Westmont, Illinois
Date Issued: December 21, 2018
After four and a half decades of service, Westmont Fire Department Chief Dave Weiss recently announced his retirement. His official retirement date is March 1, 2019. At the December 20, 2018 Village Board meeting, Deputy Fire Chief Steve Riley was approved as the new Westmont Fire Chief, which will be effective immediately following Chief Weiss’ last day.
“It is with a very heavy heart and some sadness that I announce my retirement as the Fire Chief of the Westmont Fire Department,” said Chief David Weiss. “It has been an honor and a privilege to serve as the Fire Chief of the greatest Fire Department in the State and Country. I have mixed feelings about leaving the most amazing group of people to ever walk the walk in fire service. I know that our department is in a better place now, than it was when I took over in 2012. We have achieved so much as a TEAM, and I couldn't be more proud to have served as the Fire Chief and TEAM leader of this fine organization.”
During Weiss’ tenure as Chief, the Village of Westmont Fire Department earned a class 1 ISO rating, which is the highest ISO rating possible. Westmont was the sixth community in the State of Illinois to achieve this mark. Westmont is the only nationally-accredited Fire Department utilizing part-time fire department personnel to earn a Class 1 ISO rating.
Dave Weiss has been an active member of the Illinois fire service community for 45 years. Weiss is retiring after 28 of those years in Westmont. He has held positions of Training Officer, Assistant Chief, and Deputy Chief of Administration. In these positions, he has been part of Westmont Fire Department’s accreditation team and ISO Team.
Weiss has earned an Associates Degree in Fire Science, a Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Service, and was recently recertified with the Chief Fire Officer (CFO) designation through the Commission on Chief Fire Officer. He also is a 2003 graduate of the National Fire Academy’s Executive Fire Officer Program and is certified as an Executive Fire Officer. His certifications through the Illinois Office of State Fire Marshal include Fire Officer III, Fire Instructor III, Haz-Mat Incident Command, NIMS certification in 100, 200, 300, 400, 700, and 800 levels, Fire Service Management IV, Tactics Level II, Fireground Safety Officer, and Fire Investigator III. He was also a certified paramedic for fifteen years.
He is also currently a peer reviewer for Chief Fire Officer Designation applications for the International Fire Chiefs Fire Commission. He serves as the Chair of the Illinois Fire Chiefs’ Volunteer Combination Officer Committee and is a member of the task force helping to promote Homeland Security’s Fire Corps programs and serves as the Division Advocate for the State of Illinois and the Great Lakes Division. Weiss helped re-write the Leadership III and IV classes for the Illinois Fire Chiefs Fire Officer Program. He also serves as a certified instructor for all Fire Officer 1, 2, and 3 classes offered by the Illinois Fire Chiefs.
Weiss was also certified by the International Institution of Fire Engineers to promote, encourage, and improve the science and practice of Fire Engineering, Fire Prevention and Fire Extinction in the Fire Services. Weiss has served on the faculty of Triton Community College and the College of DuPage.
He also was appointed to the Illinois Fire Chiefs Promotional Assessment Team as a peer assessor for entry firefighter level positions and Officer Promotions, and is one of only 30 Chief Officers trained in the State of Illinois to do this. Weiss currently serves on the Illinois Fire Chiefs Association’s Educational Foundation Board.
Memberships include the International Fire Chiefs Association, International Fire Instructors Association, International Arson Investigators, Illinois Fire Chiefs Association, Illinois Fire Inspectors Association, Illinois Fire Instructors Association, Illinois Fire Investigators Association, the Fire Department Safety Officers Association, and the National Society of Executive Fire Officers.
Weiss has also written several grants for the Village of Westmont and the Westmont Fire Department and in the last ten years received over a million dollars in grant money that has helped offset the financial burden placed on our Village over the past several years.
Dave is married to his wife Diane and has two daughters, Megan and Ashley.
The Village of Westmont thanks Dave for his many years of dedication and service. We wish Chief Weiss a long and happy retirement.
PHOTO: From left to right, Marie Johanik-Guzzo, Chief Weiss, Mayor Ron Gunter - Celebrating Chief Weiss' redesignation as a Chief Fire Officer (CFO) in 2018.
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Contact: Larry McIntyre
Village of Westmont
Communications Director/Public Information Officer
630-417-0280
lmcintyre@westmont.il.gov
