Silver Lake FD to still respond without chief

silver-lake-fd-doorThough their latest chief has resigned, members of the Silver Lake Fire Department are still committed to responding to calls and will be toned out when appropriate, village Trustee Roger Johnson said Wednesday night.

SLFD Chief David Kordecki resigned via letter earlier this week. He was appointed chief by the Village Board on June 18. Kordecki was the third person to resign as chief since mid May. Andrew McFarlane retired as chief and a member of the department on May 13. Interim Chief Roger Pattie resigned as chief on May 21, but remained a member of the department.

Johnson, chairman of the Emergency Services Committee, said he did not have an immediate replacement for Kordecki, but that he met with department personnel in the wake of the resignation. Johnson said the meeting was positive and department personnel were committed to continuing to answer calls.

“They’re all very willing to keep things rolling,” Johnson said.

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31 Comments

  1. Ughh says:

    Seriously? He resigned already?? I can’t imagine anyone wanting that position in this village!

  2. Hi Bell says:

    Johnson steps to the plate…..bottom of the 9th bases loaded…..three CHIEFS YOUR OUT !!!!!

  3. Bernard Punsley says:

    Seriously folks….our “ex chief” moaned the people were picking on him via social media sites. So? Apparently, he never bothered to read any of his own postings slamming his firefighters and the department he was supposed to lead. His “vision” for the department was precipitated by his own delusions of grandeur. While I don’t doubt he had some good ideas and plans to lead the department, he CERTAINLY did not have a CLUE as to how the political process in this village works. Why he thought he was going to have any more support than his predecessors is mind boggling. The intensive study that the Ad Hoc committee undertook trying to address the issues facing the fire department was swept under the rug. And anyone supporting those recommendations were quickly targeted by the “RED COATS” and their supporters. They will now have to lobby harder to induce another of their
    “candidates” to “apply” for the position. I note the ex-chief called for the dismantling of the SLFD and “starting over”. The DISSOLVE movement will take care of that very nicely, as the SLFD will be assimilated into the Salem FIre and Rescue Department. Our ex-chief, a “Visionary”. Who knew!!??

  4. Bernard Punsley says:

    A point of clarification here, SLFD HAS a Fire Chief, duly elected by the membership, that the village board REFUSES to RECOGNIZE!

  5. Bag of Tricks says:

    “Roger Johnson says he does not have an immediate replacement for Kordecki”
    Time to reach back into his “bag of tricks”….he’d better check with SL Rescue first. Meanwhile SLFD will continue to operate under the authority of the Fire Chief that THEY elected. Back to the drawing board, Roger!

  6. About the Chief Elect says:

    It is a fact. The Chief elect has more education than the Chief that just quit. Some people say she is not ready. They are mistaken. She is ready and she has the backing of the department. She is ready to be the first female Fire Chief in Kenosha County. Some people can not handle that. Again they are wrong this is 2014 things are different.

  7. Food for thought says:

    I was informed first hand that Retired Fire Chief Andrew McFarlane was willing to come out of retirement and resume in the position that he had left in May. I was shown a message that was sent to Trustee Johnson in regarding his return but was never replied to. As a member of this fire department, he was quite capable of leading the department even though a couple of bad apples spoiled the pie. Everything that was addressed on the department by the recent changes in equipment was all addressed from the day he took over yet there was “no money for large ticket improvements” yet, the board gave Mr. kordecki the ability to fix things. Chief McFarlane or in that fact Chief Brown might still be in the position had the boards supported the fire department. Personally, Roger Johnson should sit with Mr. McFarlane and see what they can come up with to keep the citizens safe and the members happy.

  8. woman Fire Chief says:

    This is 2014 Woman has equal rights just like the men (some people don’t think so) I believe she would make a GREAT FIRE CHIEF ! I have been a warehouse manager for 35 years , all employees under me are men (only woman in warehouse) I’m just one of the guys ! She will be great ! Good Luck to her!

  9. A Challenge for Dan Gerber says:

    Where are you Dan? Were you not at one time a Battalion Chief for the Town of Salem? Were you not on the committee that worked merge all the fire departments and rescue in Salem together? Did you not go to Florida and interview Chief Slover? Why don’t you step up to the plate? You say have more credentials then all of them combined on SLFD such as FF1, FF2, FF3, MPO, Officer 1&2 plus instructor…. You say you ran an ambulance service that did over 30,000 calls a year and was in charge of EMS at Country Thunder. Let’s see you step up to the plate and take the helm of the SLFD… If there is any hope for them, it’s if someone that is truly qualified and can take the heat comes in and guts out the cancer and starts from scratch. Are you the man for the job?

