**Excerpts from the Chicago Tribune Online:**
In recent developments, tensions have surfaced within the Merrionette Park Fire Department following the village's decision not to reappoint three senior officials and a long-serving department secretary during the board meeting last month. At least a dozen members of the on-call firefighting team have submitted their resignations since Deputy Chief Pat Carter, Captain Tom Ziolkowski, Lieutenant Jim Carter, and secretary Katie Quinn Schneider had their positions revoked.
Firefighter Tony Calzaretta noted that it's usually expected for village employees, who are rehired annually by the mayor in the spring, to retain their roles unless there has been misconduct. Typically, if someone's employment is terminated, the village provides an explanation. However, that wasn't the case this time around.
The changes happened simultaneously with the appointment of Thomas J. Wendt as the new fire chief on Monday. Wendt, previously a part-time lieutenant in Calumet Park and the former chief of the Dixmoor Fire Department, stepped into the role vacated by longtime Chief Leonard Edling, who retired at the end of April.
Wendt, viewed by veteran members as an outsider, joined the Merrionette Park Fire Department a few months prior to Edling’s announcement of retirement. Although firefighters initially supported Wendt's appointment, they were taken aback by the removal of three senior officials without any explanation just as Wendt took office.
Village spokesperson Pete DiCianni declined to comment on the reasons behind the non-reappointment of the senior officials, citing it as a personnel issue. He emphasized that the mayor selected Wendt due to his extensive leadership experience and residency in Merrionette Park.
In a statement released Tuesday, Mayor Dennis Magee expressed gratitude for the outgoing fire department members' service but refrained from addressing the resignations directly. He described the departures as a result of sour feelings among those who felt slighted, adding that many of the resigning firefighters rarely responded to calls anyway. According to village data, out of the 12 firefighters who resigned, eight had attended fewer than 10% of emergency incidents this year. Three hadn’t responded to any incidents, and another had only addressed 1%.
To compensate for the reduction in manpower, Chief Wendt informed the mayor that he plans to propose the hiring of seven new firefighters at the upcoming village board meeting in May. Additionally, he intends to revamp department operations by ensuring that the firehouse always has two members on duty to handle smaller emergencies. Larger incidents would require additional support, summoned as needed.
Previously, the firehouse remained unstaffed, relying on firefighters responding to dispatch calls. Wendt criticized this approach as inefficient and potentially wasteful, since numerous firefighters often showed up to minor incidents, which didn’t necessitate such a large response.
Over the past three years, Merrionette Park has allocated approximately $150,000 annually for firefighter salaries, excluding the $40,500 chief’s salary.
*Thanks, Dan.*
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