Meet Countryside fire chief Jeff Steingart
Jeff Steingart knew at an early age he wanted to be a firefighter. There really wasn't any doubt.
"Ever since I was a little kid, I used to pretend a lot and have my parents follow fire trucks," he said.
Steingart fulfilled his childhood dream. He's been a firefighter for 27 years and has served the last three as chief of the Countryside Fire Protection District in the Vernon Hills area.
But there's more to the 45-year-old father of two than firefighting - although, when speaking to Steingart about his life, the conversation keeps coming back to his chosen profession. Here are six things you might not know about Jeff Steingart.
1. He plays with toy trucks: One of Steingart's prized possessions is a collection of more than 1,000 die-cast emergency vehicles he's had since childhood.
2. He met his future wife, Vickie, in an ambulance: She was a nurse at the former Victory Memorial Hospital in Waukegan. He was working with a private ambulance company. "We transported one of her patients for test, and she came with us in the ambulance," Steingart recalled. "She forgot her stethoscope in our rig, so I brought it to her at the hospital. The rest is history."
3. He plays drums in his basement: "(I) enjoy music and it relieves stress," Steingart said.
4. His nickname is "Smurf:" A reference to the fictional, blue-skinned creatures who appeared in cartoons in the 1980s, the nickname was bestowed upon Steingart because, at 5-feet, 6 inches tall, he's relatively short. Also, he explained, the Countryside firefighters used to wear light blue uniform shirts.
5. He's a Patriot - and not just because there's a flag on his uniform: Steingart graduated from Lincolnshire's Stevenson High School, where the Patriot is the mascot, in 1981.
6. Even his favorite TV show is fire-themed: Steingart's a big fan of the 1970s TV show "Emergency!" which starred Randolph Mantooth and Kevin Tighe as Los Angeles paramedics. "It inspired me to do what I do," he said. "I have the whole series on DVD."