Excerpts from the DailyHerald.com:
Patrick Kane
Wauconda Fire District Chief Patrick Kane, who started as a part-time firefighter in 1995, is retiring Jan. 20. He is a Marine Corps veteran, and was hired by the Wauconda Fire Department as a full-time firefighter/paramedic in 1999. After the department merged into the fire district, he subsequently was promoted to lieutenant in 2009, battalion chief in 2016, and deputy chief in 2019.
He continued efforts already underway to implement the Mobile Integrated Healthcare program, which utilizes firefighter/paramedics to provide “pre-emergency” medical outreach. It is meant as a preemptive measure to provide patient service to avoid the unintentional misuse of the emergency medical system, according to the district. Wauconda and four other area departments partner with Northwest Community EMS System in the program, which is funded through grants from health and civic organizations, Lake County and area hospitals.
Curt Hanselman
Kane will be succeeded by Curt Hanselman, a deputy chief with the Arlington Heights Fire Department who was chosen from among 53 candidates and is the first chief hired from outside the department.
Hanselman has 30 years of experience and has been deputy chief in Arlington Heights since 2021. He has a bachelor of science degree in fire administration from Columbia Southern University and will complete a master’s in fire executive leaders this year. He holds the chief fire officer designation from the state and Center for Public Safety Excellence and has numerous state and national operational certifications.
