Villa Park names new fire chief

The village of Villa Park recently named Villa Park Fire Department Deputy Chief Steven Stapleton as the new fire chief.

Stapleton will be sworn in as fire chief at the board meeting on March 27, 2023, he had been serving as interim fire chief since October, following the retirement of Fire Chief Ron Rakosnik.

A veteran of the department since 1997, Stapleton has held every rank in the Villa Park Fire Department, including the past 12 years as deputy fire chief. He is also the youngest in Villa Park fire history to be named lieutenant, deputy chief, and now fire chief.

He holds a bachelor's degree in Fire Service Management from Southern Illinois University where he graduated summa cum laude.

His professional certifications include Fire Officer II, Fire Inspector II, NFPA Plans Examiner, Fire Investigator, Hazardous Materials Technician, Fire Department Incident Safety Officer, Advanced Technician Firefighter, Grant Writer, Training Program Manager, Rescue Specialist, Paramedic, and numerous others.

His notable affiliations include the Illinois Fire Chiefs Association, DuPage County Fire Chiefs Association, Illinois Fire Inspectors Association, and International Association of Arson Investigators.

"It is a great honor to be selected as Villa Park's next fire chief," Stapleton said. "I look forward to working with the dedicated members of this organization and to continue to foster the relationships with surrounding departments, which is critical to improve our collaborative response capabilities to the communities we serve."