Content warning: This article contains discussions of sexual harassment and assault. As the Evanston Fire Department begins recruiting lifeguards for the 2023 season, city officials said they are continuing to improve workplace culture among lakefront staff. In 2021, WBEZ reported on a petition signed by more than 50 female lakefront employees alleging pervasive sexual harassment.
The Evanston Fire Department doesn’t just have one chaplain, but two. Monté Dillard and Heath Howe, Evanston Fire Department’s chaplains, started their positions in the summer of 2020. Fire Chief Paul Polep said the chaplains are vital support for members of the fire department. He said they provide a system of support built on trust.
Evanston lifeguards will likely operate under the purview of the Evanston Fire Department as of next summer. Parks and Recreation Director Audrey Thompson announced in October the lifeguard program would move departments, pending city approval of a new Fire Department lifeguard supervisor position. The merging of the lifeguard program with the fire department has been.
Evanston Fire Department rescued eight individuals whose boats capsized near Clark Street Beach and the Dempster Street Boat Launch Facility around 5 p.m. Thursday. EFD Chief Paul Polep said in a news release that all boaters have been accounted for, and none of the individuals pulled from the water required transport to local hospitals. The.