Evanston Firefighters Responded to Record Calls in 2012

Evanston firefighters responded to a record number of calls in 2012, according to the fire department’s annual report. 

The department responded to 9,330 calls for service last year, marking the highest total call volume in the department’s history. That compares to 9,063 in 2011 and 8,917 in 2010. The number of total calls has steadily increased over the last 20 years, from 6,766 in 1992. 

Of the 9,330 calls for service in 2012, some 5,824, or 62.4 percent, were for emergency medical services (EMS)—a number that also marks the highest EMS call volume for Evanston firefighters. 

Another 3,506 calls were related to fires, according to the report. The department fought 154 fires in 2012, which resulted in an estimated loss of $831,852. In the vast majority of cases, firefighters were able to save properties from significant damage, according to the report.

Among the biggest fires in 2012, based on the estimated property damage, were building fires in the 2400 block of Park Place, the 900 block of Maple Avenue, the 700 block of Dobson Street and the 1900 block of Asbury Avenue. The fire at 1911 Asbury caused the greatest amount of damage, an estimated $175,000. Evanston Fire Division Chief Dwight Hohl told Evanston Now that the fire was likely caused by a problem with the building’s furnace. 

Among the major developments for the fire department in 2012 was an intergovernmental agreement between the city of Evanston and the village of Skokie, which allows Evanston firefighters to train at Skokie’s fire training facility at 8157 Central Park Ave. in Skokie. 

Evanston agreed to pay $286,000 toward capital improvements on the site, and in return, Evanston firefighters will have sole access to the facility for 25 percent of the time, and shared access for an additional 25 percent of the time, according to Evanston Fire Chief Greg Klaiber. 

With the help of a $253,000 donation from Northwestern University, the fire department also purchased a new advanced life support ambulance containing a power cot, power oxygen lift and heart monitor/defibrillator.  

“This addition to our fleet will enable us to continue to provide excellent, responsive service to Evanston residents,” Klaiber said in a release after the donation was announced.

The department also plans to place a new ambulance and engine into service in 2013, replacing two old vehicles.

Three firefighters retired in 2012, according to the report, each with more than 30 years of service to the department. Those include Captain Ronald Brumbach, firefighter/paramedic Scott Hargreaves and Shift Chief Donald Kunita.