Fire Chief Retires After Nearly 4 Decades Of Service

SKOKIE, IL —After serving in the Skokie Fire Department for nearly 40 years, Fire Chief Jeff Hoeflich is retiring on Aug. 1.

Hoeflich will be replaced by Deputy Chief Nicholas Escher, who has worked with the fire department for 17 years.

“On behalf of the Village of Skokie, I extend my heartfelt gratitude and congratulations to Chief Jeff Hoeflich for his nearly 40 years of dedicated service to our community,” said Village Manager John Lockerby. “Skokie is extremely fortunate to have benefitted from Jeff’s outstanding leadership throughout his extended fire service career, establishing the Skokie Fire Department as one of the best in the nation and creating a lasting legacy of professionalism, service and excellence."

Hoeflich began his fire service career in 1983 at the Woodstock Rural Fire Protection District and joined the Skokie Fire Department in 1986. He steadily rose through the ranks to become fire chief in 2018.

Under his leadership, the fire department established the Skokie Fire Explorers program, which introduces local youth to fire service careers and building skills in leadership and teamwork.

“It has been a tremendous honor and a privilege to serve the Skokie Fire Department, the Village of Skokie and this wonderful community for nearly 40 years,” said Hoeflich. “Every chapter of my career has been incredibly rewarding, but I’m most proud of our exceptional team of fire service professionals and the strong culture of service, professional development and excellence that they carry forward."

Hoeflich's successor, Eschner, began his career at the Skokie Fire Department in 2008 as a firefighter and became Deputy Chief in 2020. In this role, Eschner has overseen the Training Division, Support Services, Fire Prevention Bureau, Fleet Services, Logistics and Buildings and Grounds Operations.

According to the village, Eschner has played a key role in securing more than $1.75 million in federal assistance to firefighters and SAFER grants. This funding has supported key equipment upgrades and salaries for firefighters.

“I’m truly honored for the opportunity to continue serving the Skokie community and the Skokie Fire Department as fire chief,” said Eschner. “I look forward to building on the well-established culture of excellence and professionalism instilled within our members to advance the department and meet the evolving needs of our community.”