'Captain Al' remembered for dedicated service to Elk Grove Village

John "Al" Mergens, who helped lead the Elk Grove Village Fire Department from a volunteer force into a full-time, professional agency with multiple stations, has died.

Mergens served as chief of the village's first department, a group of 40 volunteer firefighters, who worked out of a barn near Tonne and Landmeier roads. He passed away Dec. 7, at the age of 84.

"He was always a man of purpose," said his son Jim Mergens of Lake Zurich. "He served his country, his community, the fire department - and raised a family. He just always met his commitments."

Mergens served as an engineer and firefighter in damage control with the U.S. Coast Guard from 1955 to 1957. Once he and his wife, Celine, moved out to Elk Grove Village, Mergens lent his experience in firefighting to his new community, which had incorporated in 1956.

The department formed in 1960 and its members, along with Mergens, were sworn in in 1961. The barn they used as a fire station was donated by Charles Hodlmair, Elk Grove's first village president.

While volunteering with the fire department, Mergens also worked as a finished carpenter. By 1966, the village hired its first six full-time firefighters. Mergens officially was hired one year later.

He worked his way up through the ranks, from firefighter to lieutenant and ultimately captain in 1972, a role he held until he retired in 1999.

As a captain in the department, which eventually would have 94 paid personnel, Mergens played a lead role in building new fire stations as the village expanded.

"He was responsible for all the fire stations in Elk Grove, including the construction, maintenance and condition of the stations," Jim Mergens said

In the 1970s alone, the village built three new fire stations to meet the growing needs of the community, and only recently have they been demolished or updated.

Former Deputy Commander James Forde served under Mergens for nearly 15 years and described him as an innovator and problem-solver.

"As a shift commander he was responsible for the big picture regarding day-to-day operations as well as emergency situations," Forde said. "He did his job well, and was very well respected by both the young and senior members of the fire department."

Mergens' dedicated service was recognized Tuesday night by Mayor Craig Johnson at the village board meeting. He noted how Mergens had been a part of all the changes to the fire department over the years and that he was a great resource for those that followed him.

"We all relied on Captain Al," Johnson said. "He's being remembered well here in the village, but Elk Grove is definitely a better place because of what he did."

In his retirement, Mergens visited Elk Grove's fire stations regularly, staying in touch with the latest technology and advancements in fire safety.

"He was very proud of the fabric of Elk Grove," his son says, "having served the community since he was a young man."

Mergens was preceded in death by his wife. Besides his son, he is survived by another son, Allen (Nancy) and daughter Robin (Anthony) Fabrisiak, as well as six grandchildren and two great grandchildren.

Visitation will take place from 3 to 9 p.m. Dec. 19, at Grove Memorial Chapel, 1199 S. Arlington Heights Road, followed by an 11 a.m. Mass Dec. 20, at St. Julian Eymard Church, 601 Biesterfield Road, both in Elk Grove Village.