New Lenox Fire Protection District Promotes Firefighters to Lieutenants

—from New Lenox Fire Protection District

On Monday, June 15, New Lenox Fire Protection District (NLFPD) held a swearing in ceremony during their Board of Trustees meeting to officially hire Firefighter/Paramedics (FF/PM) John Burke, FF/PM Brent Havener, FF/PM Weston Lancaster, and FF/PM Joseph Ward as district employees.

The four Firefighter/Paramedics were next in line on the eligibility list and have all been contract employees with the district for the last several years. In order to make it onto the district eligibility list, firefighters have to go through a series of tests over a six month period. These include written, oral, and interactive assessments conducted by the Board of Fire Commissioners. After the first test, the number of candidates is cut to approximately half. Those not cut continue on with the next assessments. Once each person is assigned a score, they are ranked, based on those scores and posted for two years.

“Making it onto the eligibility list does not mean you will become a district employee during those two years,” said NLFPD Chief Steve Engledow. “It is a very big deal, and the dream of many firefighters, to become a district employee. We were very excited to be able to bring these firefighters aboard to the district.”

In addition to hiring four new district employees, the NLFPD also promoted seven employees to Lieutenants. The new Lieutenants are: FF/PM Brian Applegate, FF/PM Mathew Buckley, FF/PM Eric Chellios, FF/PM Michael Parkhurst, FF/PM Jeffrey Petschinsky, FF/PM Lucas Rettke, and FF/PM Dan Reynolds. The Lieutenants had to go through a series of oral interviews conducted by the NLFPD’s Board of Fire Commissioners and written tests to be then placed on an eligibility list.

“These promotions were all well-deserved,” stated Engledow. “These firefighters have all worked extremely hard to get to where they are, and we couldn’t be prouder of them for their efforts.”

The primary mission of the New Lenox Fire and Ambulance Protection District is to provide a range of programs designed to protect the lives and property within New Lenox Village and Township from the effects for fires and sudden medical emergencies or exposure to dangerous conditions created by man or nature with professional, compassionate, and quality service.