'This is where my heart is': St. Charles fire chief to retire

Chief Joe Schelstreet's earliest memories of the St. Charles Fire Department date back decades before he started his career.

A fourth-generation St. Charles resident, he grew up visiting the station where his dad worked as a paid on-call firefighter for 20 years starting in 1958. He remembers attending parties at the firehouse and getting to know the crew and checking out the engines, their tires taller than he was at the time.

"This is where my heart is," Schelstreet says. "There's no two ways about it."

Joining the department in 1986 and working his way up to chief has been nothing short of a "dream come true," he said.

Schelstreet plans to retire Oct. 4 after serving six years in the top position. Assistant Fire Chief Scott Swanson has been named acting chief.

"It's bittersweet," Schelstreet said. "Any professional who leaves ... wants to go out on a very high note, and I think I'm doing that. I'm really proud of my folks and everything we've done together."

Schelstreet started as a part-time firefighter and was sworn in to a full-time position in 1988. He was promoted to lieutenant four years later, then was promoted to captain in 1997 and assistant chief in 2003.

In 2012, Schelstreet served as acting fire chief before stepping into the permanent role a year later. One of his first orders of business was resolving various "labor-management issues" that had been present for some time, he said.

"What I had going for me is I knew who everybody was," he said. "When you listen to people and value what they have to say and understand what's important to them, then you start to put pieces in place."

The environment, level of professionalism and overall culture of the department now is what he considers to be his greatest accomplishment.

"You don't achieve what we've achieved without people who really believe in what they do," he said. "You see people wanting to take on new responsibilities, stepping up, volunteering. That's what I'm most proud of - the people here."

Under Schelstreet's leadership, the department has earned national and international accreditation, a Class 1 fire protection rating, and was named a StormReady community. The city also collaborated with neighboring emergency agencies through the Tri-City Ambulance Service, and underwent various capital improvement projects.

Additionally, the department has honored city traditions, holds community ceremonies and takes an active role in public education.

In retirement, Schelstreet said he plans to continue working in some capacity, while also traveling and spending more time with his family.

"The fire department is not just a fire station or a fleet of trucks. It's a group of people and how they embrace the profession, how they love the job," he said. "It was a real honor to lead these folks and this department. I feel really privileged."