From excerpts of the Chicago Tribune online: The Merrionette Park Fire Department seems to be in turmoil following the village's decision not to reappoint three senior officials and a long-serving department secretary during last month's board meeting. Since the removal of Deputy Chief Pat Carter, Captain Tom Ziolkowski, Lieutenant Jim Carter, and secretary Katie Quinn Schneider, at least a dozen members of the on-call firefighting team have tendered their resignations. Firefighter Tony Calzaretta mentioned that it's usually expected for village employees, appointed annually by the mayor, to continue in their roles unless there has been misconduct. When the village decides not to retain an employee, it typically offers an explanation—but that wasn't the case this time around. These changes occurred simultaneously with the appointment of Thomas J. Wendt as the new fire chief on Monday. Wendt, who previously served as a part-time lieutenant in Calumet Park and led the Dixmoor Fire Department, stepped into the role vacated by Chief Leonard Edling, who retired at the end of April. Considered an outsider by many veteran members of the department, Wendt joined the Merrionette Park Fire Department a few months back, shortly after Edling announced his retirement. Although firefighters initially accepted Wendt's appointment and even supported him, they were taken aback by the abrupt dismissal of three senior officers without any clear justification. Village spokesperson Pete DiCianni declined to discuss the reasons behind the non-reappointment of the senior officials, citing it as a personnel issue. He highlighted Wendt's extensive leadership background and local residency as key factors in the mayor's decision to appoint him. In a statement issued Tuesday, Mayor Dennis Magee expressed gratitude to the departing members of the fire department for their past contributions but made no mention of the mass resignations. The mayor described the departures as sour grapes, suggesting that many of those who left seldom responded to emergency calls. Village data reveals that out of the 12 firefighters who resigned, eight had attended fewer than 10% of this year's emergencies, while three hadn't responded to any calls at all, and one had only attended 1%. To compensate for the reduced workforce, Wendt informed the mayor in a letter that he intends to propose seven new candidates for the fire department at the upcoming village board meeting in May. He also plans to reorganize the department by maintaining a constant presence of two firefighters at the station to handle smaller incidents. Larger emergencies would call for additional reinforcements as needed. Previously, the station operated without any permanent staff, relying on firefighters responding to dispatch calls. Wendt criticized this system as inefficient and potentially wasteful, pointing out that numerous firefighters might turn out for minor incidents, requiring more personnel than necessary. Budget records over the past three years indicate that Merrionette Park spent approximately $150,000 annually on its firefighters, excluding the chief's $40,500 salary. Thanks, Dan.

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