Hinsdale Fire Chief Leaving, Subordinate Being Promoted

HINSDALE, IL – Hinsdale Fire Chief Jeffrey Pindelski, who has been at the helm for nearly 2½ years, is leaving next month.

Pindelski, who retired as the Downers Grove fire chief in 2021, started as Hinsdale's interim chief in June 2024. He was promoted to the permanent position two years ago.

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On Tuesday, the Village Board is expected to vote on Matt Daly, assistant to the fire chief, as the new chief.

He started in January 2025, intending to assume leadership when Pindelski left, according to a village memo.

Before Hinsdale, Daly was the fire chief in Riverbank, California, about an hour and a half east of San Francisco, from 2016 to 2017. He was Downers Grove's deputy chief from 2012 to 2016.

"Since joining Hinsdale, he has demonstrated the leadership, judgment, and ability necessary to successfully lead the Department," Village Manager Kathleen Gargano said in the memo.

She said Daly's appointment allows for an orderly transition while continuing to strengthen the department's operations.

Also on Tuesday, the board plans to vote on continuing to employ Pindelski for the limited purpose of helping the department acquire a new, more maneuverable truck known as a "snorkel."

As chief, Pindelski urged the village to buy a snorkel truck rather than a ladder truck, a vehicle he said was more about "glitz and glamour."

A few years ago, neighboring Clarendon Hills faced residents' resistance when management considered not replacing its ladder truck.

Pindelski is expected to help Hinsdale through February. He will be paid based on milestones achieved, receiving $12,000.

Daly's proposed contract was not included in the board's meeting packet, so information on his expected pay was unavailable.

In April 2024, then-Deputy Chief Jon Carlson became the interim chief upon the retirement of John Giannelli, who was chief for seven years.

Carlson, a 26-year fire department employee, was at the helm for less than two months, retiring May 30. Carlson said he did so because the board decided to eliminate the deputy chief's position. That's when Pindelski entered the picture.