Elgin asst. fire chief resigns, takes Streamwood job

William “Mike” Baker’s retirement from the Elgin Fire Department after 26 years of service doesn’t mean he will be leaving the firefighting business.

Baker, who served as the assistant fire chief of administration, is starting a new job as the deputy fire chief of Streamwood on Monday.

Streamwood has recently replaced most department heads with in-house promotions, including new Fire Chief Chris Clark, due to their predecessors taking advantage of early retirement incentives.

But Baker’s level of experience and education will be a boon to the fire department in this time of transition, Streamwood Village Manager Gary O’Rourke said. The office of deputy chief is being revised to have oversight of training, inspections and career development.

“Deputy Chief Baker brings a lot of experience in those areas,” O’Rourke said.

“He’s served very well,” said Dave Schmidt, Elgin’s assistant fire chief of operations.

Baker, 52, was hired by the Elgin Fire Department as a firefighter/paramedic in 1985. He moved up to lieutenant in 1995 and captain in 2001. In 2004, he was promoted to his current position. He also served as interim fire chief from November 2010 to January 2011.

In Elgin, Baker developed the Saving Our Seniors Smoke Detector and Company Officer Succession training programs. He was American Legion Firefighter of the Year in 1989 and won the EMS Leadership Award in 2006. He worked as an instructor for the Elgin Regional Fire Academy, and taught citizen CPR and grade school fire safety.

“He’s kind of a jack of all trades,” Schmidt said. “As the department grew from four stations to seven, Mike was actively involved in the design and construction of fire stations 6 and 7,” he added.

A reception for Baker was held at Fire Station One in Elgin Friday afternoon. His replacement hasn’t been named.

Daily Herald staff writer Eric Peterson contributed to this report.