May 11
Excerpts from the ChicagoTribune.com:
Aurora Fire Chief Gary Krienitz recommended David McCabe as the new assistant fire chief. He has been with the Aurora Fire Department for 21 years, coming in at the same time as Krienitz. Acting on Krienitz’s recommendation, Mayor Richard Irvin this week appointed McCabe to the position. Aldermen will vote on the appointment at the full City Council meeting May 8.
The position was vacant due to the retirement of Donald Davids.
thanks Dan
Jan 28
Excerpts from the ChicagoTribune.com:
Retired Aurora Fire Department Capt. Art Stieglieter celebrated his 100th birthday this past Sunday with family members and a bunch of other retired firefighters.
“We see Art all the time around the Fire Museum here and he talks to a lot of the younger firefighters about his career and the way they did things in the old days,” said Aurora Fire Chief Gary Krienitz. “He’s always interesting and when we found out they were having a party for Art’s 100th birthday, we decided to bring him some special things.”
“We knew Art no longer had his captain’s badge and we’ve kept records of every paid firefighter and what their numbers were, so we looked it up and found he was number 166,” Krienitz explained. “We thought this would be a great way to honor him for the years he’s served.”
“I didn’t know there would be so many people, and there was standing room only,” Stieglieter said. “I’ve never seen so many people and I’ve not had that much attention before in my life. I got a new badge, and though it’s not the original, I’m glad to get it back.”
Stieglieter joined the department on Oct. 1, 1952. He was promoted to lieutenant on Jan. 1, 1958, and then captain on Nov. 17, 1962. His retirement was on March 1, 1977.
thanks Dan
Sep 26
Excerpts from the ChicagoTribune.com:
Aurora Fire Department officials said they are looking to hire more paramedics as quickly as possible.
To do that, fire Chief Gary Krienitz said he wants the city to change the language in its ordinance regarding the qualifications of safety personnel. He would like it to read that anyone looking to take the test required to be on the hiring list for the fire department already have paramedic training. Aurora needs more firefighters with paramedic training for current staffing needs, and a new ambulance that will be added.
The current hiring list has about 50 to 60 people on it, about 70 percent of which do have paramedic training. But the list expires in November, at which time the city needs to develop a new list.
Krienitz said the city is using a new testing service, which means the pool to choose from should be dramatically increased. He estimated that after the new testing, Aurora would have about 200 people on the list and he wants people who already have paramedic training to be able to get on that new list.
Hiring people who already have paramedic training saves the city time and money. As it is, hiring a new firefighter-paramedic is a two-year process and more time is lost if the city hires someone, then immediately takes that person out of service to take paramedic training. That training also costs the city about $40,000 a person.
Aug 27
Excerpts from the ChicagoTribune.com:
Aurora Police Chief Kristen Ziman and Aurora Fire Chief Gary Krienitz [recently] answered questions from the public and talked about their departments during an event at the Aurora Public Library’s Eola Road Branch. Ziman and Krienitz graduated from West Aurora High School and Waubonsie Valley High School, respectively, and rose through the ranks of their agencies.
Ziman was in a rare position to be able to appoint her command staff when she came on board as chief earlier this year. The command staff oversees the work of three bureaus for patrol, investigations, and support services at the department.
Ziman leads a department of 289 sworn police officers and a civilian workforce that handles administrative operations. She said while having a safe and peaceful community is their top priority, she saw a need to do more in areas that would promote community engagement and build trust between the public and Police Department.
Krienitz is in his 20th year with the Aurora Fire Department. He oversees the second-largest fire department in the state with 195 sworn firefighters. Krienitz was also in a position to appoint a new command staff when he took over as chief earlier this year. He said the department has nine stations. Krienitz said the city has reached a level to add its seventh advanced life support ambulance at Station 7 on the city’s West Side.
“It’s been 19 years since we put another ambulance in service. Our population has doubled in the city of Aurora, and our call volume has doubled. Next year we will be putting another medic ambulance in service to help ease the call volume, which is approaching 15,000 calls per year — 14,000 of those are EMS paramedic calls,” Krienitz said.
thanks Dan
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