The Salem Lakes Fire Commission narrowed the field of candidates for interim chief to five individuals at Monday’s meeting.
The commission started with 13 candidates, commission VIce President Allen Dunski told the audience at the meeting as the commission went into closed session.
The names of the five candidates were not made public, Dunski said Tuesday.
The five candidates are scheduled to be interviewed by the commission Thursday. The commission has stated its goal is to settle on an interim chief by the end of November.
The fire commission has the responsibility of hiring a fire chief — or in this case an interim chief — under state statutes.
Former Salem Lakes Fire/Rescue Chief James Lejcar resigned Nov. 13. Lejcar and fire Marshall/Inspector Steve Ptaszynski had come under scrutiny earlier this year when two local businesses — Wilmot Stage Stop and Auto Truck Equipment — filed formal complaints about inspections they alleged were unreasonable and not in compliance with fire code and that constituted harassment of their businesses. Ptaszynski resigned Nov. 12.
The interim chief is intended to serve until a permanent chief is hired by the commission. Commission President Allen Thennes has said the process of hiring a permanent chief could take as long as a year, during which time the interim chief would run the department.
While the commission will hire the interim and permanent chief, the Salem Lakes VIllage Board is in the process of establishing qualifications for the fire chief. That got started Tuesday at a special Village Board meeting and is expected to be further discussed at Monday’s committee of the whole meeting.
