THE TIMES THEY ARE A-CHANGIN’

In 1978, Chief Glen Ayers introduced a major restructuring of the Evanston Fire Department (EFD), inspired by the organizational model used by the forward-thinking Oklahoma City Fire Department. This change created a more vertical hierarchy, with the chief acting as the CEO and a deputy chief (appointed directly by the chief) serving as the COO. As a result, the chief no longer automatically responded to active fires or major incidents.

Chief Ayers also established four key divisions: Operations, Training, Fire Prevention, and Personnel. Division chiefs could be selected from within or outside the department, and they served at the discretion of the chief, meaning they could be replaced at any time. This marked a shift from the traditional rank-based promotions that had previously defined leadership roles.

Two assistant chiefs who had been serving as shift commanders were promoted. Assistant Chief Robert Brandt became Deputy Chief and head of the Operations Division, while Assistant Chief John Becker took charge of Personnel. Assistant Chief Richard Schumacher retired, and Assistant Chief Robert Schumer was appointed to Fire Prevention, while Assistant Chief Sanders “Sam” Hicks led the Training Division.

Three senior captains—Joe Planos, Ed Majkowski, and Bill Moore—were promoted to shift commander positions, replacing Brandt, Becker, and Schumacher. These roles were not civil service positions, so shift commanders could be reassigned at any time. Captains Len Conrad, James Mersch Jr., and Tom Linkowski took on new roles as Medical Officer, Fire Prevention Officer, and Public Information Officer, respectively. Three firefighters were also assigned as fire prevention inspectors and investigators.

The EFD updated its vehicle fleet during this period, replacing station wagon-style ambulance cars with sedans and compact coupes like Dodge, Plymouth, Datsun, and Honda. Radio call signs were also adjusted. The chief remained F-1, and the shift commander was still F-2, but other officers received call signs based on their phone numbers. For example, Chief Brandt (866-5927) was F-27, and Fire Equipment Mechanic Jerry Czarnowski (866-5917) was F-17 when on duty in the utility van.

Many long-time members of the EFD were uneasy with these changes. During Ayers’ tenure, 31 firefighters retired—about seven per year—compared to just two per year under his predecessor, Al Hofstetter, over 36 years. The addition of a second ambulance in 1977 and increased command staff in 1978, along with staff being diverted for "Kelly Days," led to reduced staffing on Squad 21, the busiest unit between 1963 and 1975.

By 1978, Squad 21’s 1965 pumper-squad was replaced with a Chevrolet Penn Versatile Van, nicknamed the “Pie Truck.” It operated with two firefighters and sometimes supported the Skokie FD ambulance when needed. However, Squad 21 was taken out of frontline service in 1980, only being used when special rescue equipment was required.

When Squad 21 was removed from active duty, the minimum staffing per shift dropped to 26—the lowest since the mid-1920s, when Evanston had a population of just 50,000 and the EFD hadn’t yet taken on ambulance responsibilities.

Change wasn’t limited to structure. In 1976, Miriam Boyle became the EFD’s first female firefighter, working in a flower shop before joining. She trained as a paramedic in 1977 but resigned in 1979. Paulette Hojnacki joined in 1981 but left three years later. Meanwhile, racial discrimination lawsuits against the city and the EFD were nearing resolution.

In response to legal actions by African American applicants and firefighters, a “blacks-only” promotional test for Fire Captain was held in 1980. It was controversial, with one white firefighter suing for reverse discrimination and another resigning after promotion. Chief Ayers refused to promote anyone, eventually leaving for a job in Colorado.

Despite the controversy, three African American firefighters—Samuel Boddie, Samuel Hunter, and Milton Dunbar—were promoted to captain in December 1980. After Ayers left, veteran Sanders Hicks became chief in May 1981, becoming Evanston’s first African American fire chief.

During Ayers’ time, several major fires occurred, including the destruction of the Rust-Oleum lab in 1977, Michelini’s Restaurant in 1978, the North Shore Electric warehouse in 1979, and the J. P. Schermerhorn condos in 1980. Another fire hit the Northern Weathermakers warehouse in 1980, and the Ebenezer A.M.E. church suffered heavy damage that same year. The Orrington Hotel fire in 1981 occurred after Ayers had left, but it was the second major fire there since 1958.