Firefighting runs in family for Carol Stream's interim chief

To say Rick Kolomay's family tends to lean toward careers in fire prevention might be putting it mildly.

His father and grandfather both worked with the Chicago Fire Department. So did his uncle, for whom he is named. And now, one of his four children, 24-year-old Brandon, has followed in those footsteps and is on Chicago's eligibility list right now.

Kolomay's own 30-year-career has taken him through Schaumburg and Champaign.

On Oct. 26, he officially took over as interim fire chief in Carol Stream, where he had served as deputy since March, 2008. He took the reins from his friend, mentor and boss, Mike Kanzia, who retired from the post but will continue to consult with the district through the end of the year.

Kolomay and Carol Stream Fire Protection District officials view the next two months as a trial to see how things fit and make a final decision in the new year.

Kolomay recently sat down with the Daily Herald to discuss his career - past, present and future.

Q. What led you to becoming a fire chief?

A. My goal was to take any opportunity that I was afforded throughout my career and do my very best. If it meant being a firefighter/paramedic, I was happy with that. I was lieutenant, captain, battalion chief. Each of those were opportunities I worked hard to get. That's the same now as interim (chief). You set your goals to do the best you can and study and get experience and make the most of it. If you're fortunate and those opportunities come by, well, then you're blessed.

Q. Any surprises in your first few weeks as interim fire chief?

A. No surprises. The men and women that work here are beyond special. They have adapted to change and they have given me and awarded me their trust. Because of that, we have been able to move into certain areas of progress. That is incredible. They are very special.

Q. How has the transition gone?

A. With Mike (Kanzia) being here (as a consultant), he has been so supportive and has worked as a partner enacting so many changes in my time here as deputy chief.

Q. What challenges does the job pose?

A. Staying current with the new challenges of public safety within Carol Stream. The anticipation of H1N1 and seasonal flu and having coordinators and paramedics really keeping up with the epidemic, which should turn into a pandemic. There are new changes all the time with disaster resources.

Q. How has your department worked with other government agencies?

A. We've really embraced our relationship with the police department. We have put together a unified command vehicle and working on a certification program. We have a real nice relationship with the school district.

Q. What about training future administrators or those who wish to be promoted in the future?

A. We must continue to develop and empower our personnel in training and formal education and mentoring programs. It provides a lot of trust and organizational stability. I think it provides a future for everybody, too. The end result is an excellent service to the citizens. Everybody understands the next person's work and responsibilities.

Q. What sparked your interest in this career?

A. As a little kid, my dad took me to the fire station and started letting me ride on the fire engine and stay at the fire house. My dad always told me to get an education (instead of joining the fire service). That was at the time when fire service (was experiencing) a lot of skepticism.

I did not really agree with him.

Q. What happens to you during tragic situations when you encounter people during events that are often life changing?

A. It's great to train and put your training to work, but I don't know if when you get a little bit older, sometimes with the loss of family and friends, things come into your life and you begin to rethink your mortality. To see these people injured and displaced, it's heartbreaking. It is the life, it happens every day to somebody. But that doesn't change the fact that it's heartbreaking.

Q. But there's also the other side, when you get to help save someone.

A. When people are in great distress or cardiac situations, it's almost like magic how they get stabilized immediately then you hear how they survive.

And the other aspect is the team-building. You get that incident that is very challenging and you see that group come together. They just gel and work with the machine.

Q. Are you a spiritual person?

A. I don't know if it's spiritual as much as it is principled. I'm learning that a leader has got to have principles. Those are the borders in which you must operate. I've chosen five principles. I refer to them often, especially when you know there's conflict involved.

Q. What's one of the biggest, in your mind?

A. Seek first to understand then be understood. You can listen and get the facts, hear people out. I'm very big on relationships from the standpoint of they must be cooperative and not competitive. We have got to serve the citizens and be harmonious and on the same page as much as possible. Sometimes it takes conflict to get there. But the end result has to be cooperation.

Carol Stream Interim Fire Chief Rick Kolomay

Married: 27 years to Patti, a flight attendant with American Airlines

Children: Son Brandon, 24; daughters Carissa, 21, and Noelle, 15

Career:

• Firefighter/paramedic, Carol Stream, hired June 1, 1979 • Work at Illinois Fire Service Institute, Champaign, beginning April 1, 1984 • Firefighter/paramedic, Schaumburg, hired Dec. 1, 1985 • Lieutenant, Schaumburg, promoted May 1, 1992 • Captain, Schaumburg, promoted May 1, 2007 • Deputy chief, Carol Stream, hired March 31, 2008 • Interim fire chief, appointed Oct. 26

Hobbies: Health and fitness; die-hard White Sox fan

Quote: "I love this so much, it has become a lot of my pastime."