Bloomingdale fire chief retiring after 30 years

Dozens of colleagues in full dress uniform surrounded Bloomingdale Fire Chief David Christensen Wednesday, shaking his hand, hugging him and wishing him well.

Amid the loud murmur of congratulations from fellow chiefs, Christensen's voice hovered just above a whisper as he reflected on his 30 years with the Bloomingdale Fire Protection District.

“It's a bittersweet moment in my career because it's a family here,” Christensen said. “And it's not just fellow co-workers. Our working relationship with surrounding departments is unsurpassed.”

Christensen retired from his post Wednesday, and marked the occasion lunching with colleagues and being feted in a traditional color guard ceremony that marked his final exit from Station 1 as chief.

Christensen joined the district in 1981 as a firefighter-paramedic after brief stints as a dispatcher in Mount Prospect in 1978 and as a firefighter-paramedic in Elk Grove Village for two more years. He worked his way up the ranks, becoming a lieutenant in 1994, assistant chief in 1998 and fire chief in 2005.

Ever since high school, Christensen said he knew his calling. He joined a fire cadet program before graduating and said at that point he already knew what his career would hold.

“This has been one of the best experiences of my life,” he said.

During his tenure, Christensen participated on local, regional and state committees that provided training in fire suppression, technical rescue, hazardous materials and more. He is also a member of many professional organizations, including the DuPage County Fire Chiefs Association.

Bill Wolff, a trustee for the district and retired assistant chief of operations, said training and development were Christensen's specialty.

“He spent a lot of time as he was coming up the ranks going through a lot of training sessions and bringing that knowledge back to the department,” Wolff said. “When he was a lieutenant, if the department went out on a call and something didn't go right, he would come back to the station to figure out how not to make the same mistake twice.”

But while he is retiring from the department, Christensen is not actually retiring from work — or fire science. Instead, he will take a new position in the insurance industry specializing in firefighter safety issues.

Deputy Chief Michael McNamara is slated to be installed as chief during a ceremony Thursday. Like Christensen, McNamara worked his way up in the district, joining as a firefighter-paramedic in 1986. He was promoted to battalion chief in 2004 and deputy chief in 2008.

Christensen said his successor is ready to lead.

“He has extremely good energy and good ideas to improve the district” he said.