Local 742

What Local 742 does

Local 742 is the Evanston Fire Fighters Association, a labor union chartered under the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) that represents approximately 109 uniformed firefighters and paramedics employed by the City of Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1974 (with the underlying Evanston Fire Department dating to 1875), the local conducts collective bargaining on behalf of its members, delivers peer-support services such as the ECHO program for emergency responders and their families, and engages in community outreach, scholarships, and fundraising. The union's "product" is the labor of its members, who provide fire suppression, emergency medical services, and water rescue; the City of Evanston is the sole purchaser of that labor through its fire department operations.

The union's business model is built on membership dues, merchandise and apparel sales, donations, and proceeds from fundraising events such as golf outings and charity drives. Notable financial activity includes an $800,000 donation to Northwestern University in 2021 and a $243,200 FEMA grant in 2016, both of which are episodic rather than recurring. There is no software product, platform, or proprietary technology stack; Local 742 is a labor organization, not a commercial enterprise, and its revenue is structurally small and tied to the headcount and compensation of one employer's workforce.

Name

Local 742

Legal name

Evanston Fire Fighters Association Local #742

Website

https://efdlocal742.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Local 742 is an IAFF-affiliated labor union representing approximately 109 Evanston Fire Department firefighters and paramedics through collective bargaining, peer support, community fundraising, and partnerships including Northwestern University.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Labor Union Representation

NAICS

Fire Protection (922160), Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Centers & Neighborhood Support Services (BPAGAEAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Fire & Life Safety Code Compliance Inspections & Consulting (AHJ Support) (BPABAHAJ)

Keywords

• Labor union representation
• Firefighter advocacy
• Emergency medical services
• Technical rescue operations
• Community outreach programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Evanston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Union Member Dues: Members pay periodic dues to the union for representation, advocacy, and member services.
2. Merchandise Sales: Online store selling EFD Local 742 branded clothing and apparel including t-shirts, hats, and golf shirts through partnership with Evanston Imprintables. Merchandise available for purchase during limited store windows.
3. Fireman's Park Brick Sales: Commemorative bricks available for purchase to support maintenance and renovations of Fireman's Park at Maple Avenue and Simpson Street.
4. Marty Leoni Memorial Fund Donations: Scholarship fund accepting donations via Zelle for annual scholarships awarded to ETHS students who demonstrate athletic and academic excellence and service to community.
5. Fundraising Events: Various fundraiser events including annual golf outing, Wrestle Fest, and Marty Leoni Fun Run to support union activities and community programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Local 742 is a labor union local that provides collective bargaining representation, grievance and disciplinary support, advocacy, and member services to active and retired Evanston Fire Department firefighters and paramedics. It supplements representation with community programs (Marty Leoni Memorial Scholarship, holiday assistance, Honor Guard), branded merchandise sales, commemorative Fireman's Park bricks, and peer-support coordination through the Illinois Firefighter Peer Support organization.

Product overview

Local 742 (Evanston Fire Fighters Local 742) is a labor union representing fire fighters and emergency medical personnel. It is not a technology product company. The organization provides union representation, member services, political advocacy, community outreach programs, and information sharing for its members. The website serves as an informational portal for union news, events, fundraisers, retiree information, and member communications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• EFD Local 742 Branded Merchandise Branded Local 742 apparel and accessories (t-shirts, hats, men's classic Izod golf shirts) produced by Evanston Imprintables; available to members and community supporters through a dedicated online storefront and physical retail location at 1701 Central Street, Evanston, IL.
• Local 742 Membership Representation and Dues Standing union membership for active and retired Evanston Fire Department members, including collective bargaining, grievance and disciplinary representation, advocacy, peer support coordination, and member communications via meetings, email, and the Fire Line newsletter. ERFFA retiree membership is offered at age-tiered annual dues.
• Fireman's Park Commemorative Bricks Order-form based sale of commemorative bricks used to support maintenance and renovations of Fireman's Park at Maple Avenue and Simpson Street, Evanston, IL. Order forms are downloadable from the Local 742 website.
• Marty Leoni Memorial Scholarship Fund Annual scholarship program awarding funds to Evanston Township High School (ETHS) students who demonstrate athletic and academic excellence and service to community. Donations are accepted via Zelle. Over $50,000 in scholarships have been awarded since 1986.

