From Phil Stenholm:
Another part of the History of Evanston Fire Department
THE GREAT DEPRESSION
In 1930, the civil service roles of Engineer and Assistant Engineer were merged with the position of Fireman I. However, firefighters who operated trucks or worked as tillermen had to pass a test and be certified as drivers. Those working as motor drivers on engine companies had to be certified both as drivers and pump operators.
Three experienced firemen—Frank Altenberg, Max Kraatz, and William Richards—were certified as steam pump engineers. They were the only EFD members allowed to maintain, repair, and operate the tractorized-steamer kept at Station #4. Among non-officers, only two equipment mechanics—J.K. “Karl†Wilen and Norman “Foxy†Fochs—remained distinct and better paid, serving as motor drivers on opposite platoons of Engine Co. 5.
From 1928 to 1932, the maximum daily staffing for EFD companies was 41, while the minimum was 34 if each company was short one person. Firefighters received two weeks of paid vacation annually, but not between November and March. Beyond that, they weren’t compensated for time not worked, including illness, jury duty, family emergencies, or even injuries sustained on the job. If a company was more than one man short, someone from the opposite platoon would stay on duty, work their day off, and receive a "comp day" later when the company was back to full strength.
EFD salaries during this period ranged from $4,800 (Chief Fire Marshal) down to $1,920 (Fireman III). But as the Great Depression deepened, city employees—including EFD staff—went unpaid for the last two weeks of December 1932. On January 1, 1933, the mayor ordered pay cuts across all city departments, resulting in six positions being eliminated from the EFD. Three were removed through attrition: First Assistant Chief Ed Johnson died in October, and Capt. George Hargreaves and Fireman George Gushwa retired at year-end. The remaining three, Philip Line, Lincoln Dickinson, and John Kabel, were laid off due to low seniority. All returned within a few years after retirements in the mid-1930s. For Kabel, 1932 was particularly tough—he lost his job and suffered a gunshot wound while hunting in October.
At the time of their retirement, George Hargreaves and George Gushwa were the longest-serving EFD members. Hargreaves, who joined in 1894, set a record with 38 years of service—the longest until the 1940s. He was promoted to lieutenant in 1902 and captain in 1903. Gushwa, who started in 1901, also served for over three decades.
The 1933 staffing cuts reduced Engine Co. 1, Truck Co. 2, and Engine Co. 2 by one person per shift. This brought the maximum daily staffing down to 38, and the minimum to 31, which could occur if all seven companies were one man short. Engine Co. 5 and Truck Co. 1 still required five-man crews, but the rest needed only four. Shift staffing never returned to pre-Depression levels.
Salaries dropped by 7.5% in 1933, with an even steeper cut the following year, totaling a 20–25% reduction over two years. By 1934, annual salaries ranged from $3,900 (Chief Fire Marshal) to $1,920 (Fireman). It wasn’t until 1937 that wages began to rise slightly, and pre-Depression pay wasn’t restored until 1944. Meanwhile, Evanston’s population grew from 44,000 in 1923 to 61,754 in 1933.
In addition to the EFD cuts on January 1, 1933, the Chicago Fire Insurance Patrol (CFIP) closed two of its eight stations. Patrol No. 8, stationed at 3921 N. Ravenswood Avenue since 1922, had served Evanston’s downtown high-value district, including Main Street, Central Street, the Northwestern University campus, hospitals, schools, hotels, and residential areas. Located six miles from downtown, it could reach any part of Evanston within 15 minutes. After its closure, the nearest CFIP station was ten miles away. Combined with Evanston’s budget cuts, the city terminated its contract with CFIP on New Year’s Day 1933.
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