  10. Where's GG? says:

    Certainly the might GG will step up and lead the fire department… won’t he?

  11. SL Anonymous says:

    With all the drama, lies, slander, bullying, pushing and shoving going on, it’s no wonder nobody wants to work in any position long in SL. Seems that there’s constantly new people on board or FD (Have not heard of anyone new in RS myself, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t any.) I have yet to go to a meeting. Why? Because all I ever hear is that everyone argues and yells at each other. I see enough of that on social media. It’s ridiculously childish, and I don’t want to go into a room filled with those same people who argue on the social media site, and listen to them scream the same crap at each other. Everyone outside of SL, and Salem for that matter (with the Dissolve going on) look at both towns like a JOKE. Why? Because of how everything is being handled. Everything looks totally unprofessional to everybody outside, despite everybody on the inside saying it’s being handled ‘respectfully and professionally’. Do you think we’re that dense? Do you think we’re going to honestly believe ANYTHING from ANYONE’S mouth with all the bickering going on? I don’t. Time to make a REAL change. It starts with YOU. If you’re going to argue, bully, slander, etc., do it on your own time, on your own social media site, (Yea, that means stop making 50 different pages on Facebook just to block certain people/not accept them so you can say what you want without them knowing, while you claim the page is to ‘help’.) Stop airing it for the public to see. We want FACTS. We want NUMBERS. We want the TRUTH. We, as the Village of Silver Lake, deserve that much. Tell us what will REALLY help us, and what will REALLY hurt us. Stop leaving stuff out, stretching the truth, or just plain out not telling us any part of it. WE DESERVE TO KNOW! Make a REAL page, that welcomes EVERYBODY that only lists FACTS, so people can LEARN. Let everyone make their own decisions, unclouded by false facts.

  12. Concerned Citizen says:

    @A Challenge for Dan Gerber: No disrespect intended to Mr. Gerber, but the real question that should be asked is “Why isn’t he involved in any of those positions anymore”? Silver Lake Rescue Squad already runs the fire department via the “loaded” pro-SLRS village board. Putting Mr. Gerber in charge of the fire department would really be like having the fox guard the hen house. If people are REALLY interested in an open process, why not let OTHER candidates apply as well. While not knocking MR. Gerber’s credentials, let’s not forget the last “ex chief” was supposedly selected for his “open-mindedness and no desire to follow a certain agenda”. I think it’s pretty clear where Mr. Gerber’s agenda lies. There are PLENTY of qualified candidates out there with a LOT more experience and background than Mr. Gerber’s. Why are they not considered worthy of discussion?

  13. Bernard Punsley says:

    @SL Anonymous: Your “pontification” is pointless. Period.

  14. Hopeful says:

    AMEN!

  15. Sandra Folgers says:

    The negative publicity rampant in this Village is certainly not aiding in our local perception. Put a stop to the juvenile bickering, and perhaps something will be accomplished.

  16. Diver Dave says:

    Rather than keep loosing qualified people to run the Silver Lake FD. maybe we should look at getting rid of the childish, immature village idiots and replace them with more qualified and responsible people. I live in Silver Lake fire district and I’m scared to death if I ever have a fire not knowing if they will show up or not.

  17. Tony Macias III says:

    Here’s an idea. Everyone bitching about it either step up to fill his shoes or shut the hell up. Plain and simple.

  18. Silliness In Silver Lake says:

    I say bring back “Team Tanski” to lead our fire department(right into oblivion!)

  19. Silliness In Silver Lake says:

    Ah…just curious….when Dave(I don’t need to fill out an application or be subject to background checks/drug testing) Kordecki was “appointed” to the fire chief position, he “brought along” a buddy of his. Did THAT person have to fill out an application and be subject to all of the hiring standards that the other firefighters do? Hmmm….how does that work?

  20. Bernard Punsley says:

    @A Challenge for Dan Gerber: Let me get this straight…Dan Gerber was “on a committee to merge fire and rescue together in Salem”? Your words, not mine.
    You CANNOT be SERIOUS! Isn’t that EXACTLY what the “Bad-Hoc” committee tried to do in Silver Lake(merge fire and rescue together?) And WHO was the LOUDEST opponent of that? Upon further reflection, maybe he SHOULD be “appointed” Silver Lake Fire Chief……who would know better how to merge the 2 departments(SLFD &SLRS) into “one Unified Command organization(under mom’s command!!!). Whew……..I can’t make this stuff up folks! DISSOLVE!!!

