The Elk Grove Village fire chief announced his retirement last month that was effective July 1st. The position has been filled on an interim basis by Bill Balling who spent 29 years as the village manager for Buffalo Grove. Since then he has also served in a similar position with the Lombard Fire Department. He was hired to oversee the department’s administrative duties and to act as a consultant to review various aspects of the department at an hourly rate of $168. Fire suppression supervision and day to day operations are the responsibility of Elk Grove Deputy Chief Scott Miller.

The Daily Herald announced the hire last week:

Balling, of Arlington Heights, will not receive benefits, nor will he contribute to a pension. His appointment is for an indefinite period, and at $168 an hour, he would gross $6,720 for a 40-hour week and $26,880 for a full month.

Since last Friday’s retirement of former Elk Grove Fire Chief Dave Miller, the role of acting chief has been filled by Deputy Chief Scott Miller, who will continue to oversee many of the day-to-day operations of the Elk Grove Fire Department, including all fire-suppression efforts.

Balling currently receives an annual pension of $129,462 from the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund. Since Elk Grove Fire Department personnel contribute toward a specific fire pension system — not IMRF — Balling’s new job will have no effect on his IMRF pension.

The complete Daily Herald article can be found HERE as well as a similar article in Fire Chief Magazine.

This week, Elk Grove Village provided some additional clarification on the duties that Balling will be preforming which further addresses the fees being paid.

During his first day on the job, Elk Grove Village’s new interim fire chief was putting out fires of a different kind, addressing criticism leveled at the village over his hiring.

Village officials Friday clarified the role of interim fire chief, William “Bill” Balling, saying the $168 hourly rate the village agreed to pay him is not the wage of one man, but rather the service fee for Balling’s management consultancy firm called WRB LLC.

Balling said his job includes overseeing and managing the fire department’s operations, as well as conducting a thorough operational assessment of the department’s practices.

“It’s a pretty dynamic role,” Balling said of his interim duties. “Including myself, we will have between four and five people involved and engaged in the process. These are professionals in management and the fire service. There will be substantial hours in this project. The village is going to be protected in a fee structure.”

The complete followup article from the Daily Herald can be found HERE.

Tags: Bill Balling, Deputy Chief Scott Miller, Elk Grove Village Fire Department, interim fire chief