Clarendon Hills Fire Chief's Ouster Likely Imminent

CLARENDON HILLS, IL – Clarendon Hills trustees are expected to force the end of Fire Chief Brian Leahy's career on Monday night.

Leahy has been with the fire department since 1971.

On Monday, the Village Board plans to take a final vote on the administration's proposal to set a mandatory retirement age of 65 for the fire and police departments.

If the board approves the measure, it will immediately affect four fire department members, according to the village.

"Many will be impacted within the next few years, giving the department plenty of time to prepare for future staffing needs," Village Manager Zach Creer said in a memo.

Leahy is the only full-time member of the department.

He and administrative Lt. Jim Weil were put on paid leave in early November.

During that time, Clarendon Hills has been investigating whether firefighters have misused the department's "callback" policy. One former department member said abuse of the system is rife.

In his memo, Creer said many other towns have mandatory retirement ages. It's 62 in La Grange Park, 63 in Chicago, and 65 in Elmhurst, La Grange and Hinsdale, among other towns, according to Creer's memo.

Western Springs, which runs on a similar paid-on-call model, has no mandatory retirement age. Neither does Westmont.

"The physical demands of firefighters can be extreme, requiring carrying 50 lbs. of equipment, dragging heavy hoses, climbing ladders, wielding chainsaws, rescuing, carrying victims, and saving other firefighters," Creer said.

At a Village Board meeting last month, audience members said they were opposed to mandatory retirement.

The board meets at 6:30 p.m. Monday at Village Hall, 1 N. Prospect Ave.