  21. Bernard Punsley says:

    @Tony MaciasIII…..ah…those shoes were “full” alright…you conveniently “forget” that nobody has been allowed to “step up”….Roger Johnson controls who the “candidate(s)” will be. Have you been living in a cave? Silver Lake firefighters DID “step up” to fill the Fire Chief’s position. The village board REFUSED to even vote on that recommendation! So…to quote the old Eric Clapton song…..”before you accuse me…take a look at yourself”.

  22. Silliness In Silver Lake says:

    I see one of Silver Lake’s former Fire Chief’s has been hired in Somers. He had to go through an intensive screening, testing, and selection process, and was up against some highly qualified candidates. He will do a good job for Somers and he did a fine job for Silver Lake. The “good ‘ol boys” might remember that he stood by his principles and resigned his position in Silver Lake when he attempted to remove beer from the fire station and most(not all)of the “firemen” loudly REJECTED that attempt to professionalize the SLFD. I commend him for his integrity. Now…..about OUR job “recruitment” process………………..

  23. Bozo The Clown says:

    @Tony Macias III….you might have a better luck filling MY clown shoes! I must admit they look better on me than they did our “short-termer”. They did kind of clash with the red jackets.

  24. Silliness in Silver Lake II says:

    Those “good ol’ boys” who ran him out of the station in an attempt to keep beer in the firehouse are the same “good ol’ boys” that the village board is listening to for advice on how to run the fire department today. They were wrong then and they are wrong now. It is funny that none of those “experts” have offered to return to the fire department in these days of reduced manning. Of course most of them did not complete Firefighter I, they only did the minimum hours to be legal to enter a burning building. Without that Firefighter I certificate they were not eligible to attend any further fire training and didn’t want to. They were unwilling to improve their skills or knowledge to help better serve their community.

  25. Sad But True says:

    Yes the good old boys ran one of the best Fire Chiefs off Silver lake ever had. He tried to improve the department and they told he to leave 8 years ago. Somers found him and hired him. They will not be sorry for doing that. Best of luck Tom Smith we are behind you. The dumb people in Silver Lake never new what a great job you did. The beer is gone now.

  26. Beer Protocol says:

    Can someone advise me……the firefighters “good ol boys” are sitting in the fire station drinking beer…..a fire call comes in….do they 1. Guzzle down their beer and hop on the fire truck 2. Put their beer in the refrigerator to drink when they return from the call 3. Leave the beer on the table and jump on the fire truck
    4. Ignore the call and continue drinking their beer. I’d like to know the proper protocol. Please advise.

  27. FARKLE FACTOR says:

    Beer in the fire station? Where do I sign up!!!! YAY!!!! I truly can be a “Jolly Vollie”!!!!

  28. "Beernard Punsley" says:

    Beer in the fire station…..kind of reminds me of the old Tom T. Hall song….”I like beer, it makes me a jolly good fellow”………you know the words…hum along with me now…..”and sometimes it makes me feel mellow”…………now don’t confuse that with Donovan’s tune “they call me mellow yellow”……..ah..the good old days….the good ‘ol boys…….woman weren’t even ALLOWED on the fire department back then!!!!

  29. EKeen says:

    Personally I think our board should go in and clean house over at the fire station. The new “chief” is a joke. Her strings are held by GG and JA. She hasn’t any leadership expertise. The whole department is trying to scare the village into thinking we cannot exist so they vote to dissolve (which is another joke, “insert hidden agendas here”). The community needs to wake up and do their own home work and quit believeing everything their told from the puppets walking around banging on doors. Bring back DK and let him get some decent ffs in the station that aren’t trying to bring it down.

  30. Bernard Punsley says:

    @EKeen: Nice try…..Chief Draeger has done a tremendous job holding the SLFD together under very trying circumstances. She DOES have the SUPPORT of her firefighters……..and I suspect will have the support of the village board in a very short time. To think that the “Dissolve Silver Lake” movement was fire department specific, is a HUGE mistake…..our village has MANY issues that have repeatedly been ignored for much too lonnnnnnnnnngggggg a time. The fire department problems merely were the proverbial “tip of the iceberg”. For all they “hysteria” about “SAVE SILVER LAKE RESCUE SQUAD”….why wasn’t some of that same energy put into trying to save our Fire Department???? The members of the SLFD, under the leadership of Fire Chief Draeger will CONTINUE to serve the members of the community to the BEST of their collective abilities. Imagine how much more efficient they could be if they had the support of the village board!!!! Chief Draeger….keep the faith, SISTER! Your firefighters DO have your back!!!

  31. Chief Draeger says:

    Thank you for the continued support. SLFD is solid, strong & it’s active
    members are dedicated to the citizens of this village. It is an honor to serve as Chief alongside these honorable firemen.

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