Evanston firefighters train at an abandoned house at 1925 Jackson Ave. This is one of seven homes the city recently bought at the northeast corner of Jackson and Emerson Street, a large parcel that offers firefighters a unique chance to train at real houses rather than at a training tower. “To have multiple structures in one area is unbelievable,” said Matt Smith, division chief in charge of training. “I can have multiple companies working on different roofs at one time.” Firefighters have been doing hose and ladder work and practiced venting roofs. Inside rescue training is next. Smith hopes all of the city’s 112 firefighters will train at the site before the buildings are razed next month. (Photo by Richard Cahan)
Richard Cahan
Richard Cahan takes photos for the Evanston RoundTable. He also is publisher of CityFiles Press, a small but mighty media company that believes in the power of words and pictures. You can reach him at... More by Richard Cahan