Gregory Koeppen has been appointed to the Fire Commission of the Grayslake Fire Protection District. Koeppen comes from a long family history of fire serve in the Chicagoland area.
Koeppen’s father Gerald Koeppen was a firefighter/paramedic with the Wheeling Fire Department for 30 years, his uncle Bernie Koeppen was the first full-time Fire Chief of the Wheeling Fire Department serving the department for 43 years, Koeppen’s cousin Ken Koeppen is the current Deputy Chief in Arlington Heights, and he has several other members serving in departments throughout the Chicago area.
“The fire service was not the career path I chose, but it was a profession I was born into so I have always been a supporter of it,” says Koeppen who works full-time as the Executive Director of the Lake County Farm Bureau. “While you won’t see me putting on a helmet and turnout gear racing to a fire, I am excited to serve as a commissioner working with the men and women who work to protect the residents of Grayslake 24/7,” adds Koeppen.
Koeppen who served as the youngest elected official in Illinois when he was elected alderman at age 19, has logged ride-alongs with fire departments around the United States including Las Vegas, San Francisco, Washington DC, and Clark County, Nevada. “In order to be an effective and well informed decision maker, I believe it’s important for me to see all aspects of the fire service. Ride-alongs with other departments have truly helped me experience that,” says Koeppen.
“I look forward to many years of serving on the Grayslake Fire Department Commission and feel fortunate to have such outstanding firefighters to represent,” says Koeppen.
