Phil Stenholm offers an insightful historical perspective on the Evanston Fire Department's evolution in ambulance services:
The Evanston Fire Department (EFD) has been providing ambulance service to the city since 1976, but its involvement in emergency medical care dates back even further. Since 1913, EFD firefighters had been responding to “inhalator calls,†which were early forms of emergency medical assistance. Before that, the Evanston Police Department (EPD) was responsible for ambulance services, using a horse-drawn ambulance stationed at their headquarters as early as the 1890s.
In 1916, the EPD acquired its first automobile ambulance, which was stored in a bay just east of the firehouse at 807 Grove Street. Then, in 1958, the EPD introduced the “Police-Fire Cooperative Plan,†where police officers were cross-trained as firefighters. These two-man units, known as Car 31, 32, and 33, were equipped with stretchers, inhalators, first-aid supplies, fire extinguishers, axes, and turnout gear. They responded to a variety of calls, including fires, inhalator emergencies, and ambulance transports. However, by the late 1960s, these units were reduced to single-person crews, and the cross-training ended.
Meanwhile, the EFD maintained three staff cars—F-5 at Station #1, F-1 at Station #2, and F-3 at Station #5—that could serve as backup ambulances when EPD vehicles were unavailable.
In the summer of 1974, the Illinois Department of Health loaned an MICU unit to the EFD for a 90-day trial. Though the EFD had no paramedics at the time and the unit lacked ALS equipment, it gave the department a chance to take over ambulance services temporarily. The trial was successful, especially among police officers who preferred not to handle ambulance duties. As a result, the EFD began its Paramedic Program in 1975, aiming to fully transition ambulance services to the fire department by 1976.
However, Mayor Jim Staples initially wanted the EPD to retain control, believing that having ambulances “on the street†24/7 was more efficient. But after Police Chief William McHugh pointed out that the EPD was already overwhelmed with crime, the mayor relented.
The first EFD ambulance—a 1975 Dodge van MICU donated by Washington National Insurance Company—was placed into service at Station #1 in January 1976. It was staffed by three firefighters: two paramedics and one trainee. Initially, it handled all EMS calls, often working alone in its district or with support from an engine company elsewhere.
During the year, the city council approved a second ambulance, and plans were made to staff both with two-paramedic crews. In November 1976, Ambulance 1 was nearly destroyed in a collision, and the Skokie Fire Department lent a Cadillac ambulance until the new one arrived. Evanston later purchased the Cadillac and kept it as a reserve.
By 1977, the second ambulance, Ambulance 2, was operational, and both were ALS-equipped. Ambulance 2 took priority on EMS calls, while Ambulance 1 handled fire calls and only assisted if needed. The original 1975 van was repaired and returned to service in 1977.
As the fleet expanded, the Cadillac became Ambulance 3, eventually upgraded with ALS equipment in 1978. Two new Ford modular MICUs were added in 1980, replacing older units. Ambulance 1 and 2 were split between Stations #1 and #2, with Ambulance 3 at Station #1.
A 1982 change allowed the ambulances to alternate responses, improving crew efficiency. This system remained in place for years, with crews knowing which ambulance would be called next.
In 1986, Ambulance 2 was moved to Station #4, and the response areas were reorganized. A “jump company†plan was introduced in 1989, but it failed due to lack of engine coverage. By 1990, the plan was abandoned, and ambulances returned to their original stations.
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