Naperville firefighters remember EMS division chief

Doug Erwin served a prominent role in the Naperville Fire Department.

For almost three years, Erwin was in charge of the busy emergency medical services division.

“His mentality was, ‘I want to always improve myself and improve the department.’ And he did. He made a big difference on this department and on our ability to serve the community,” said Naperville Fire Chief Mark Puknaitis, who promoted Erwin to division chief.

A U.S. Army veteran and a father, Erwin, 52, died Jan. 25. He had cancer and battled it with a “great amount of courage, strength and a positive attitude,” Puknaitis said.

“He really was a great example of what a firefighter should be and what a chief officer should be, and I respect him for that,” Puknaitis said.

Erwin led a division that handles most of the department’s call volume and maintains partnerships with organizations like Edward Hospital. Erwin was excited about applying for the position because it encompasses “so much of what the department does,” Puknaitis said.

“He’s always been very diligent, always creative, coming up with ideas, ways that we can serve the community better,” Puknaitis said.

He pointed to a program aimed at increasing the number of automated external defibrillators, or AEDs, in businesses. The fire department collaborated with the Rotary Club of Naperville, a group called Citizens Appreciate Public Safety, and the Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce on the effort to make Naperville a “Cardiac Conscious Community.”

“He was able to help secure pricing so that we can promote people purchasing defibrillators at a very low cost that's subsidized by some of these other organizations, so that we can get as many automatic defibrillators in the city as possible, keeping the city that much more safe and protected from cardiac arrest,” Puknaitis said.

Over his career, Erwin also was a full-time firefighter for Bedford Park and an assistant chief of the Tinley Park Fire Department, according to his obituary.

“His selfless service continued as a chief, and despite no longer being a member of the bargaining unit, he still insisted on paying dues to support our local,” the Naperville Professional Firefighters Local 4302 wrote in a Facebook tribute.

“He really loved this job,” Puknaitis said.

He spoke with Erwin shortly before he died.

“Even a week before he passed on, I had the opportunity to talk to him, and he really made it sound like everything was fine, and he’ll be back soon,” Puknaitis said. “And I think his mentality was, ‘Why drag anybody else into this?’ … He always had a positive attitude.”

A visitation will be held on Friday from 2 until 8 p.m. at Brady-Gill Funeral Home, 16600 S. Oak Park Ave., Tinley Park. A walk-through ceremony also will be held at the funeral home on Friday. A funeral service is set for 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 1, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Tinley Park.