Lombard continues search for new fire chief

Lombard’s search for a fire chief to replace the retired Mike Torrence is no closer to a conclusion today than it was when Torrence stepped down Jan. 20.

The village already has considered 53 candidates to fill the post — and hired none.

Village Manager David Hulseberg said he will begin meeting next week with union representatives and fire officers for a second round of discussions about the qualities he should look for in a new chief.

The village is looking for “a solid leader with strong values,” Hulseberg said, someone with a wide range of experience who will make a long-term commitment to serving the community.

He said the initial search netted two finalists but after a “very thorough review process” neither met all the village’s expectations.

“We were not satisfied with the results,” Hulseberg said.

Before choosing those two finalists, the field was narrowed from 53 to 10. Of those 10, four candidates removed themselves from consideration — one because of pension issues, another for personal reasons, a third to take a different job and a fourth to move to another state, Hulseberg said.

He wouldn’t comment further about what qualifications the first round of fire chief candidates lacked, but said it’s best to keep looking and cast a wider net.

This time around, the village may give more consideration to out-of-state applicants, Hulseberg said.

Prospective chiefs from outside Illinois applied and were evaluated in the first round of the search, but their experience was found to be about equal to in-state applicants, he said.

“Maybe some new players will express interest,” Hulseberg said. “We have a number of internal candidates we would like to re-interview.”

Assistant Fire Chief Jerry Howell will continue as acting chief until a permanent fire department leader can be found.