Oak Lawn Fire Chief George Sheets is moving on to a new role—but he’s not leaving his current position. Under a deal unanimously approved by the village board on Tuesday night, Sheets will continue as the head of Oak Lawn’s fire department while also taking on the role of fire chief for Chicago Ridge through 2016. The Chicago Ridge Village Board is expected to officially approve the agreement at its meeting on July 15, according to Oak Lawn Village Manager Larry Deetjen. He said that Chicago Ridge Mayor Chuck Tokar approached Oak Lawn with the idea of Sheets leading both fire departments. Tokar was unavailable for comment on Tuesday night regarding Sheets’ potential new role. This development follows the recent resignation of Chicago Ridge Fire Chief Robert Muszynski, who cited “personal differences†with village officials, particularly Tokar, over proposed changes to the fire department. Several Chicago Ridge trustees have indicated that Muszynski resigned at Tokar’s suggestion, though the board accepted his letter of resignation last month. Muszynski’s departure came several weeks after the village board encouraged Tokar to explore more efficient ways to provide firefighting and ambulance services. This has caused concern among Chicago Ridge firefighters, who fear job losses if the department is restructured. Possible changes include hiring a private ambulance service or even disbanding the fire department and joining a fire protection district, according to Tokar. Last month, Christ Schmelzer, president of Chicago Ridge Professional Firefighters Local 3098, described the atmosphere in the firehouse as tense following Muszynski’s exit and the uncertainty surrounding the department’s future. Deetjen did not comment directly on whether Chicago Ridge is considering alternative models for its fire and ambulance services, but he acknowledged that “there’s ample opportunity to run fire departments more efficiently.†He added that he expects Sheets to quickly get up to speed, saying he plans to meet with Chicago Ridge’s 13 firefighters soon to “get to know them better.†Thanks Dan Mini Excavator,Hydraulic Mini Excavator,Mini Hydraulic Excavator,Hydraulic Hammer Mini Excavator KingKong, Intelligent Equipment (Xuzhou) Co., Ltd , https://www.impimaq.com
Oak Lawn fire chief to add Chicago Ridge to his duties
The Southtown Star recently published an article about the replacement for the Chicago Ridge fire chief, who stepped down recently: