Fire Chief

Chicago Fire Department’s retired chief of special operations, John Eversole, died Sunday evening at the age of 62. Nationally and internationally referred to as the “Chief of Hazmat,” Eversole was a visionary who fought endlessly for better, safer conditions for firefighters. Everyone looked up to John, and not just because he was taller than most.

Eversole’s health had deteriorated, and he decided to go into a hospice program. On Sunday, John called a few close friends to come and visit.

When Chicago Hazmat Coordinator Chief Dan O’Donnell arrived, he expected the worst, but in fact John was sitting up and even asked for a drink. Water? Pop? No, John wanted a Southern Comfort and Coke. “We talked, and after the second drink, John said he’d had a good life and we said goodbye,” said O’Donnell. Later that evening, the ventilator was shut off and John passed away a few hours later. John did it his way.

Eversole selected his own pallbearers: O’Donnell, Deputy Commissioner Gene Ryan and Deputy District Chief Paul Martin, all from the Chicago Fire Department; longtime friend and colleague Rick Emery, retired from Vernon Hills Fire Department; Asst. Chief Mike Bovyn, Bolingbrook Fire Department; and Cook County Sheriff Mike Brady. He chose retired Chief Clyde Marriotti as the honorary chief pallbearer.

Eversole’s longtime friend Greg Noll, a senior partner in Hildebrand Noll Assoc. consulting firm for emergency planning and hazmat/WMD manager for the Pennsylvania Task Force-1 urban search and rescue unit, will give the eulogy. Asst. Chief Tim Butters, Fairfax (Va.) Fire & Rescue, also will do a reading at today’s funeral.

At his wake yesterday, John’s wife, Sue, comforted friends with a warm smile and spoke of the many good times and warm memories.

Chief Mary Beth Michos of Prince William County (Va.) Fire & Rescue, one of the founders of the Hazmat Conference in Montgomery County, Md., talked about Eversole’s early support for hazmat. She also recalled that whenever Eversole would teach, she would gently tease his references to firemen by saying, “You’d make me a happy woman if you would just once say ‘firefighter,’” she laughed. “And he would!”

Chicago Fire Department Commissioner Ray Orozco Jr., said, “John was my first lieutenant. I was a kid on Truck 36 in the old house. John took the time to instill in me how important education and training is in the fire service. Those are two things that stuck with me.”

Orozco called John a visionary and ahead of his time: “Back in the early days all the emphasis was on fighting structure fires. What we have today came from John — mitigating fires.”

Displayed inside John’s casket was a tiny card he had kept on his desk: “Nobody knows what I do until I don’t do it.” Sorry, John, but according to Orozco, the fire service knows what you did.

“When the bell goes off, firefighters are a lot safer because of John,” said Orozco. “He made sure it was safer. He got the industry to have standards and didn’t hesitate to tell the legislators what firefighters needed.”

The family has requested that memorials in Eversole’s name be sent to the attention of Tony Martin at the Fireman’s Annuity and Benefits Fund of Chicago, 20 S. Clark St. #1400, Chicago IL 60603.