North Riverside Fire Chief John Kiser

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North Riverside Fire Department news

Sep 5

Posted by Admin in Fire Department News | 1 Comment

North Riverside Fire Chief John Kiser resigned from his post Sept. 3. The village hired Bob McDermott, who is retiring from a 32-year career as a firefighter in Forest Park at the end of the month. While both Kiser and the North Riverside mayor said the parting of the ways was mutual, the timing was unexpected and things came together very rapidly this week.

McDermott, 53, a Forest Park native and Nazareth Academy graduate who lives in LaGrange Park, was elevated to fire chief in Forest Park in 2016 after 11 years as deputy chief. He started his career as a full-time firefighter there in 1988. He will split his time between North Riverside and Forest Park through the end of September, but reported for his first day in North Riverside on Sept. 4.

Previously, a years’ long feud between village government and union firefighters peaked during a five-year campaign to privatize the fire service in North Riverside. The lengthy court battle, which started in the summer of 2014 and resulted in expensive and seemingly endless litigation and labor complaints, ended in December 2019 when the two sides inked a seven-year contract that expires next April 30. McDermott was well aware of that history when he decided to take the job, saying both the mayor and village administrator assured him that battle was over.

thanks Dennis

Tags: Forest Park Fire Department, new North Riverside Fire Department fire chief, North Riverside Fire Chief Bob McDermott, North Riverside Fire Chief John Kiser, North Riverside Fire Department

North Riverside Fire Department news (more)

Aug 28

Posted by Admin in Fire Department News | Comments off

Excerpts from the rblandmark.com:

The North Riverside mayor announced on Aug. 27 that he’s hired a new permanent fire chief, following heated criticism both online and in person at last week’s village board meeting regarding his choice for interim chief.

The new chief will take over from Scott Boman, who has served as the North Riverside Fire Department’s interim chief since July 13, when the mayor abruptly terminated Chief Tom Gaertner and Deputy Chief Pat Schey after just seven months. Boman had been slated to be sworn in at the North Riverside Village Board’s Aug. 13 meeting, but it didn’t happen.

John Kiser, who for the past two years has served as chief of operations for the Cook County Department of Homeland Security, will start in his new post on Sept. 1. He will be sworn in at the village’s board’s Sept. 4 meeting. A Forest View resident, Kiser was hired as regional coordinator for the Cook County Department of Homeland Security in 2014 and was promoted to chief of operations two years later. Since 2002, he has been a commander for the Forest View Fire Department, serving part time in that capacity since 2014, when Forest View dissolved their full-time department.

Kiser has also served as a water rescue course coordinator and fire, rescue and HAZMAT instructor at the Romeoville Fire Academy. He got his start in the fire service in 1994 as a paid-on-call firefighter in Riverside, where he was also employed as a contract paramedic firefighter through the village’s private paramedic service, PSSI, now known as PSI.

Kiser said he’s aware of the labor situation, but said he was up for the challenge. “I’m excited for the opportunity and look forward to the challenge in front of us,” Kiser said. “No fire department job out there is perfect. All organizations have their challenges. … We’ll take the challenges head on and let the chips fall where they may.”

thanks Dan

Tags: chicagoareafire.com, Chief Tom Gaertner, Deputy Chief Pat Schey, John Kiser, new fire chief for North Riverside FD, North Riverside Fire Chief John Kiser, North Riverside Fire Department