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Health & Fitness

Joe Schelstreet to be appointed Fire Chief

Please join me at the June 17th City Council meeting to congratulate Joe Schelstreet on his promotion to Fire Chief.

Joe Schelstreet has been serving as Acting Fire Chief of the St. Charles Fire Department since November of 2012. Mr. Schelstreet has been recommended to be appointed to the permanent position of Fire Chief and the City Council will consider his appointment on Monday, June 17th.

The decision to appoint Mr. Schelstreet to the position of Fire Chief was made after careful consideration of many factors, including the qualifications and responsibilities of the position and his performance as Acting Chief for the past 6 months. Assistant Chief Schelstreet meets the qualifications, has provided exemplary service to the department and the community for many years, and has the skills and abilities to lead the department into the future.

Schelstreet began his service to the residents of St. Charles in 1988 as a Firefighter. He was promoted to Lieutenant in 1992, Captain in 1997, and Assistant Chief in 2003. Schelstreet has a Bachelors Degree from Southern Illinois University, a Masters Degree in Management and Organizational Behavior from Benedictine University, and a Masters Degree in Fire and Emergency Management from Oklahoma State University.

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Schelstreet takes the reins of the department after the retirement of Patrick Mullen in November, 2012.

In the coming months, Schelstreet will be expected to oversee several important initiatives for the City of St. Charles. Those include:

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  • Completion of the accreditation process for the Fire Department. Accreditation by the Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI) is a comprehensive self-assessment and evaluation model that enables fire and emergency service organizations to examine past, current, and future service levels and performance and compare them to industry best practices.
  • Complete contract negotiations with the union that represents firefighters.
  • Represent St. Charles on the Tri-Com 911 Board of Directors.
  • Provide oversight and administration of the Tri-City Ambulance cooperative.
  • Maintain the high quality of fire and emergency medical services for the community.
  • Work collaboratively with neighboring fire departments and other emergency services agencies.

I hope that residents will join me at the June 17th City Council meeting to congratulate Joe Schelstreet on his promotion to Fire Chief and wish him well in his new position.

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