Mokena Fire District Overhauls Command Staff, Creates Deputy Chief Position

The Mokena Fire Protection District Board of Trustees has approved a significant restructuring of its command staff, unanimously voting to eliminate the Assistant Chief position and create a new Deputy Chief role. The move came during a busy May 13 meeting where the board also approved contract extensions for Fire Chief Joe Cirelli and a contract for the new deputy chief.

The board voted 4-0 to approve Ordinance 2025-02, which formally enacts the leadership change, effective June 1, 2025. Trustees Bill Haas, Ken Blank, Robert Hennessy, and Dennis Burkhardt all voted in favor; Trustee Warning was absent.

Immediately following the vote, the board also unanimously approved a contract for the newly created Deputy Chief position as well as an extension of Fire Chief Joe Cirelli’s contract, signaling a commitment to stable leadership amid the structural changes. While the name of the new Deputy Chief was not specified in the minutes, the agenda listed a report from Assistant Chief Rick Campbell, whose position is being eliminated by the ordinance.

The change is part of a broader effort to modernize the district’s hierarchy. In his report to the board, Chief Cirelli noted that the district is also “working through negotiations with Local 4270 on possibly reallocating current personnel to create the rank of Battalion Chiefs.” This suggests further evolution of the command structure is underway to better manage departmental operations.

Updated job descriptions for both the Fire Chief and the new Deputy Chief positions were reviewed by the board, with formal approval expected at the June meeting.

The restructuring marks the most significant administrative action of the evening, which saw the board address numerous contracts, personnel matters, and financial items. The series of unanimous votes indicates unified board support for the direction Chief Cirelli is taking the district’s leadership team.