From Phil Stenholm: Another chapter in the history of the Evanston Fire Department. Go Northwestern! The Mutual-Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) was set up in 1968 to coordinate mutual-aid responses among northern suburban fire departments. Evanston joined MABAS Division 3 alongside Glencoe, Glenview, Highland Park, Highwood, Morton Grove, Niles, Northbrook, Northfield, Park Ridge, Skokie, Wilmette, and Winnetka fire departments, as well as the Deerfield-Bannockburn, Glenview Rural, Northbrook Rural, and North Maine fire protection districts and the Glenview Naval Air Station. Glenview served as the initial MABAS Division 3 dispatch center with Niles as backup. MABAS utilized the Northern Illinois Fire Emergency Radio Network (NIFERN) at 154.265 MHz. When a major fire occurred, the affected department would contact the MABAS dispatcher via NIFERN to report the box number, location, and requested alarm level. The dispatcher would then broadcast the alert. Responding units would switch to NIFERN to confirm their departure to the scene. Only EFD Station #1 or Station #2 companies were dispatched due to the requirement for at least four firefighters per unit. While most departments in Division 3 had multiple box cards dictating different responses, Evanston had just one, listing Lake & Elmwood (Fire Station #1) as the sole location. Wilmette and Skokie would respond with engines and trucks, Winnetka with a snorkel starting in 1983, and Morton Grove with an engine on subsequent alarms. A Glenview Naval Air Station ARFF was also listed. Initially, there were no specialized boxes like dive teams or investigations. MABAS focused on large fires. Evanston didn't respond to every MABAS call; its involvement depended on the box number. For instance, an Evanston engine, truck, and squad were listed for Morton Grove, while engines and trucks were assigned to Niles and Skokie, and squads to Winnetka. Despite regular MABAS responses, Evanston chiefs rarely called for mutual aid themselves. A callback of off-duty personnel was necessary before a chief could request a MABAS box, so direct requests from Wilmette and Skokie were more common. Personnel changes in the Fire Prevention Bureau between 1965-68 included Capt. Harry Meginnis retiring after 23 years, followed by Asst. Chief Harry Schaeffer Jr., who was appointed Illinois State Fire Marshal. Capt. Tom Hanson became the new commander but retired in 1968 to join the private sector. Capt. Robert Schumer then took over. Captains Lapworth and Thill joined the bureau in 1967-68. Several veteran firefighters retired around this time: Capt. Ervin Lindeman (31 years), Capt. Lou Peters (27 years), and others with over 20 years of service. Meanwhile, promotions saw Don Searles, Joe Planos, Bill Moore, and others becoming captains. New hires included Vincent McEnaney, Darold Olson, and others through 1969. For years, Northwestern University's tax-exempt status caused tension as they received free fire protection. However, in 1968, NU donated $29,602 for a new Pirsch pumper. While altruistic, this coincided with the city rezoning land near Emerson & Maple, allowing NU to construct Engelhart Hall. It was assumed the pumper would go to Station #3, but instead, it went to Station #2 in 1970. This change meant Engine 22 moved to Station #5, replacing Engine 25. The older Engine 25 was placed in reserve. The new Pirsch differed slightly from Engine 21, featuring a smaller pump capacity. With the arrival of the new pumper, the aging 1949 Seagrave was sold at auction for use in parades. The evolving dynamics of mutual aid, personnel changes, and equipment updates shaped the Evanston Fire Department throughout this period.

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