Posts Tagged Gurnee Fire Department

Gurnee Fire Department news

Sep 9

Posted by Admin in Fire Department News, Fire Scene photos | Comments off

A body was found in the debris of a Grandwood Park home that exploded Friday, and at least one other person was injured near the explosion.

Gurnee Fire Department Battalion Chief James Pellitteri said earlier that authorities had not believed anyone was inside the home in the 36300 block of Streamwood Court when it was leveled by an explosion. He added that two other homes to the north and south sustained damage.

According to Pellitteri, flames continued to burn from a ruptured natural gas line after crews arrived on the scene. The gas was then cut off, allowing firefighters to put out the blaze.

Crews from the Waukegan and Newport fire departments assisted at the scene.

The damaged home sits north of Grand Avenue and west of Hutchins Road. The Grandwood Park neighborhood is about a mile west of Gurnee Mills.

Tim Olk photo

gas utility workers at scene of house explosion

Tim Olk photo

Tim Olk photo

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Tags: 1 dead after house explosion in Gurnee, Gurnee Fire Department, Gurnee Fire Department Battalion Chief James Pellitteri, house explosion in Gurnee, Tim Olk

Gurnee Fire Department news

Aug 6

Posted by Admin in Fire Department News | Comments off

Excerpts from the DailyHerald.com:

Gurnee Mayor Kristina Kovarik has decided not to conduct a candidate search to replace longtime Fire Chief Fred Friedl. On Monday, Kovarik will appoint John Kavanagh to the top job, according to the published board meeting agenda.

Kovarik initially said the village would conduct a search to fill the job. In June, Kavanagh was asked to lead the department during a search for a full-time chief.

Whether Kavanagh’s promotion happens Monday depends on the consent of the village board. In June, the board unanimously approved his appointment to be acting chief. If the appointment is approved by the village board, Kavanagh will be the seventh fire chief in the department’s history, which dates to 1930.

In June, the Daily Herald obtained hundreds of pages of village documents and emails, through a Freedom of Information Act request for material possibly related to Friedl’s departure. The documents included Friedl’s resignation letter, which he sent on June 1, two days after he met with Kovarik, Village Administrator Pat Muetz, and Human Resources Director Christine Palmieri.

“Given the choices presented before me ‘Forced Retirement or Termination’, I dutifully submit to ‘Forced Retirement,'” Friedl wrote.

Kovarik disputes Friedl’s description of the May 30 meeting. She said she and the administrators went to his office about 7:30 a.m. that day and she informed him he was released from duty immediately.

Six days later, Kovarik recommended to the village board that Kavanagh, who was deputy chief at the time, be named acting fire chief.

The documents received by the Daily Herald contained no indication Friedl had been recently disciplined, nor were there outstanding complaints against him.

thanks Dan

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Tags: Fire Chief Fred Friedl, Gurnee Fire Department, John Kavanagh, new fire chief in Gurnee

Gurnee Fire Department news

Jul 22

Posted by Admin in Fire Department News | Comments off

Excerpts from the DailyHerald.com:

Former Gurnee Fire Chief Fred Friedl’s long tenure was celebrated at a ceremony Wednesday night. The popular chief was relieved of duty last month when Gurnee Mayor Kristina Kovarik decided not to reappoint him. It is for that reason perhaps that the ceremony did not happen during a Gurnee board meeting.

Instead, Friedl’s friends and former colleagues told him how much they appreciated him during the Warren-Waukegan Fire Protection District board meeting in the training room at Fire Station No. 2.

The Warren-Waukegan Fire Protection District pays the Gurnee Fire Department to provide its residents, who mostly live in unincorporated Lake County, with fire service.

Phillip DeRuntz, president of the three-member board of trustees, said that during his 13 years on the board, Friedl had been a constant he could rely on for help and counsel when times were tough.

Battalion Chief Jim Pellitteri, who worked under Friedl for several years at the Gurnee Fire Department, said Friedl treated everyone with kindness, even those weren’t kind to him.

The ceremony was paused briefly so the approximately 60 people who had gathered to honor Friedl could listen to a radio dispatcher read a message announcing Friedl’s final tone, a gesture done at most retirement ceremonies for high-ranking firefighters.

Gurnee’s acting fire chief, John Kavanagh, also gave a speech thanking Friedl, saying Friedl had allowed firefighters to grow as individuals over the last 20 years and make the department what it is today.

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Tags: Battalion Chief Jim Pellitteri, Gurnee Fire Chief Fred Friedl, Gurnee Fire Department, John Kavanagh, Warren-Waukegan FIre Protection District

Gurnee Fire Department news

Jun 8

Posted by Admin in Fire Department News | 1 Comment

Excerpts from the DailyHerald.com:

Fred Friedl’s long tenure as the Gurnee fire chief ended abruptly this week when Mayor Kristina Kovarik chose not to reappoint him. Kovarik said she informed Friedl last week she would relieve him of the post he’s held for nearly 20 years. She declined to discuss her reasons for replacing him.

“Everyone who takes these positions knows you have to be reappointed every year,” Kovarik said. “I decided not to reappoint him.”

Asked Wednesday about Friedl’s departure, Village Administrator Patrick Muetz said the village respects the privacy of its employees and does not publicly discuss personnel matters.

On Monday, Kovarik recommended that Deputy Chief John Kavanagh, the department’s deputy chief for more than 10 years, be named acting fire chief. The village board voted unanimously to accept the appointment.

He said Kovarik asked him last week if he would be willing to lead the department while village leaders search for a full-time chief.

thanks Dan

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Tags: Deputy Chief John Kavanagh, Gurnee Fire Chief Fred Friedl, Gurnee Fire Department, Gurnee searching for new fire chief

FDIC 2017

Apr 29

Posted by Admin in Fire Department News, Fire Truck photos, New Delivery | 3 Comments

This from Larry Shapiro:

I found two units from Chicago area fire departments on display at this year’s FDIC. The new Gurnee squad displayed by E-ONE in the REV Group booth. The Fox Lake FPD engine is i the Alexis booth in the Lucas Oil Stadium.