Gurnee Deputy Fire Chief John Kavanagh Promoted to Chief
Gurnee Deputy Fire Chief John Kavanagh Promoted to Chief
GURNEE, IL – At the August 7th Gurnee Village Board meeting the Mayor and Board of Trustees approved the promotion and appointment of Deputy Fire Chief John Kavanagh to Gurnee Fire Chief.
Kavanagh began his employment with the Village in March 1994 as a Paid-on-Call Firefighter. He was hired as a Full-Time Firefighter/Paramedic with the Gurnee Fire Department in May 1995. Kavanagh was subsequently promoted to Lieutenant in May 2004, to Administrative Officer / Fire Captain in September 2006, and Deputy Chief in May 2009.
Chief Kavanagh holds a Masters in Public Service from DePaul University and a Bachelors in Fire Science Management from Southern Illinois University. Kavanagh is also certified as a Fire Officer II through the Office of the State Fire Marshal. Prior to his promotion, Kavanagh played an integral role in union negotiations, the budget and strategic planning processes, and 911 consolidation with the City of Zion.
“John is exactly the leader that we need for our Fire Department, not just for right now, but as the Fire Service evolves, John will be the leader for the future.” said Mayor Kristina Kovarik during the promotion ceremony at the Village Board meeting. “He has my 1000% confidence that he will lead this Fire Department in to the Future.”
The appointment of a Fire Chief is outlined in the Gurnee Municipal Code (Chapter 34, Section 62) and allows for the Mayor to make appointments based on the consent of the Village Board. Appointments are made on an annual basis.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: August 8, 2017
Contact: Jack Linehan, Assistant to the Village Administrator/PIO
Phone: 847-599-7514
Fax: 847-623-0490
Email: jlinehan@village.gurnee.il.us