for Engine 25 and Truck 21, which served the high-value downtown areas. These two men were now reassigned to Squad 21, allowing it to respond with a two-person crew to all inhalator calls—approximately 100 per year during the 1950s. This transition made Squad 21 the city-wide inhalator unit, freeing up Engine 21 to focus on fire responses. Additional inhalators were kept on standby at Station #1 and could be loaded onto any EFD vehicle if needed. Squad 21 wasn’t limited to just inhalator calls. Equipped with four mounted searchlights, a portable generator, power tools, smoke-ejector fans, floodlights, extra salvage covers, two portable turret nozzles, a backboard, a Stokes basket, a large supply of rope, rappelling gear, and an oxygen-acetylene cutting torch, the squad also handled working structure fires, rescue operations, and any other incident requiring specialized equipment. The introduction of Squad 21 with a two-man crew meant that each engine and truck company at Station #1 operated with a maximum of five firefighters per shift. However, if one firefighter was absent due to leave, illness, or injury, companies could run with just four. With Squad 21 always staffed by two members and a chief’s driver always on duty, the total daily staffing at Station #1 remained at 23, though it could drop as low as 19 if all four companies were short-staffed. Meanwhile, the other three stations continued their usual operations, with a four-man crew per shift since the addition of the Kelly Day in 1948. If a member was missing, crews could operate with three. This led to a maximum of 35 firefighters across all four stations when no one was absent, and a minimum of 28 if all seven companies were down by one. Due to restrictions on vacation and overtime during November through March, many shifts operated at full strength during winter. In contrast, spring, summer, and early fall often saw multiple companies running short. In 1953, annual salaries at the EFD ranged from $7,200 for the Chief Fire Marshal down to $4,080 for a Fireman Recruit. Capt. Lincoln Dickinson (Engine Co. 23) retired after 20 years of service, and Lt. Knud Hanson (Truck Co. 22) retired after 26 years. Capt. Dickinson had been laid off in 1933 during the Great Depression, so his service was split into two separate tours. Similarly, Fireman John Kabel, who was also laid off in 1933, had a career interrupted by the economic downturn. To fill the leadership gap left by Dickinson and Hanson, Lt. Erv Lindeman was promoted to captain of Engine Co. 24, Capt. Ronald Ford moved from Engine Co. 24 to 23, and Harry Schaeffer Jr. and Richard Schumacher were promoted to lieutenant in 1954. Schumacher was the first post-WWII hire to reach that rank. Both would eventually retire as assistant chiefs. Only seven non-officers retired in the 1950s, including John Lee, Bernard Lindberg, John Linster, and William Schreiber in 1950, Francis Williams in 1951, John Kabel in 1953, and Charles Bammesberger in 1955. Many of these had careers interrupted by the Great Depression. Although MABAS was officially established in 1968, its roots can be traced back to 1953. That year, several North Shore departments, including Evanston, Wilmette, Winnetka, Glencoe, and others, participated in a joint training exercise under the Northeastern Illinois Fire Chiefs Association. The event followed a chaotic mutual aid response to a major fire at St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church in Wilmette in November 1952. The 1953 exercise allowed participating departments to practice coordinated operations at a complex incident. Evanston sent Engine Co. 23, Truck Co. 23, Engine Co. 25 (which manned both Engine 25 and Squad 22), Truck Co. 22, and Squad 21. Capt. Ed Fahrbach led Engine Co. 25, while Assistant Chief Michael Garrity commanded Truck Co. 22. Recently promoted Assistant Chief William Murphy stayed behind to manage operations in Evanston, with Engine Co. 21, 22, 24, and Truck Co. 21 covering the city during the exercise. Air Purifier,Air Purifier Filter,Car Air Purifiers,Air Purifier For Smoke Guangxi Nanning King Green Smart Co., Ltd. , https://www.smartliferobot.com