Evanston Fire Department history Part 44
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From Phil Stenholm:
Another chapter in the history of the Evanston Fire Department.
They Call Me “Oberbranddirektorâ€
There weren’t many promotions within the Evanston Fire Department (EFD) between 1934 and 1942, but things picked up in May 1937 when two promotions happened on the same day. This was certainly a big day for the Dorband family. Lieutenant Henry Dorband, who would go on to become chief of the EFD, was promoted to captain and took over as company officer at Engine Co. 2, replacing Captain John Wynn. At the same time, Henry’s older brother Carl was promoted to lieutenant and became the assistant company officer at Engine Co. 3. Sadly, Lieutenant Dorband passed away suddenly at just 50 years old from a heart attack while sitting outside Station No. 3 on a Sunday afternoon in May 1942.
Following Lieutenant Dorband’s untimely death, there were twenty promotions over the next seven years as a fresh wave of leadership emerged in the EFD. The first to be promoted was Fireman John Schmidt, who topped the Civil Service promotional list for lieutenant established after Dorband's passing in 1942.
Before his promotion, Schmidt had been a longtime chief’s buggy driver and administrative assistant to Chief Hofstetter. When he was set to replace Lieutenant Dorband at Station No. 3, Chief Hofstetter intervened and moved Lieutenant Frank Sherry from Engine Co. 1 to Engine Co. 3. This ensured Schmidt stayed at Station No. 1, continuing to serve as the chief’s right-hand man while also fulfilling his role as assistant company officer at Engine Co. 1.
Fluent in both English and German, Lieutenant Schmidt took leave from the EFD in 1947 to serve as the temporary Oberbranddirektor of the fire brigade in the U.S. Sector of Berlin, Germany. In this role, Schmidt helped rebuild the severely damaged Berliner Feuerwehr in the U.S. Sector, repairing facilities and equipment damaged during World War II, particularly in the final days of the war when the Russian army occupied the city.
Schmidt served as Oberbranddirektor until the Federal Republic of Germany was established and Berlin returned to local governance on May 23, 1949. He then returned to the EFD. Since he was next in line for promotion to captain when he left, he was promoted to captain upon his return in 1949.
Initially assigned as company officer at Engine Co. 5, Schmidt later replaced Assistant Chief J.E. Mersch as commander of the Fire Prevention Bureau following Mersch’s unexpected death in October 1950. Schmidt was undoubtedly one of the EFD’s brightest stars and a likely candidate for chief someday. However, he chose to retire in 1952 at just 51 years old after 25 years of service—despite being next in line for assistant chief—when he was appointed Midwest Regional Fire Coordinator for the U.S. Civil Defense Agency by President Harry Truman.
While no other EFD member had quite as unique a career as John Schmidt, some made significant contributions over time. Lieutenant Dan McKimmons retired in 1943 after 32 years of service. Fireman John Reddick was promoted to lieutenant and took over as assistant company officer at Truck Co. 2. This is not the same John Reddick who was fired in 1906 for drinking on duty with other members of Truck Co. 1.
Dan McKimmons joined the EFD in 1911, one of four new hires when the Robinson Jumbo automobile pumper went into service. While serving as tillerman on Truck Co. 1, McKimmons was seriously injured in a collision with an Evanston Railway Company streetcar in September 1916. Later, as a lieutenant on Truck Co. 2, he nearly died before being rescued and revived by fellow firefighters after getting trapped and overcome by smoke fighting a fire in the basement of an apartment building at 1015 Dempster Street in February 1941.
Dan’s older brother George started as a rookie fireman on December 13, 1905, the day of the tragic Mark Manufacturing Company fire where two EFD members lost their lives. George later left the EFD to join the Chicago Fire Department, where he became a captain and organized Truck Co. 44 at Engine 55’s station on Sheffield Avenue in 1928.
I hope this gives you a clearer picture of these remarkable individuals and their contributions to the EFD. There’s always more to uncover in the department’s rich history.