Longtime Wood Dale firefighter dismissed

A veteran firefighter and union president for the Wood Dale Fire Protection District has been fired.

Robert Cortese, who has been with the district for more than a decade, was dismissed from his position last week, officials said.

Fire Chief Thomas Flanagan said he couldn't comment on the dismissal but confirmed that Cortese was notified Feb. 15.

"It's not appropriate for me to this discuss this," Flanagan said.

Cortese, reached by telephone, also said he couldn't comment. He referred all questions to his attorney, Lisa Moss.

Moss didn't return repeated phone calls Thursday and Friday. But earlier in the week, she said a grievance has been filed in court pertaining to her client's dismissal.

Wood Dale Fire Protection District Trustee Gail Johnson was the only trustee to respond to inquires by the Daily Herald.

Johnson, who responded via e-mail because she lost her voice, wrote that she understands that Flanagan wrote up and demoted Cortese last year because he spoke to the press without permission.

Johnson said Cortese was "a very outspoken" union president.

"I'm sure there have been many times the union president and the fire chief did not agree on things," she wrote. "With that said, only the chief can say why he decided to fire Bob."