The Lake Zurich Village Board recently approved the appointment of David Pilgard to be the permanent chief of the fire department, after he had been serving in the role as interim since February.
“He was doing a great job, and ‘let’s keep it going,'” Village Manager Ray Keller told Pioneer Press about the decision appoint Pilgard as the permanent chief.
Pilgard, a 33-year veteran of the department, began in 1988 as a paid-on-call emergency medical technician with the then-Lake Zurich Rescue Squad. He was formally appointed by Lake Zurich Mayor Tom Poynton and the Village Board approved his appointment during the July 19 board meeting.
Pilgard was named interim leader after Chief John Malcolm retired in February. He had been head of the department for five years before officials said he went on leave in January. That month, he announced his retirement, which was effective Feb. 15, according to village officials.
In a village news release about his choice for fire department leadership, Poynton called Pilgard, “the right candidate with the important leadership qualities, education, and experience that will make him a desirable and high-caliber fire chief.”
The mayor cited Pilgard’s “talent, professional commitment, concern for residents and perhaps, most importantly, a clear vision that will lead the Lake Zurich Fire Department as tomorrow’s premier public safety agency.”
As chief, Pilgard will lead a department of 55 full-time employees with a fiscal year 2021 budget of $12 million. The fire department provides comprehensive health and safety services to about 37,000 residents and hundreds of businesses in Lake Zurich and the Lake Zurich Rural Fire Protection District. The department’s 25-square mile combined service area includes portions of Hawthorn Woods, Kildeer, Deer Park, North Barrington and Lake Barrington.
Pilgard told Pioneer Press in February that one of his tasks as then-interim chief was assisting other village officials in analyzing the department’s leadership structure.
“In-house, here at the department, we are doing some analysis of our processes and our response model to see what’s best for the community based on our funding mechanisms through the village of Lake Zurich and its partnership with the Lake Zurich Rural Fire Protection District,” Pilgard previously said.
In addition to fire suppression and emergency medical care, the department provides disaster management, specialize response teams, fire prevention, code enforcement, and public education.
Pilgard said his career with Lake Zurich began as he was finishing college.
“I always had some kind of calling in me to serve,” he said.
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That led him to sign on in 1988 with the Rescue Squad about the time it was merging with what became the Lake Zurich volunteer fire department. He was hired full time in 1993 as a firefighter and emergency medical technician.
Pilgard has spent his entire career with Lake Zurich, serving at various times as emergency medical services coordinator, assistant dive team leader, cardio-pulmonary resuscitation coordinator, and Explorer Post advisor. He is currently the president of the Fire Pension Board, he explained.
Over his career, Pilgard said his work has run the gamut, from responding to emergency medical runs, to comforting people having their worst day, to delivering a baby or two.
Village officials said Pilgard’s awards include a valor accolade from the 100 Club of Chicago, the Ron W. Lee Excellence in Pediatric Care Award from the Illinois Department of Public Health and Outstanding Achievement Award from the village of Lake Zurich.
Asked about significant events in his career and he immediately cited the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. He was working that day at Fire Station 3 in Hawthorne Woods.
“I just remember that day and the effect on me,” he said. “It even brought out more of the passion for service to others, for service to the community.”
Graydon Megan is a freelancer.