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Carol Stream fire chief steps down after 33 years as firefighter

Posted October 13, 2009 11:00 pm

By Marco Santana

In 33 years as a firefighter, retiring Carol Stream Fire Chief Mike Kanzia had his share of close calls.

Steel nails have pierced his back. He has nearly punctured both his heart and his lungs.

But at no time was he more concerned about a forced retirement than in 2002, when a training mishap left him bedridden and facing a surgery that is often career-ending.

"I wasn't ready. I didn't want to walk away," Kanzia said. "I fought it off."

Kanzia underwent a 3-level fusion, which joined together four vertebrae in his spine, after he dislodged a loose fire hose from under a doorway during a live training drill before it charged and wrenched his back. Kanzia was tossed to the ground and sent to the hospital.

"That wasn't the way I wanted to go," he said.

On Sept. 30, Kanzia went out on his own terms. He worked his last day as fire chief for the Carol Stream Fire Protection District. The retirement ends a career that began with Carol Stream in 1976 as a paid-on-call firefighter.

Since then, Kanzia has moved up the ranks and in September 2007, he was named fire chief roughly three years after he returned from surgery.

"This is the calling," he said. "This is something I've always wanted to be as a kid growing up. It's the greatest job."

After three years as an on-call firefighter, Kanzia was hired in 1979 to work full time in Carol Stream.

The department also hired another up-and-coming firefighter in his early-20s, Rick Kolomay, who rejoined Carol Stream two years ago as deputy chief after many years in Schaumburg.

"I respect him as a man and friend and the professional that he is," Kolomay said of Kanzia. "But I respect him as my supervisor. I know where that line is."

Kanzia hired Kolomay, an outsider, against the wishes of many veteran firefighters, who missed a chance at a promotion.

But Kanzia stood firm in his decision, he said, because he knew the working relationship between himself and Kolomay would prove to be an asset to the department. The hiring followed years of low morale blamed partially on the openly rocky relationship of the previous administrators.

"Mike is good with people," said fire protection board President Del Miller. "With Rick coming and them working as one, we came from an adversarial situation to something we're most proud of."

The chemistry of Kanzia and Kolomay has been there since the start. In fact, Kolomay said Kanzia played a major role in his return to Carol Stream.

"The most important thing was who the boss was, having worked for a number of bosses that were not so good," Kolomay said. "He has mentored me, trained me. I trust him and without trust, you have nothing; you have no relationship."

Although the training injury did not completely finish his career, Kanzia acknowledged it has played a part in his retirement. He still feels the pain in his back, especially during the winter. But he said he and his wife of 34 years, Debbie, will move to Arizona along with one of their four children.

From delivering a baby in an ambulance to being in New York for the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks, Kanzia said a firefighter's perspective is unique.

"You're experiencing the best times of most people's lives but you're also experiencing the worst times," he said.

But after 33 years, Kanzia said he couldn't think of doing any other job.

"I talk to people every day who say that you're crazy," Kanzia said. "We were doing a job that we knew was a tough one. I'm going to miss it dearly. What a ride."

The Mike Kanzia File Hobbies: Radio-controlled cars, woodworking and golf. "I'm a great divining rod" on the golf course. Family: Wife Debbie; sons Michael, 31, Jason, 26, Daniel, 19; daughter Nikki, 16, all attended or currently attend Glenbard North High School. Books: "To Sleep with the Angels: The Story of a Fire" By David Cowan Movies: Horror and science fiction. Career path Summer 1976: paid on call firefighter in Carol Stream Aug. 26, 1979: Hired full time January 1983: Named lieutenant July 1993: Battalion chief March 2007: Deputy chief July 2007: Interim fire chief September 2007: Fire chief Sept. 30: Retires after 33 years

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