He is interim no more.
The Salem Lakes Fire Commission on Monday named Alan Carr chief of Salem Lakes Fire/Rescue.
Carr had been serving as interim fire chief since December 2023. Carr is a retired Kenosha Fire Department officer and a village resident.
The appointment was unanimous with one commission member absent.
After his swearing in by commission Chairperson Ed Herreid, Carr said of his new status:
It’s profoundly humbling to me as I never saw myself in this role … I look forward to taking this department in a good direction, helping heal old wounds and making us something we can be proud of and that the community can get behind.”
Carr also praised the department’s members, some who were in the audience.
“I want to work for them and with them,” Carr said.
Here is video of Carr’s comments:
The appointment was made after about a 30-minute closed session, which started out with the commission members and village administrator Cassandra Hiller and village attorney Remzy Bitar and later included Carr.
Carr’s family was present and his wife pinned his new badge on his uniform.
All present commission members expressed support for the appointment.
“We all spent a lot of time going over this decision,” Herried said. “It’s not something we just decided tonight. We got feedback from community members, from firefighters, other chiefs. We got a lot of input … I believe Alan Carr is the guy …”
Here is video of the comments from commissioners about Carr’s appointment:
Former fire Chief James Lejcar resigned in November, amidst controversy about department operations and interactions with local businesses.
Carr was appointed temporary safety coordinator by the Village Board in the wake of Lejcar’s resignation to serve as a knowledgeable liaison between the department and neighboring departments, county dispatch, the fire department, the Fire Commission and village administration.
Then in December, Carr was appointed interim chief while a process for naming a chief was created.
