The Solon Township Fire Department chose a new fire chief Tuesday evening.
The fire committee recommended, and the township board approved, the hiring of Jeff Drake, a lieutenant with the Plainfield Fire Department.
Drake, who lives northwest of Sand Lake, has been with Plainfield Township Fire Department since 1984, and he has been lieutenant since 1998. He has earned various professional licenses, and carried various responsibilities, including acting as shift supervisor/duty chief while working on the Plainfield Fire Department.
“He comes with a lot of experience,” said Solon Township Supervisor Bob Ellick.
Ellick said that Drake would start at $8,000 per year to start, and would receive reviews at 90 and 180 days. He starts immediately.
Fire Chief Joyce Vandermey let Solon know earlier this summer that she was resigning. Deputy Chief Brian VanderLaan filled in as interim chief while they searched for a new one.
So this union firefighter will also be working as a part-time chief for a non-union department?
YEAH so what!!! He is bringing a wealth of knowledge and skill to a department that runs maybe 380 calls a year!!! It is always good to have someone with experience to lead! I know members of the City of GR that are on POC/Volunteer departments in leadership posistions because of their knowledge and experience. Way to go Jeff!!!!
Great, another chief that doesn’t live in the area, works at another department doing 24 hour shifts. I bet he will be available to “lead” as much as the last chief was. Way to go Solon Township, why don’t you just outsource the whole department since that’s the rumor anyway. What a joke.
Nor does he have an interest or any ties to the community, why would he care what happens here? Why do you keep appointing people to this position who are temporary, outsiders never last.
Actually he lives in the area. You have to ask yourself why he didn’t involve himself with the dept before seeking the chief position. Seems like it will look good on a Resume when the Plainfield chief is ready to retire.
Let’s hope he doen’t loose focus on the fact that these a VOLUNTEERS. Don’t try to make this a mini-Plainfield or you will suck the brotherhood and fun right out of it. We expect these people to leave in the middle of the night, during dinner and when the kids have a school event…and still have a full time job.