Quantifiable outcome

• 11,240 calls for service answered in 2022, a record year for the department
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Northwestern UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Northwestern University has been a long-standing partner with the Evanston Fire Department since 1970, providing significant equipment donations. In 2021, Northwestern donated $800,000 for a Pierce Enforcer Pumper Truck (Engine 23), featuring Northwestern's purple color scheme. Previously donated $550,000 for a fire engine in 2009 and $253,000 for an ambulance in 2011. The partnership includes collaborative training sessions held in University facilities.
• Evanston ImprintablescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEvanston Imprintables operates the EFD Local 742 On-Line Store for branded merchandise. Located at 1701 Central Street, Evanston, IL 60202. Provides custom apparel ordering services for Local 742 members and community.
• Family FocusminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal 742 partners with Family Focus to provide Thanksgiving meals for Evanston families in need, a tradition spanning over 20 years. Additionally coordinates holiday gift card donations through the organization.
• Salvation ArmyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal 742 donated 15 gift cards to the Salvation Army for distribution to local teens in need during the holiday season.
• Evanston First Responders Foundation (EFRF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEvanston First Responders Foundation is a nonprofit that provides financial assistance to first responders in Evanston. Foundation purchased three LUCAS devices (portable chest compression systems) for each ambulance in honor of Oliver Brown Leopold through designated funds from the Brown Leopold family.
• Illinois Firefighter Peer Support (ILFFPS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerILFFPS is a nonprofit organization in Evanston that connects firefighters and emergency medical personnel with trained peers for mental health support. Tom Howard, Local 742 member, serves as Executive Director. Organization provides peer support training and trauma assistance.
• International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIAFF is the international union representing professional firefighters. Local 742 is a member local affiliated with IAFF and participates in union activities, conventions, and political action at the national level.
• Associated Fire Fighters of Illinois (AFFI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAFFI is the state-level union representing Illinois firefighters. Local 742 is affiliated and participates in state union activities, political action committees, and the AFFI Honor Guard program.
• St. Francis HospitalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSt. Francis Hospital partnered with EFD on the ECHO (Evanston Community Health Outreach) program providing proactive, community-based healthcare services. The program was later placed on pause due to funding challenges and hospital organizational restructuring.
• Aldi (Oakton location)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal grocery retailer provided turkeys and fixings for Local 742's Thanksgiving Family Focus program supporting Evanston families.
• NIPSTA (Northeastern Illinois Public Safety Training Academy)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerNIPSTA provides fire academy training for new EFD candidates. Local 742 members including Jamaine Collins serve as instructors at the academy.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights1 record

Others

• International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC): Represents fire service leadership and management rather than unionized line firefighters. A theme-adjacent organization that engages on overlapping operational and policy issues (training, safety, grants) but represents the management counterpart to Local 742's labor constituency.
• National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF): National nonprofit supporting fallen firefighter families and LODD prevention. Local 742 references multiple Line of Duty Deaths in its website's memorial section. NFFF provides adjacent support services that flow to Local 742 members' families; not a direct competitor but an ecosystem partner.

Direct peers

• Milwaukee Professional Firefighters Local 215: Represents Milwaukee firefighters as an IAFF local. Closely comparable in scale, Midwestern municipal context, and full-service member representation model. Useful peer for evaluating training, peer support, and community programs of similar IAFF locals.
• Detroit Fire Fighters Local 344: Represents Detroit firefighters as an IAFF local with similar collective bargaining, member advocacy, and community service offerings. Peer for benchmarking membership services, peer support models, and political action execution in a similar mid-size municipal context.
• Associated Fire Fighters of Illinois (AFFI): State-level firefighter union affiliate of IAFF in Illinois. Local 742 is a member local of AFFI and participates in state-level political action, conventions, and the Honor Guard program. AFFI is the most direct umbrella peer for the union's regional collective bargaining and advocacy activities.
• Fraternal Order of Police, Evanston Lodge: Represents Evanston police officers as a public safety union in the same city. Comparable business model (membership dues, contract negotiation, peer support, community engagement) within the same municipal employer context, providing a direct labor-union peer for governance and member-services benchmarking.
• IAFF Local 2 (Chicago Fire Fighters Union): Represents Chicago firefighters, the largest IAFF local in Illinois and the most direct municipal firefighter union peer in the same state. Both Local 742 and Local 2 operate under the IAFF and AFFI umbrella, deliver similar bargaining/labor services, and face comparable Illinois public-sector labor dynamics.
• Boston Fire Fighters Local 718: Represents Boston firefighters as a medium-to-large IAFF local. Comparable in offering (labor representation, member services, community engagement) and business model (dues-funded, affiliated with IAFF), though operating in a larger metropolitan market. Useful peer for benchmarking service mix and political action capabilities.
• Philadelphia Fire Fighters Local 22: Represents Philadelphia firefighters as a long-standing IAFF local. Similar member services, dues-driven revenue model, and active community engagement programming. Provides a peer reference for larger-city union operations and contract negotiation outcomes.

Broad incumbents

• International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF): National parent federation of which Local 742 is an affiliated member local. Delivers broader services (national advocacy, training, conventions) that flow to Local 742 but does not directly represent its members; comparison is relevant for understanding the union's relationship to the broader IAFF ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/EvanstonFD
• Facebookfacebook.com/EvanstonFireFightersLocal742
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/local-742

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Local 742