Posts Tagged Geneva Fire Chief Steve Olson

Geneva Fire Department news

Jun 27

Posted by Admin in Fire Department History, Fire Department News | Comments off

After serving the community for more than 40 years, Geneva Fire Chief Steve Olson will be retiring June 30. Olson, of Geneva, said he intends to retire so he can explore opportunities for teaching the next crop of firefighters.

In 1974, Olson joined the ranks of the Geneva Fire Department as an on-call firefighter. He was promoted to lieutenant coming on board as a full-time employee. He was promoted to captain and deputy fire chief before becoming chief in 1996. Olson oversees 27 full-time firefighters and paramedics, and 40 paid on-call members.

Apart from working for the Geneva Fire Department, Olson served as a field instructor for the Illinois Fire Service Institute from 1986 to 1996.

During his time with the department, he saw the construction of two fire stations, the purchase of a new fleet of vehicles, and the implementation of technology.

New to the department was a community-based automated external defibrillator program that assisted local businesses and organizations in acquiring the devices in addition to training, installation, and maintenance. The department also developed the in-service company inspection program that ensured annual inspection of commercial properties and introduced the use of laptop computers in fire vehicles to improve firefighter and paramedic response.

In 2001, the department received accreditation from the Commission on Fire Accreditation International and they have been accredited ever since. It changes the way the department does business for the better.

Tags: Geneva Fire Chief Steve Olson, Geneva fire chief to retire, Geneva Fire Department

Geneva fire chief to retire

Apr 2

Posted by Admin in Fire Department News | Comments off

Excerpts from a City of Geneva press release:

After leading the Geneva Fire Department during a time of substantial growth and change in the community for the past two decades, Fire Chief Steve Olson has announced his retirement effective June 30.

Chief Olson has spent 42 years serving in the Geneva Fire Department, first being hired in 1974 as a paid-on-call firefighter. After being promoted to lieutenant in 1978, he joined the fire department on a full-time basis the following year. His career ascension included being promoted to captain in 1982, deputy chief in 1986, and finally chief in 1996. He oversees a combination department of 26 full-time firefighter/paramedics and more than 40 paid-on-call firefighters.

Coinciding with the growth of the city, Chief Olson has brought the Geneva Fire Department into the modern era with the construction of two fire stations, and the implementation of technology that includes educational programs and data analysis for all department operations. He initiated a community-based Automated External Defibrillator program that assisted local businesses and organizations in acquiring the devices along with training, installation, and maintenance.

Chief Olson developed the successful In-Service Company Inspection program that ensures the department annually inspects all commercial properties and introduced the use of laptop computers in fire vehicles to provide critical building information to responding firefighters and paramedics. He also helped lead the department through an exhaustive process that resulted in the department becoming an internationally accredited agency in 2001, a status it has successfully maintained through the subsequent 15 years.

Outside of Geneva, Olson was a field instructor for the Illinois Fire Service Institute from 1986 to 1996 and has served on the Commission of Fire Accreditation as a peer assessor/team leader since 2005 and as vice chair since 2014.

Chief Olson is a member of the International Association of Fire Chiefs, Illinois Fire Chiefs Association, Kane County Chiefs Association, Mutual Aid Box Alarm System – Illinois, Illinois Fire Accreditation Managers workgroup, and Tri-Com Central Dispatch Board of Directors.

thanks Dan

Tags: Geneva Fire Chief Steve Olson, Geneva fire chief to retire, Geneva Fire Department

Geneva Fire Department History

Mar 15

Posted by Admin in Fire Department History, Fire Service Photos | 1 Comment

This from Drew Smith:

I was a contract FF/PM at the Geneva FD from 12/1/82 until 11/30/89. While I was there I organized this live fire exercise sometime between 1985 and 1988. The location was the east side of Kirk Road north of IL Route 38. At that time the intersection and adjacent area was just beginning to become developed.

In the group shot you can see the current fire chief, Steve Olson, in the red helmet on the left end of the second row. Current deputy chief Jerry Koster is in the red helmet second from the right end of the second row. Then-fire chief Frank Johnson is in the white T-shirt front and center. All of the other officers in red helmets are since retired. Several others pictured currently serve with other west suburban FDs such as Batavia, Carol Stream, Oak Park, Saint Charles, and Naperville.

Drew Smith

Deputy Chief

Prospect Heights Fire Protection District

group shot of firefighters fireman silhouetted by fire Geneva Fire Department training exercise circa 1986