**From Phil Stenholm:**
Another chapter in the **History of the Evanston Fire Department**
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**"They Call Me ‘Oberbranddirektor’"**
It's hard to believe that there were only **two promotions** within the Evanston Fire Department (EFD) between 1934 and 1942, and they happened on the very same day in May 1937. For the Dorband family, it was a monumental occasion: Lieutenant Henry Dorband—a future chief of the EFD—was promoted to captain and took over as the company officer for Engine Co. 2, stepping into the shoes of Captain John Wynn. At the same time, Henry’s older brother Carl was promoted to lieutenant and became the assistant company officer for Engine Co. 3. Tragically, Lieutenant Dorband passed away suddenly at just 50 years old when he suffered a fatal heart attack while relaxing near Station No. 3 on a Sunday afternoon in May 1942.
Following Dorband’s untimely death, things changed dramatically. Over the next seven years, there were **twenty promotions**, signaling the arrival of a fresh wave of leadership within the department. The first to ascend was Fireman John Schmidt, who aced the Civil Service promotional exam for lieutenant after Dorband’s passing in 1942.
Before his promotion, Schmidt had been deeply involved in the inner workings of the department. He was a trusted chief’s buggy driver and even served as Chief Hofstetter’s administrative assistant and personal secretary. Recognizing Schmidt’s talents, Chief Hofstetter decided to keep him close. Instead of assigning Schmidt to Station No. 3 as originally planned, Hofstetter transferred Lieutenant Frank Sherry from Engine Co. 1 to Engine Co. 3. This way, Schmidt could stay put at Station No. 1 and continue acting as the chief’s right-hand man while also serving as the assistant company officer for Engine Co. 1.
Schmidt, fluent in both English and German, left the Evanston Fire Department temporarily in 1947 after being appointed the temporary **Oberbranddirektor** of the fire brigade in the U.S. Sector of Berlin, Germany. In this role, he played a crucial part in helping the battered **Berliner Feuerwehr** recover from wartime destruction, particularly focusing on repairing facilities and equipment damaged during the final chaotic days of World War II.
Schmidt remained in charge of the Berlin fire brigade until May 23, 1949, when the Federal Republic of Germany was established and the City of Berlin reverted to local governance. With his leave of absence complete, he returned home to Evanston. Since he was next in line for the captaincy when he departed, he was promoted to captain upon rejoining the EFD in 1949. Initially, he served as the company officer for Engine Co. 5, but in October 1950, after Assistant Chief J.E. Mersch tragically died, Schmidt stepped up to lead the Fire Prevention Bureau.
Captain Schmidt was undoubtedly one of the EFD’s most promising leaders, and many believed he might have gone on to become chief someday. However, at the young age of 51, after 25 years of service—and despite being next in line for assistant chief—he decided to step down in 1952. His choice wasn’t due to retirement; instead, he accepted an appointment as the Midwest Regional Fire Coordinator for the U.S. Civil Defense Agency under President Harry Truman.
While no one else in the EFD matched Schmidt’s unusual trajectory in the 1940s, others still made their mark over time. Lieutenant Dan McKimmons retired in 1943 after 32 years of dedicated service. Fireman John Reddick, unrelated to the infamous 1906 incident involving Truck Co. 1, was promoted to lieutenant and took over as assistant company officer for Truck Co. 2.
Dan McKimmons joined the EFD in 1911 alongside three others when the Robinson Jumbo automobile pumper was introduced. During his tenure, McKimmons faced numerous challenges. As a firefighter assigned as tillerman on Truck Co. 1, he was gravely injured in September 1916 when the American-LaFrance HDA collided with an Evanston Railway Company streetcar at Grove & Sherman. Later, as a lieutenant on Truck Co. 2, he nearly perished while battling a blaze in the basement of an apartment building at 1015 Dempster Street in February 1941. He was eventually rescued and revived by fellow firefighters.
Interestingly, Dan’s older brother George started his firefighting career just months earlier on December 13, 1905—the day of the devastating Mark Manufacturing Company fire that claimed two lives. George later left the EFD to join the Chicago Fire Department, where he rose through the ranks to become captain. In 1928, he founded Truck Co. 44 at Engine 55’s station on Sheffield Avenue.
This story reminds us how intertwined the histories of these departments truly are—and how deeply personal sacrifices shaped their legacies.
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*Note: This account reflects the author's interpretation based on historical records.*
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