PEORIA HEIGHTS, Ill. (WMBD)- Peoria Heights will be appointing Dan Decker to be their new Fire Chief on Tuesday, November 7.
After months of deliberation and debating on what the next best move is for the Peoria Heights Fire Department, they’ve come to the decision to appoint Dan Decker. With a vast background, Decker is the former Fire Chief for East Peoria, and has been a part of the first responder family since 1991.
Decker speaks on what this means for him. “I’m accountable to three groups of people. The people that come into the community each day to visit, the residents that are living in Peoria Heights, and, these are also residents but, the members of the city council. It is important because I can’t just be accountable for the residents.”
Mayor of Peoria Heights, Mike Phelan, stated that the first order of business for the new Fire Chief is to give an assessment on the needs of the department and take his recommendations to the board of trustees.
“They didn’t tell me this is what we want you to do. I have no marching orders, I’m not told that we want you to go in this direction. What they’ve asked me to do is come in, make an honest assessment and tell them what I feel the direction should be for the department, and then figure out a way to get that done.” Decker said.
Decker said that he has no pre-conceived notions about what he plans to implement, he just hopes to use his many years of experience to do what is best for the department and for the city.
