From the WSFD Interim Chief

My appointment as Interim Fire Chief was not a position that I applied for. Rather, I was asked to step in due to ongoing personnel issues that created an environment of distrust which eventually lead to the Fire Chief stepping down.  In the past, I served as fulltime firefighter in a department that was an ISO 3 running over 4,000 calls annually.  Today, it is an ISO 2 running over 10,000 calls each year.

 

I have a history of performing self-assessment of the organizations, and I was tasked with implementing positive changes similar to those Chief Ellison and I have done with the Police Department.  Initially, I contacted the parties that were in discord and encouraged them as Christian men and leaders in our community to put their differences aside and make amends for the best interest of the community they serve and the department.  Unfortunately, they could not put their grievances aside for the betterment of the citizens.

 

I conducted my first meeting with the department in January of 2024 and outlined the importance of professionalism, the willingness to be open to change, and the need for continuous improvement.  I immediately was met with resistance from some of the patriarchs of the department.

 

I understand that change can be difficult, but sometimes change is needed to build a cohesive team.  The department appeared to have been polarized because of individuals' quest for power and need for public accolades. The attitudes of, "This is the way we've always done it", and "We don't need to follow those rules because we're volunteers", simply are not conducive to better serving the public.  We had firefighters that were wearing full beards, blatantly violating NFPA and OSHA standards for respirator use in IDLH environments (Immediately Dangerous to Life and Health).  Also, the safety mindset from one of the senior members was disturbing -- turnouts were being stored in engine compartments with gasoline.  

 

In an effort to encourage comradery within the group, I decided to revise the department patch.  With no new patches available to be issued and no supporting artwork on file, it seemed reasonable to design a new patch. The existing motto, "For our community, we sacrifice" was not aligned with my vision.   Being a firefighter is the best job in the world - it's a privilege, not sacrifice.

 

The new patch has traditional fire department artwork with the Maltese Cross and the fire department scramble.  The center displays the core values: Community, Integrity, Compassion, and Safety.  I received input on the design from the group that was on the roster at the time. 

 

In closing, my intent as interim Fire Chief has never been to cause division -- quite the opposite. I've tried to place individuals with talent in key positions that would help drive the safety and efficiency of the department for the citizens that we serve. I believe this is accomplished through building trusting relationships within our small cadre of firefighters, and by training together where we can learn collectively, not by back-biting and gossiping about others.

 

We have been striving to increase the training with our new personnel by getting them through the Fire Academy and by training every other month with the Region G All-Hazards Team.  I was in the process of appointing a new company officer in charge of training that would have taken this department to a new level.  Unfortunately, that individual was more concerned with garnering praise for himself instead of mentoring new personnel under his leadership.

 

My appointment as Fire Chief was never about me or meant to be long term.  I announced my pending retirement at the end of the year in June, and my prayers are with the new Fire Chief whoever is selected.  Despite some of the rumors about me terminating employees, that just isn't true.  I know that the city did respond to requests for information concerning the allegations, but those responses did not come from my office.   I feel that we have some great people on our agency that are there for the right reasons, hopefully we can continue to improve so we can address the needs of our community.  

 

Sincerely,

Alan Lewis 

Interim Fire Chief

Willow Springs Fire Department

 

Publisher's note: This letter was originally excerpted in the article "Search is on for a WSFD fire chief," as quotes attributed to Interim Chief Lewis. It is printed in full here with his prior knowledge and consent.