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newlenoxpatriot.com news<br />
the New Lenox Patriot | September 14, 2017 | 3<br />
New Lenox resident steps down as Downers Grove fire chief<br />
Megann Horstead<br />
Freelance Reporter<br />
While firefighters are used<br />
to putting out fires, not everyone<br />
goes on to blaze trails<br />
of their own working their<br />
way up through the ranks to<br />
hail as fire chief.<br />
For New Lenox resident<br />
Jim Jackson, it certainly<br />
happened.<br />
Jackson recently signed<br />
off from his post as Downers<br />
Grove fire chief after 30<br />
years of service and said if<br />
he had an opportunity for a<br />
do-over, he wouldn’t change<br />
a thing.<br />
“It’s the love for the job,<br />
the love for helping people<br />
and serving the community,”<br />
he said. “When you learn<br />
from firefighters in working<br />
with them, that helps. It’s<br />
like a family. You spend all<br />
your time here helping them<br />
to serve the community.”<br />
Jackson started as a firefighter<br />
and got involved on<br />
a number of committees.<br />
Seven years later, he served<br />
as technical rescue coordinator<br />
and subsequently became<br />
lieutenant in 1994 and deputy<br />
chief in 2001. By 2009,<br />
Jackson was appointed to assume<br />
his duties as fire chief.<br />
Jackson intends to use his<br />
time off to pursue other interests.<br />
“What I’ll do is spend time<br />
with family,” he said. “When<br />
we talk about the fire chief<br />
and its demand, it takes a lot<br />
out of the family, as well. …<br />
Golf, I’ll probably get back<br />
into it.”<br />
Jackson strived to lead<br />
by example as fire chief.<br />
Like the other departmental<br />
heads, he carried out his duties<br />
and reported to a higherranking<br />
official.<br />
“We have a department,<br />
Jim Jackson, of New Lenox, officially retired from the<br />
Downers Grove Fire Department after 30 years on Aug. 31.<br />
Photo Submitted<br />
and we work with the village,”<br />
he said. “It’s exciting.<br />
We have good people<br />
in Downers Grove. We work<br />
well together. My boss and<br />
the village manager, are<br />
outstanding. We learn from<br />
each other.”<br />
The demand placed on fire<br />
chiefs has changed over the<br />
years, Jackson said. They<br />
don’t just sit at the firehouse.<br />
Fire chiefs are typically<br />
responsible for overseeing<br />
the department in areas such<br />
as personnel and budgeting.<br />
The role of the fire department<br />
has expanded throughout<br />
the years, Jackson said.<br />
“Our staff, they have to<br />
be well-trained,” he said.<br />
“To see them grow is key.<br />
It’s gone from rescuing cats<br />
from trees to fires to emergency<br />
medical services to<br />
[Weapons of Mass Destruction].<br />
The world’s changing,<br />
and we have to be prepared.”<br />
As such, calls for service<br />
to the fire department have<br />
increased over time.<br />
Jackson stressed that they<br />
use their resources wisely<br />
and maintained that making<br />
sure the community is safe is<br />
their top priority.<br />
During his stint with the<br />
Downers Grove Fire Department,<br />
progress was made.<br />
Departmental accolades include<br />
obtaining an ISO Class<br />
1 status and extending outreach<br />
programs to members<br />
of the community. Jackson’s<br />
leadership helped promote<br />
operations efficiency and<br />
provide direction in the areas<br />
of policy and procedures.<br />
Jackson credits the success<br />
they obtained over the<br />
years to encouraging staff<br />
members who “make this<br />
your home” when they’re<br />
climbing up the ranks.<br />
“The biggest thing I believe<br />
in is being a team,” he<br />
said. “We worked together.<br />
It wasn’t just the chief. The<br />
group worked together to allow<br />
the department to grow.”<br />
Jackson said he looks forward<br />
to seeing the fire department<br />
continue to grow.<br />
“My retirement allows<br />
further movement to allow<br />
them to grow even more,”<br />
he said.<br />
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