STILLMAN VALLEY – Andrew Carlson, deputy fire chief of the Northbrook Fire Department, will be appointed District Fire Chief at the beginning of next year, officials announced Dec. 6.
Carlson will replace the current Fire Chief who is retiring at the end of December. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2018, according to a Village press release.
Carlson was described as “a skilled fire professional who is well versed in the Northbrook Community. Andy is a respected leader who will continue to provide exemplary public service in his new role as Chief of the Northbrook Fire Department.” Carlson has worked in fire protection for 35 years.
“Andy Carlson started his career with Stillman Fire in the early 1980's,” said Chief Chad Hoefle of the Stillman Valley Fire Department. “Over the years Andy was the type of firefighter that everyone got along with because he came to the firehouse and did his job. In fact, Andy did a lot of jobs. We remember Andy at the firehouse always being stealthy. Many times, you didn’t know he was in the station, but as a firefighter and officer he was constantly doing behind the scenes paperwork and jobs that needed to get done.
“Andy was the type of guy you could sit down and have a conversation with and he would make sure before you walked away you knew his point. He was very good at explaining things to people who needed to understand them. Andy did not want recognition for what he had done. Andy worked tirelessly going to classes along with working a full-time job. Andy took it upon himself to take classes that were not required. He took classes that he knew would put him into a place he wanted to be in the future. The Stillman Fire family knew he would go far in his fire career once he left Stillman. In late 2002 Andy turned in his gear at Stillman Fire and we lost a great asset to this community’s Fire Service.
“Andy is one of the most knowledgeable fire service family I know and he will do great things at Northbrook as he already has.”
Carlson started with the Northbrook Fire Department in 1999 as a firefighter and paramedic. Over the course of his 18 years there he was promoted to Lieutenant, Captain, Battalion Chief and Deputy Chief. He will be sworn in as District Chief by the Northbrook Board of Trustees Jan. 9, 2018. He and his wife, Lisa, will be moving to Northbrook.
