4 May Lose Jobs With New Clarendon Hills Rule

CLARENDON HILLS, IL – Four of Clarendon Hills' public safety employees would lose their jobs if the village enacts a mandatory retirement age of 65, according to a village memo.

One of those employees is believed to be longtime Fire Chief Brian Leahy, whom the village put on paid administrative leave this week. He started with the fire department in the early 1970s.

The rule would apply to employees in the police and fire departments, but the fire department appeared to inspire the retirement proposal.

In a memo Thursday, Village Manager Zach Creer said Illinois law provides that all police officers and firefighters retire at 65. However, a town can lower that age by ordinance to as young as 60.

It is likely that all four employees are in the fire department. Creer's memo focused on the physical demands of firefighters, not police officers.

Firefighters, he said, must be able to carry 50 pounds of equipment, drag heavy hoses, climb ladders, wield chainsaws, rescue people and carry victims.

"This is why the vast majority of fire departments in the State have a mandatory retirement age," Creer said.

In his memo, Creer said a mandatory retirement age would affect many employees in the next few years, giving the village plenty of time to prepare.

Creer proposed the creation of an emergency management assistants group, which would not be the subject of a mandatory retirement age. He said it would be open to people of all ages.

On Monday, the Village Board plans to discuss Creer's proposals. No action is planned at the meeting.

Nothing is on the meeting agenda about the village's policy on compensating paid-on-call firefighters.

After the village put on paid administrative leave this week, it almost immediately curtailed its practice of paging firefighters to answer calls. A former firefighter alleged department members have abused the policy.

Leahy has not returned a message for comment.