Fire Department Ends 3-Year Hiring Freeze

After a three-year hiring freeze in the Lake Zurich Fire Rescue Department, the Lake Zurich Board of Trustees swore in two new firefighters in September.

Village Administrator Bob Vitas said the village hadn't hired new firefighters in more than three years due to budget constraints.

The new hires will cut overtime for current firefighters, allowing them much-needed rest between 24-hour shifts, Vitas added.

The savings from paying overtime over three years compared to hiring two new firefighters with benefits may end up being a wash for some time, but ultimately could save money for the department and the village, he said.

The new hires comes at a time where many cost-cutting measures have hit village personnel. The village has been forced to consolidate multiple positions into fewer roles and has replaced full-time jobs with part-time positions that do not offer benefits.  

Fire Chief Terry Mastandrea said over the last few years, the department has lost nine firefighters—six to attrition and three to retirement—causing the department to operate at "bare bones" levels. 

The slim down meant there was no room for firefighters to call in sick or miss work for any other reason such as injury due to base numbers required to be at the station and ready for a call at any given time, Mastandrea said.

To manage the loss of personnel over the last couple of years, the fire department discontinued its ambulance services and began to rely on neighboring communities to assist when hospital transport was needed.

With the two new hires, Mastandrea said the department is now at a more manageable level, though another new hire is anticipated in the near future to get staffing levels up to where they need to be.

The two new firefighters, Clayton Booth and Jeffrey Wascow, were sworn in at the Lake Zurich Board of Trustees Sept. 7 meeting.

Mastandrea said both Booth and Wascow bring unique qualifications to the team and are highly qualified firefighters and paramedics.

Clayton grew up in Vernon Hills and worked with the Countryside Fire Protection District after attending Bowling Green State University.  He went on to graduate from the firefighter academy in Antioch and completed paramedic school at Condell Hospital.

Once he received his paramedic license, Clayton was hired as a contract employee at Countryside.  He is a CPR instructor, an Office of the State Fire Marshal certified fire apparatus engineer, a fire service vehicle operator and is educated in technical rescue and hazardous materials awareness.  

He lives in Mundelein with his wife, Heidi, and their 8-month-old daughter Evelyn.  Booth said he appreciates the opportunity and feels very privileged to have been selected to be part of the Lake Zurich firefighter family. 

Wascow also said he's honored to have been selected to be part of the respected Lake Zurich Fire Rescue Department. His firefighting career began in Grayslake, and he is trained in ice rescue, fire service vehicle operations, hazardous materials awareness, hazardous materials first responder operations and technical rescue awareness. 

He is nearing completion of requirements to become a certified as a hazardous materials technician, which will allow him to be a part of the Lake County Haz-Mat Team. Wascow grew up in Hawthorn Woods and lives in Echo Lake.