At its meeting June 26, the La Grange Village Board approved Steve Norvilas as the new village fire chief.
A firefighter for 30 years, Norvilas praised the La Grange Fire Department before being sworn in.
“I think the La Grange Fire Department is a good place already,” he said. “Working with the village staff and the new village manager is something I look forward to.”
More Top Picks Best White Noise Machines
Norvilas, 52, comes to La Grange following a four-month search by the Illinois Fire Chiefs Association, and most recently served as fire chief of the Pleasantview Fire Protection Service.
Before becoming Pleasantview chief – a position he held for four years – he was deputy chief for the same department for the five previous years.
Norvilas replaces interim Chief John Buckley, who held the position since Terrence Vavra retired at the end of 2022. An at-will employee, Norvilas will work without a contract, according to village documents detailing his hiring, and be paid $135,000 annually. He is eligible to participate in the village’s medical and life insurance programs, and will be enrolled in the Fire Fighters Pension Fund.
A graduate of Lyons Township High School, Norvilas grew up in La Grange Park and still lives there, according to biographical information provided by the village. He’s married with two children and holds a bachelor’s degree in fire service management from Southern Illinois University.
Norvilas is a member of several professional organizations, including the International Association of Fire Chiefs, the National Fire Protection Association and the Illinois Fire Chiefs Association.
He spoke at the board meeting about the differences between the La Grange and Pleasantview departments, the main one being La Grange is a municipal fire department and Pleasantview’s operation was a separate taxing body.
“So in some respects, I have a much different job. There, (Pleasantview) I run everything. I ran everything from all the rules and regs with the trustees, all of those things,” he said.
Norvilas said his duties also included being responsible for legal issues, tax levies and appropriation ordinances.
“I come to a municipality and it’s a little different,” he said. “I have a village manager I answer to, there’s a lot of support staff to do all those different type things.
Hank Beckman is a freelancer.