Less than two weeks after stepping down as Chicago fire commissioner because he said he wanted to spend more time with his family, Robert Hoff has accepted a job as deputy fire chief in Carol Stream.
Hoff had publicly stated he was against the closure of firehouses or the manpower reductions Mayor Rahm Emanuel has suggested might be necessary as the city and Firefighters Union Local 2 get ready to begin negotiations on a new contract.
But Hoff, 56, said his decision to step down had nothing to do with friction between him and the Mayor. He said he wanted to spend more time with his wife and grandchildren and concentrate on training firefighters rather than the administrative and political responsibilities that come with being Chicago fire commissioner.
Hoff was replaced by Jose Santiago, who said at his introductory news conference that closing firehouses is "something we're looking at."
Perry Johnson, who currently serves as deputy fire chief in Carol Stream, said Hoff will make $115,000 in his new post. It's a 9 to 5 job that will require Hoff to help oversee training as well as providing administrative support to Fire Chief Rick Kolomay, Johnson said.
Hoff and Kolomay taught together at the state Fire Service Institute, Johnson said. The Carol Stream Fire Prevention District was undergoing a leadership re-organization when they learned Hoff was retiring, Johnson said. Kolomay reached out to Hoff to see if he would be interested in the deputy chief position that was opening up, Johnson saif.
Hoff will need to move to within 5 miles of the main fire station in Carol Strseam within six months of starting the new job April 1, Johnson said.
In a release from the Chicago Fire Department, Hoff said, "This will allow me to use my years of experience to be hands-on at a level that is comfortable and satisfying as a teacher and mentor."
The release also said that Hoff communicated with Emanuel, thanked him for the chance to be Chicago's Fire Commissioner, and told him "he is just a phone call away."
"The Mayor has wished me well in my new endeavor as I keep my promise to remain active and involved in training and fire fighter safety, while making more time to spend with my family," Hoff said in the release.
Emanuel said Tuesday that Hoff stepped down because Hoff didn't think he was up to the demands of being fire commissioner.
"I think we can all agree that daily operations at Carol Stream is not running the Chicago Fire Department," Emanuel said. "It's a down shift. Bob would be the one to tell you that. He had been on the job for over three decades with the Chicago Fire Department."
"He himself came to the point of 'I just don't have it after three decades,'" the mayor said.
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"This will allow me to use my years of experience to be hands-on at a level that is comfortable and satisfying as a teacher and mentor," Hoff said in a statement.
"The Mayor has wished me well in my new endeavor as I keep my promise to remain active and involved in training and fire fighter safety, while making more time to spend with my family."
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McClatchy-Tribune News Service
