New State Fire Marshal?

[MIKEYLIKESIT]

Have any of you Chief types heard about a new State Fire Marshal? I heard through the "grapevine" that it is a guy out of Maywood that I have never heard of. Can anyone confirm this?

[80FIRE]

I asked a friend on mine who works for the OSFM last week about it.
He said he had heard the rumor but everyone in Springfield was denying it. I guess time will tell.

[jboczek]

CR's not from Maywood so it's not him.

[jboczek]

I heard it straight from the horse's mouth last night. Ernie is being replaced, and soon, I gather. At our South Central Illinois Fire Chief's Association meeting last night, Ernie announced that he was being replaced by someone from Chicago. He wouldn't mention a name, but said that he did not know the man personally so he could make no comments on him.
We meet every 2 months and Ernie has been at our last 2 meetings. It will be really hard for some guy from Chicago that isn't known in the Fire Marshall's office to follow in his footsteps. It should be interesting.

[jaybird210]

This is crap. Let's mark this as promise #1 Blagojevich has broken.

How does this happen without the State Senate approval? It's unbelievable that with the firestorm of calls and emails that supposedly went down there that this could happen.

Guess we'll be changing our address to the State of Chicago.

[ChiefReason]

Jay:
To answer your question, the State Fire Marshal, though a "cabinet" position now is also a Governor's appointment. To my knowledge, I don't even think that it requires a House approval. I will have to check on it. God, I hope that we don't get into the habit of changing State Fire Marshal's with each new governor. Otherwise, we will be doing this again in four years.;)
(whispers: I threw that one in there for MIKEY!):D
CR

[jaybird210]

It's going to be a long four years. Actually, I think we can thank Honest George for this one, too. What did this end, twenty-plus years of GOP in the State Mansion? Ah, there's a legacy to be proud of; "At least I took care of my friends."
I really hope all the youngsters out there have been paying attention. Anybody that thought 1880's Tammany Hall-style political corruption was gone need only look as far as Kankakee.
I really do hope he wins the Nobel Prize. Maybe the State could seize the million dollar prize as part of a restitution deal.

Hmmm, I don't sound bitter and angry, do I?

[pcfdcap1]

Hmmm, I don't sound bitter and angry, do I?

Jay, I couldn't agree with you more. The early retirement buyout has left several state agencies in disarray. IEMA region 2 is still without a coordinator(thank God for Cathy holding things together in the Dixon office). Besides pure political patronage, I fault the changeover in the DOC for the Thomson prison still sitting empty. I can't get straight answers on some questions from DNR either.
You guys that have young kids and grand kids are going to have plenty to read about in history classes.

I'm more than bitter and angry, I'm ****ed.

[jaybird210]

Haven't heard much about this lately. MIKEY, didn't you say you wre hob-knobbing with big Ern at burn camp? Any news? Anybody?

[MIKEYLIKESIT]

I guess my grapevine is more reliable then I thought.

[ChiefReason]

Sorry, guys:
I have been busy and forgot to post here, but I played in a golf outing three weeks ago. I had a confirmation on a new fire marshal from the chairman of a fire service task force. We had the fire department correct, but wrong name of person.
I also had a friend who was playing golf with the current fire marshal who also told me that Ernie was job hunting.
Two years and Ernie did one helluva job.
CR