Excerpts from the ChicagoTribune.com:
The Merrionette Park Fire Department is reportedly in turmoil after the village board failed to reappoint three senior officials and a long-serving secretary during its last meeting. The decision has sparked widespread concern among department members, with at least a dozen paid-on-call firefighters resigning in the wake of the changes.
Deputy Chief Pat Carter, Captain Tom Ziolkowski, Lieutenant Jim Carter, and secretary Katie Quinn Schneider were all removed from their positions, leading to a wave of resignations. Firefighter Tony Calzaretta noted that it's standard practice for village employees—especially those in public service—to be reappointed annually unless there's a valid reason, such as misconduct. In this case, however, no explanation was given, which left many feeling blindsided.
The shake-up coincided with the appointment of Thomas J. Wendt as the new fire chief. A part-time fire lieutenant from Calumet Park and former chief of the Dixmoor Fire Department, Wendt took over from longtime Chief Leonard Edling, who retired at the end of April.
Wendt, who had been seen as a likely successor, was not initially opposed by department members. However, the sudden removal of several high-ranking officers without explanation came as a shock. Some felt he was an outsider, having joined the department just months before Edling’s retirement.
Village spokesperson Pete DiCianni declined to comment on the specific reasons for the dismissals, citing personnel issues. He said the mayor chose Wendt due to his leadership experience and because he resides in Merrionette Park.
In a statement released Tuesday, Mayor Dennis Magee expressed gratitude to the outgoing fire department members but did not address the resignations directly. He dismissed them as “sour grapes,†claiming that many of those who left rarely responded to calls anyway.
According to village records, eight of the 12 firefighters who resigned had responded to less than 10% of emergency calls this year. Three had not responded at all, and one had only answered 1% of incidents.
To address the manpower shortage, Wendt plans to submit seven new firefighter applicants to the village board in May. He also intends to restructure the department’s operations, ensuring that at least two firefighters are always on duty at the station to handle minor emergencies. Additional personnel will be called in for larger incidents, a shift he says will improve efficiency.
Previously, the firehouse was often unstaffed, with firefighters responding to calls only when they received a page. Wendt criticized this system as inefficient, noting that it could lead to unnecessary costs if too many firefighters showed up for small incidents.
Three years of budget documents show that the village pays approximately $150,000 annually to its firefighters, excluding the chief’s salary of $40,500.
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