End of an era: Chief’s retirement ends family legacy of fire service that began in 1931

Since 1931, there’s always been a Herrmann with the fire department in Hampshire.

John Herrmann Sr. helped found the volunteer fire department in Hampshire in 1931 and served for 45 years. His son John Jr. spent 25 years there.

The streak ends May 16 when Chief Trevor Herrmann retires after 36 years with the Hampshire Fire Protection District, turning the reins over to a longtime veteran of the Elgin and South Elgin fire departments.

When you add the five years Trevor’s mom, Diane, worked as an EMT, the four have put in 111 years of service. And that’s not counting two uncles and a cousin who put in more than 50 years combined.

“There’s been a Herrmann here since day one,” Trevor Herrmann said. “I’m very proud of my family and the history we’ve had here.”

Trevor Herrmann joined the fire service near the end of his dad’s career in 1989, when it was still all volunteers. But his time there started long before that.

“I grew up in this fire station,” Herrmann said. “I used to go with my dad all the time to calls. Back in those days, you were allowed to do that, so he’d throw me on the engine.”

In 1995, they started having problems finding enough volunteers for the growing community and went to a hybrid paid/volunteer model. Trevor Herrmann was the first full-time firefighter/paramedic.

He was promoted to lieutenant in 1993, then deputy chief in 2012. He was appointed chief in 2020.

His father had been battling cancer when Trevor was sworn in as chief on Jan. 7. He died two weeks later.

“I truly believe he was staying alive to see me sworn in as fire chief,” Trevor Herrmann said. “I was just glad he got to be here.”

Herrmann said the department has grown a lot since then.

When he became chief in 2020, they had just seven full-timers. When he leaves, they’ll have 15 full-timers and 25 part-timers. They also opened a second station last May and remodeled Station 1.

The Hampshire Fire Protection District covers 42 square miles of area and roughly nine miles of I-90. Call volume has gone up more than 60% in the last five years. They’re already well above the pace from last year.

“We’ve come a long way, and the service we’re providing to the community is so much better, and at the end of the day, that’s what it’s all about,” he said.

Herrmann said he’s leaving the community in capable hands with Dave Schmidt, who will be sworn in to replace him on May 14.

Schmidt was most recently assistant chief with the South Elgin Fire Department. He previously spent 31 years at the Elgin Fire Department.

Like Herrmann, fire service is in his blood. His dad was a longtime Rolling Meadows firefighter.

“Since probably age 5, it’s all I’ve wanted to do,” Schmidt said. “I’ve never deviated from it.”

He said he has “big shoes to fill” in Hampshire.

“It’s going to be tough to follow his legacy,” Schmidt said. “Everything that Trevor has done, his family has done here, I’m in a good spot.”

Herrmann said their similar backgrounds and love of training will make it a seamless transition for his crew and the community.

“Dave will do great things for this organization, and he’ll take them to the next level,” he said. “He will do a phenomenal job. There’s no doubt in my mind.”

Herrmann will be honored with a walk-out ceremony at 4 p.m. May 16, at Station 1. He expects to become emotional when he walks past a line of firefighters, receives a flag and hears the final “tone out” over the radio.

“It’s going to be rough,” Herrmann said of leaving. “This has been my life for 36 years. I have devoted my life to the fire service and, specifically, the Hampshire Fire Department.”