Northbrook Fire Chief Retiring After More than 30 Years with Department

The following is from the Village of Northbrook:

After more than thirty years of dedicated service to the Village of Northbrook, Fire Chief Mark Nolan announced his retirement effective November 16, 2014. This date is significant because, after completing the fire academy, it was November 16, 1981, thirty-three years to the day, when Mark worked his first shift as a Northbrook Firefighter. Nolan was promoted to Lieutenant in 1991, Captain in 1997, District Chief in 2002, Deputy Chief in 2003 and Fire Chief in 2007. Village Manager Rich Nahrstadt, speaking of Chief Nolan’s announced retirement, stated, “Chief Nolan wears his passion for service on his sleeve. His heart and caring for his family, his work family, and the citizens of Northbrook speaks to his character. He is a man of deep abiding integrity and pride. I wish Chief Nolan well in his retirement and will miss his presence on our staff team.”

During Nolan’s tenure, he saw the expansion of the Fire Department from two stations to three and from 2,200 calls for service in 1981 to over 6,000 calls for service projected this year. Some of the Department’s greatest achievements under Chief Nolan included the enhanced life safety initiatives through the adoption of automatic sprinkler systems for new construction, and installing automatic external defibrillators (AED) in all Village of Northbrook public buildings and in all fire and police vehicles.

The Northbrook Firefighters slogan, “Our family helping yours, by safely and diligently doing the right thing, at the right time, for the right reason.” are heartfelt words Nolan shared often. “The Village of Northbrook and the Fire Department provided me with exciting challenges, experiences and opportunities that I could have never imagined when I walked into the firehouse for the very first time,” explained Nolan. “Northbrook has been a major part of my life and I was privileged to have worked with a team of such committed individuals.”

Chief Nolan’s service, leadership and dedication will be missed.