'A labor of love': West Dundee fire chief retires from the department that started his career

Returning to West Dundee as fire chief nearly nine years ago was a homecoming for Randy Freise.

It's where he started as a volunteer firefighter in 1978. It's where he raised his family. And now, it's where he'll retire this week after a 42-year career in public service.

"This has been an honor," Freise said, "a labor of love."

Freise was hired as one of the village's first full-time firefighters in 1980 and moved up the ranks while simultaneously working for the Palatine Fire Department. He left West Dundee in 2009, when Palatine promoted him to deputy chief, but he returned a few years later to take over the department's top spot.

His dedication has been evident, West Dundee officials said, not only in the professional and practical way he has led the organization, but also in the way he leaves it.

Freise initially announced his retirement in August 2018 but planned to see out negotiations over a shared chief agreement with the Rutland-Dundee Fire Protection District. When that deal fell through, he said, he pledged to stay on until the right person was selected as his replacement.

That was accomplished with the hiring of Lance Harris, a former deputy chief and longtime veteran of the Elk Grove Village Fire Department.

"I can't tell you what a good feeling it is that I can retire and leave the department in good hands," Freise said. "I'm counting on him to keep the department going in a positive direction."

During his tenure, Freise was crucial in pursuing a functional consolidation between the four QuadCom fire entities, which included sharing resources, standardizing training and coordinating emergency response operations. He has a straightforward personality and a hands-on approach "of doing whatever it takes to get the job done," Village President Chris Nelson said.

Village officials honored Friese during a virtual meeting Monday before swearing in Harris as the fourth chief in the department's 40-year history.

Chosen from nearly 40 candidates, Harris has more than 24 years of experience in the fire service, starting as an Elk Grove firefighter and paramedic before working his way up to lieutenant and battalion chief. He was promoted in 2014 to deputy chief of operations and administration, and has a "successful track record of positive employee and community relations," Nelson said.

"I am extremely confident that Chief Harris will continue to ensure the highest level of integrity and customer service is available to the residents and businesses of our community," Nelson said.