History of The Evanston Fire Department – Part 80

THE RAND REPORT

By the mid-1980s, public enthusiasm for the proposed relocation of Evanston’s fire stations had begun to wane. In response, the Evanston City Council turned to a well-respected name in policy analysis: the Rand Corporation. In 1986, they were tasked with conducting an independent evaluation of the Evanston Fire Department (EFD) and assessing whether relocating one or more fire stations could improve emergency response times for both structure fires and EMS calls.

Rand was informed that Stations #2 and #4 were considered fixed locations, but movement of Stations #1, #3, and/or #5 was seen as acceptable. Their analysis focused on two key areas that had experienced the highest number of structure fires and EMS calls over the past two decades. One area centered around the intersection of Oakton and Custer—essentially the first-due area of Station #2—and was bounded by Howard Street, Ridge Avenue, Main Street, and Lake Michigan. The second area was located in the southeast quadrant of Evanston, with its "bull’s eye" at Emerson and Dodge. This region had a high volume of EMS calls but fewer structure fires.

Rand found that the square mile served by Station #2 was already well-covered. However, the three intersections farthest from any fire station in 1986—Church & Pitner, Emerson & Hartrey, and Foster & Grey—were within the second high-demand area. Based on this, Rand recommended moving Station #1 to Lake & Ashland, and consolidating Stations #3 and #5 into a new station at Ashland & Noyes. This move would significantly reduce response times in the 5th Ward.

However, there would be trade-offs. Response times in the downtown area and especially the northwest corner of the city would increase. Despite this, the overall average response time across Evanston would decrease slightly. Rand also suggested placing the “jump ambulance” at Station #2 and staffing it with personnel from Truck Co. 22 when needed. Additionally, they recommended that the two full-service MICU ambulances be stationed at the new locations—Lake & Ashland and Ashland & Noyes. Notably, they did not recommend an ambulance at Station #4, which would have left it understaffed with only three firefighters. EFD leaders were against this, as they wanted all stations to have five personnel.

With the Rand Report recommending new stations at 1500 Lake Street and 2210 Ashland Avenue, the plan seemed promising. However, EFD chiefs disagreed with some of the deployment strategies and moved the second engine from the new Station #1 to Station #3, while placing the MICU ambulances at Stations #3 and #4 instead of #1 and #3.

But just as previous proposals for a new Station #2 at Kamen Park had failed due to political pushback, opposition to the Ashland & Noyes station emerged after the report was released. Residents in the High Ridge area of northwest Evanston, north of Crawford and Gross Point Road, feared longer response times if their closest station was at Ashland & Noyes. They argued that even with fewer service calls, they deserved equal emergency coverage.

Wilmette Fire Station #27, just a mile away from Central & Crawford, could have responded quickly to incidents in High Ridge, but no automatic aid agreement was established between the two departments. As a result, the plan faced continued resistance.

In 1987, Ambulance 2 was moved from Station #1 to Station #4, and the city council approved rebuilding Station #4 and remodeling Station #2. Further plans for new stations were put on hold. Station #4 was rebuilt in 1989, costing $643,000, and Station #2 was renovated in 1990 to accommodate female firefighters and expand apparatus space. Truck Co. 21 was relocated to Station #3 in 1991, becoming Truck Co. 23.

With a new station in southwest Evanston and a truck company at Station #3, new Fire Chief James Hunt, formerly from Cape Coral, Florida, proposed in March 1993 that Station #1 be moved about a mile northwest to a vacant lot at the southeast corner of Emerson & Wesley. This location, halfway between the previously proposed stations at Lake Street and Ashland Avenue, would allow for a three-bay firehouse.

As part of his plan, Stations #3 and #5 would remain in place, with Engine 21 on Emerson Street dividing the district between Engine Co. 21 (east) and Engine Co. 25 (west), using the Metropolitan Sanitary District canal as a boundary. Station #1 at 909 Lake Street would be converted into a headquarters facility, housing training rooms, offices, and equipment storage.

Despite concerns from downtown merchants and lakefront residents, the plan was widely supported by 5th Ward residents who finally got a station, and by those in the 6th and 7th Wards who wanted to keep their existing stations. It was approved by the city council.

However, the new Station #1 at 1332 Emerson Street took nearly five years to complete, finishing in February 1998. Construction costs nearly doubled, pushing the price from $1.2 million to $2.2 million. Similarly, converting the old Station #1 into a headquarters faced delays, forcing the EFD to operate out of cramped office space on Dodge Avenue for several years.