Firefighting Couple Climb the Ladder of Success

Crystal Lake Fire Rescue Department hired its first female lieutenant this month by promoting firefighter paramedic Heidi Olsen to the position. 

She took her oath of office during the Crystal Lake City Council April 5. 

She was joined by her husband of four years, Chris Olsen, who was promoted from lieutenant to bureau chief at the same time. In fact, Heidi was promoted to her husband’s vacated position after successfully completing qualifications tests for the job. 

Heidi said she is both excited and somewhat nervous about her new responsibilities, although expressed confidence in the testing process which prepared her for the job. 

“It is something I worked hard for,” she said. “I want to do the job and do it well—not only because of my responsibilities, but being a female passing a benchmark and lead the way with it.” 

While she keeps the same 24 hours on and 48 hours off work schedule since starting at the department in 2003, the biggest change is supervising at least six firefighter paramedics in the course of her shift on three teams at Fire Station No. 1. 

Heidi started her career as a part-time firefighter paramedic at Wonder Lake Fire Protection District and worked for the Paramedic Service of Illinois in Carol Stream for a year before joining Crystal Lake Fire Rescue. 

Her position as first female lieutenant isn’t her first foray into trailblazing new avenues for women in her field. She’s been the lone female fire safety instructor at McHenry County College for four years, teaching both basic and advanced firefighter classes. 

Chris held the lieutenant’s position for five years and now is the bureau chief of training, which requires him to ensure everyone at the department is in compliance with the many specifics entailed by various agencies. 

He said the department’s 77 personnel goes through some fashion of training year round, some training is held every day like the quick drills. 

“Every day is different,” he said. “I work with all three shifts.” 

As the department’s designated safety officer he’ll step in whenever things get busy.

Chris said he too is looking at the job to expand his abilities and experience and get a different aspect of the administrative side of the department. 

“It’s a different type of challenge,” he said. 

His daytime hours during the week are a departure from the 24 hours on, 48 hours off  he’s accustomed to after 18 years at the department. 

Now that he has daytime hours, it’s given the couple a little more time together. 

Holidays will be easier and there’s more opportunity to spend time with the family. 

“We only saw each other every third day before,” Heidi said. “Now he’s home every night so we do have more nights together.”