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Lincolnwood’s first fire chief retires after 30 years; helped lead statewide EMS efforts

There have been many mayors, village managers and police chiefs in Lincolnwood, but only one fire chief.

Yet that era has come to a close as Michael Hansen, who launched the department over 30 years ago, has retired, causing some in the village to reminisce.

“Chief Hansen has served the Village of Lincolnwood for 32 years and his legacy will be felt for generations to come,” Mayor Jesal Patel said in a statement. “His contributions have been instrumental in shaping our fire department into what it is today. He is unquestionably leaving the position of Lincolnwood Fire Chief with large shoes to fill.”

Hansen, 72, stepped down July 31, stating a desire to spend more time with his family.

“I’m at a point now where I am very happy with the personnel we have with the Lincolnwood Fire Department,” Hansen reflected in an interview. “Sometimes you have to let the young ones take the reins.”

He now has time to reflect on a lengthy career and how he arrived in Lincolnwood.

Hansen grew up in the Norridge area and then graduated from Western Illinois University. After earning a biology degree, Hansen was teaching and at the same time studying how to become a paramedic, building off his interest in anatomy and physiology.

After earning additional degrees from Triton College and Loyola University, he was hired by Paramedic Services of Illinois (PSI), which supplies personnel to municipalities and fire protection districts. At PSI, Hansen was charged with setting up paramedic and firefighting contracts in mostly Chicago area communities, including Lincolnwood.

But his role changed in 1989 when the City of Chicago opted to no longer provide fire protection services to suburban areas including Lincolnwood.

With that news, Hansen sensed an opportunity for the village.

“If they don’t want to do that anymore, let’s start our own fire department,” he recalled. “That is how I got involved at that point.”

With PSI already supplying paramedic services, village leaders at the time selected PSI for the firefighters.

To get the fire department started, Hansen recalls setting up equipment initially at the old village hall on Keeler Avenue where space was so tight that a back wall had to be demolished to accommodate a 100-foot ladder truck.

Hansen acknowledged thinking at times “Am I in over my skis?”

“It was very interesting to start up a fire department,” he said.

Hansen has guided the department – which now has 28 members – through many fires and rescue efforts. He cites as one of his prime achievements the opening of a fire substation at The Carrington, an assisted living facility, with personnel sleeping at the facility.

“It is the only one of this type in the state of Illinois that I am aware of,” Hansen said. “It was a unique way of putting paramedics within their facility.”

With so many years in Lincolnwood, he has worked with many public service employees including Glencoe Public Safety Director Cary Lewandowski.

Before going to Glencoe, Lewandowski was Lincolnwood’s deputy police chief and he noted some leadership lessons he received by observing Hansen.

“I learned that law enforcement and the fire service must train together to build trust and respect for each other, so in emergency situations, each department could focus on their area of expertise while trusting that the other is doing the same. In the end, police officers, firefighters and emergency medical personnel collaborate to provide vital public safety services to the community. Unfortunately, that collaboration has proven very beneficial during recent mass casualty active shooter events,” Lewandowski wrote in an e-mail.

Outside of Lincolnwood, Hansen was the founding member of the Northeastern Illinois Public Safety Training Academy and he has also served on the State of Illinois’ EMS Advisory Council in different leadership roles – including chairman – for more than two decades.

“He has a vision for how can we best provide EMS care to all of Illinois,” EMS Vice Chairwoman Connie Mattera said. “He doesn’t just look at an area that has high resources. He has a heart for those in rural areas and without abundant resources and he works to create strategies that all can achieve. His leadership is probably one of the best examples of servant leadership that I have seen and he has helped to transform emergency care in Illinois.”

Hansen encourages the next generation to pursue firefighting, noting two of his sons have taken that route.

“It is one of the greatest professions in the world,” he said. “Because it is a matter of helping your fellow man through sickness and personal tragedy.”

Check back for coverage on Hansen’s successor.