From Phil Stenholm:
Another chapter in the history of the Evanston Fire Department.
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**THEY CALLED HIM “OBERBRANDDIREKTORâ€**
It was a quiet but significant day in May 1937 when the Evanston Fire Department made two promotions. Both went to the Dorband brothers—Henry Dorband, who would one day become chief, was promoted to captain and took over Engine Co. 2 from Captain John Wynn. His older brother, Carl, became a lieutenant and joined Engine Co. 3 as an assistant officer. Unfortunately, tragedy struck just five years later when Lieutenant Henry Dorband suffered a fatal heart attack at the age of 50 while relaxing outside Station No. 3 on a Sunday afternoon.
Following Lt. Dorband's untimely death, the department underwent a wave of promotions over the next seven years, bringing in fresh leadership. One of the first promoted was Fireman John Schmidt, who topped the Civil Service list for lieutenant after Lt. Dorband's passing in 1942. Before his promotion, Schmidt had been a trusted chief's buggy driver and administrative assistant to Chief Hofstetter. To ensure Schmidt stayed close to the station and continued supporting the chief, Lt. Frank Sherry was reassigned from Engine Co. 1 to Engine Co. 3, keeping Schmidt at Station No. 1.
Schmidt, fluent in both English and German, left the Evanston Fire Department temporarily in 1947 to serve as the temporary Oberbranddirektor (Chief Fire Director) of the fire brigade in the U.S. Sector of Berlin, Germany. During his tenure, he worked tirelessly to help the devastated Berliner Feuerwehr recover from the destruction caused by World War II, particularly in the final chaotic days when the Russian forces advanced into the city.
Schmidt held the position until May 23, 1949, when the Federal Republic of Germany was established and Berlin returned to local governance. He then returned to Evanston and was promptly promoted to captain since he was next on the promotion list for that rank. Initially assigned to Engine Co. 5, Schmidt soon moved to the Fire Prevention Bureau after Assistant Chief J.E. Mersch’s unexpected death in October 1950. Known as one of the department’s brightest stars, Schmidt seemed destined for the role of chief. However, at just 51 years old and with 25 years of service under his belt, he decided to step down in 1952 to take up a new post as Midwest Regional Fire Coordinator for the U.S. Civil Defense Agency, appointed by President Harry Truman.
While no one else in the Evanston Fire Department had quite the same unique career trajectory as John Schmidt, others still left their mark. Lieutenant Dan McKimmons retired in 1943 after 32 years of service. His replacement as assistant company officer of Truck Co. 2 was another John Reddick, not to be confused with the one dismissed in 1906 for drinking on duty.
McKimmons joined the department in 1911 alongside three others when the Robinson Jumbo automobile pumper was introduced. As a tillerman on Truck Co. 1, he once suffered serious injuries after being thrown during a collision with an Evanston Railway streetcar in 1916. Later, as a lieutenant with Truck Co. 2, he almost lost his life when he got trapped and overcome by smoke while fighting a fire in the basement of an apartment building at 1015 Dempster Street in 1941.
Dan’s older brother, George, started on December 13, 1905, coinciding with the tragic Mark Manufacturing Company fire where two firefighters perished. George eventually left the Evanston Fire Department to join the Chicago Fire Department, where he rose to captain and organized Truck Co. 44 at Engine 55’s house on Sheffield Avenue in 1928.
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I hope this gives you a clearer picture of how things unfolded back then. Let me know if you'd like more details about any specific event or person!
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