Elmhurst Poised To Name New Fire Chief

ELMHURST, IL – Since the spring of 2021, interim chiefs have led the Elmhurst Fire Department most of the time.

Later this month, the City Council is set to vote on interim Chief Richard "Dick" Dufort as the chief.

In April, Dufort became interim chief when Chief Bill Anaszewicz suddenly retired after six months at the helm.

According to a city news release Thursday, City Manager Jim Grabowski plans to recommend the council approve Dufort as the new chief.

Since 1993, Dufort has been an Elmhurst firefighter. He is a resident and graduate of York High School.

He has an associate's degree in fire science from the College of DuPage and is continuing his education in the fire science management program at Southern Illinois University.

In 2017, Dufort was promoted to battalion chief. In that job, he supervised employees at two fire stations, took part in union contract negotiations, and helped develop policies and prepare budgets.

The council plans to vote on Dufort's appointment at its Sept. 18 meeting.

On April 11, the city announced in a news release that Dufort was the interim chief and that Anaszewicz was leaving for a "new employment opportunity," but the city did not say what it was. The release, which referred to Anaszewicz as the former chief, did not make clear when his last day was.

Through a public records request, Patch obtained Anaszewicz's April 4 resignation letter. He said he was retiring effective immediately.

"I apologize for not getting this letter to you sooner," he said. "I was trying to manage my timeline and deal with family medical issues."

In May 2021, Anaszewicz was appointed acting chief upon the retirement of Fire Chief Tom Freeman. He served in the position for a year and a half until he was elevated to chief in October 2022.