From Phil Stenholm:
Another installment in the History of the Evanston Fire Department.
Chief Hofstetter was succeeded by Henry Dorband, a 52-year-old veteran who had spent 31 years with the EFD. He had previously served as a company officer for Truck Co. 1 and as a platoon commander since being promoted to assistant chief fire marshal in 1948. When Dorband became chief, Capt. Michael Garrity was promoted to assistant chief fire marshal, joining Assistant Chief Jim Geishecker as one of the department’s two platoon commanders.
In 1951, after the passing of Assistant Chief J.E. Mersch, Capt. John Schmidt took over the Fire Prevention Bureau. But when Schmidt retired in 1952 to join the Federal Civil Defense Administration, Capt. William Murphy stepped in, marking another shift in leadership.
With these changes, the EFD experienced a dramatic transformation. Chiefs Dorband, Geishecker, and Garrity had all joined the department between 1918 and 1920, meaning they had been waiting over 30 years for a chance to lead. Now, they were finally given the opportunity to shape the future of the department.
In addition to the new leadership, several lieutenants were promoted to captain between 1950 and 1952. Lt. Jim Mersch, Lt. Lincoln Dickinson, Lt. Ronald Ford, and Lt. Lester Breitzman each took command of an engine company, while Ed Fahrbach moved from Engine Co. 4 to Engine Co. 5 after Capt. Frank Sherry retired in 1951.
Assistant Chiefs Geishecker and Garrity managed opposite platoons and also served as truck company officers at Station #1. Meanwhile, Captains Mersch and Fahrbach, as senior captains, worked alongside their platoons and also acted as drillmasters.
The transition wasn’t just limited to chiefs and captains. Several long-serving lieutenants also retired during this time, including Lt. William Rohrer (27 years), Lt. Charles Novak (24 years), and Lt. Fred Schumacher (25 years). In their place, new leaders emerged, such as firemen Leonard Bach, Herb Claussen, Knud Hanson, George “Bud†Hofstetter, George Jasper, Erv Lindeman, and Willard Thiel, who were promoted to lieutenant in 1951–1952.
Ed Burczak joined Francis “Marvin†Hofstetter as one of the EFD’s two fire equipment mechanics in 1950, ensuring that the department's equipment remained in top condition.
Soon after becoming chief, Henry Dorband introduced an ambitious "Fire Department Modernization Plan." This plan aimed to fulfill the remaining recommendations from the 1935 NFBU inspection and prepare the EFD for future challenges.
To fund the modernization, Evanston voters approved a $160,000 bond issue in April 1951, with 88% voting in favor. A second, larger bond issue of $775,000 followed in 1953, though it passed by a much narrower margin (60%). Together, the two bonds totaled $935,000 and marked a major turning point for the department.
The first bond allowed the city to purchase five new pieces of apparatus from Peter Pirsch & Sons of Kenosha, Wisconsin, for about $135,000. The order included two 85-foot tractor-drawn aerial ladders, two triple-combination pumpers, and one combination pumper/rescue unit. Pirsch won the contract by underbidding Seagrave and American LaFrance for the ladder trucks and Mack for the pumpers and rescue squad.
The TDA delivered in 1951—originally purchased in 1950—was retroactively counted as one of the two ladder trucks, and the $35,000 cost was returned to the city. A new chief’s car—a 1951 Mercury sedan equipped with a police FM radio—was also acquired using the bond funds.
When the five new Pirsch rigs were placed into service in September 1952, Chief Dorband assigned them all to Station #1. He even ordered them to be parked outside whenever possible so residents could see the new, modern fire equipment up close. These rigs stayed at Station #1 until 1955, symbolizing a new era for the Evanston Fire Department.
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