 At the end of the evening, Mayor Keith Snyder said he was prepared
to offer to the council for their approval his choice of interim
fire Chief Mark Miller for the permanent position of chief.
Snyder offered a summary resume, saying: "Mark joined the Lincoln
Fire Department 21 years ago. Since that time he has served as a
firefighter, a fire inspector, lieutenant, captain and assistant
chief. He has experience as a consultant, an instructor of
firefighting and rescue techniques and hazardous material handling.
He is involved in the community, and is well respected by the
community, and has a great family in his wife and two boys. It is my
pleasure, my honor to tonight submit the name of Mark Miller as our
fire chief."
The motion to approve the nomination was made by Alderwoman Kathy
Horn, who chairs the fire department committee for the city, and
seconded by Alderwoman Marty Neitzel. In a roll call vote, the
appointment was approved unanimously.
Miller began his firefighter career 23 years ago as a volunteer
for the Sherman Fire Department. There he served under Chief Richard
Coon. Tuesday night Miller said that Coon had been his mentor, and
in a written statement to the media he expanded on that portion of
his career, saying that as a volunteer, he learned that he loved the
job and knew that firefighting was what he wanted to do with the
rest of his life.
After only two years with Sherman, Miller tested for a position
on the Lincoln Fire Department and was subsequently hired as a
firefighter. Three years into the position he was appointed as the
city's fire inspector, and he maintained that position for seven
years.
Miller then progressed up the ranks, holding the positions of
lieutenant, captain and assistant chief.
During his 21-year career in Lincoln, Miller has completed his
education, receiving a degree in fire science. He has also received
a Medal of Honor and a Life Saving Medal for services to the
community.
He has acted as an independent consultant teaching firefighting,
rescue and hazardous material handling to fire departments
throughout central Illinois and has served as an instructor for
Richland Community College.
Miller and Amy, his wife of 20 years, live in the Starkey Acres
neighborhood with their two sons, Evan, age 11, and Wiat, age 7,
along with their three adopted dogs.
Miller has served the community as a past board member of the
Lincoln Area YMCA, a Cub Scout leader and a volunteer for the Humane
Society of Logan County.
In career-related activities, he has served as a board member on
the Logan County Fire Protection Association and has been a member
of the Central Illinois Fire Investigators Association and the
Illinois Society of Fire Service Instructors.
[to top of second column] |
He has also served as the executive officer for the Mutual Aid
Box Alarm System Division 51.
MABAS is a statewide, nondiscriminatory mutual aid response
system for fire, EMS and specialized incident operational teams,
managed under the shared guidance of the Office of the State Fire
Marshal, Department of Public Health -- EMS Division and Illinois
Fire Chiefs Association. The system defines a resource response plan
to any location within the state when the governor orders a
declaration of disaster.
In the written statement Miller provided outlining his career as
a firefighter, he concluded by saying:
"I am grateful for all of the nights my family has taken on extra
responsibilities, or had me away from home, to allow me the time to
do a job I love. Throughout my career, they have always given me a
great amount of support.
"It has been a goal of mine to become a fire chief. I feel this
is something I have been preparing for my entire career. I am
looking forward to serving the community in my new role as fire
chief with great pride and dedication."
During the meeting he expanded on that statement, saying that he
had great respect and appreciation for the firefighters in the
department and that he is looking forward to working with them in
his new capacity.
Outside of the council chambers, Horn commented on the
appointment, saying that she had a great deal of respect for Miller.
"I couldn't be happier that Milo has accepted the position of fire
chief," she said.
Snyder also offered a brief comment, saying: "I was honored to
nominate Mark to become the permanent fire chief for the city of
Lincoln. He's had a distinguished and lengthy career with the
Lincoln Fire Department, serving well in every position he has held.
He's active and well respected in the community. We are all
fortunate that Mark will bring a vast knowledge of the LFD, a strong
passion for firefighting and prevention, and a deep dedication to
our community to his new position as Lincoln's fire chief."
[By NILA SMITH]
 |
