Hinsdale Fire Chief to Leave Department After Nearly 24 Years of Service

Hinsdale Fire Chief Michael Kelly has announced he will be leaving the Hinsdale Fire Department on April 2 to take an assistant chief position with the Bartlett Fire Protection District.

Kelly, 50, has served in the Hinsdale department for nearly 24 years; he started as a firefighter paramedic in May 1988. He was promoted to lieutenant in 1994, deputy chief in 1999, and chief in 2008.

Bartlett offered the position to Kelly in early February after the district’s chief, Michael Falese, approached Kelly about the open job being left by a retiring assistant chief.

“I wasn’t considering a change at this point in my career,” Kelly said. “I didn’t think I‘d ever end up leaving Hinsdale.”

Nevertheless, Kelly said the Bartlett position is “a good fit” and he won’t struggle transitioning to an assistant chief role.

“I functioned in the deputy-chief position for nine years, so I’m familiar with the requirements of that position and I enjoyed my time,” Kelly said. “I don’t think it’ll be too tough of an adjustment.”

The main difference between Hinsdale and Bartlett, Kelly said, is that Bartlett is a fire district, not a village department like Hinsdale’s. That means it is an independent taxing body that is overseen by its own board of trustees. The three-station Bartlett district covers an area that has 40,000 residents.

Hinsdale firefighter paramedic Steve Tullis said he thought everyone in the department was shocked when they heard Kelly would be leaving.

"He's one of our own and he's been here a very long time," Tullis said. "We're always sad to see someone like that go."

Tullis, a seven-year department veteran, said Kelly has been a by-the-book, fair, honest, and loyal chief who in his four years at the top faced more than some chiefs do in 30 years, including department restructuring, force reduction, and the loss of Deputy Chief Mark Johnson in 2010.

"Having him as our guy through the challenges was great," Tullis said of Kelly. 

Kelly, a father of four who lives in Downers Grove with his wife, said his biggest job between now and April 2 will be to gather together information for his successor and make for as easy a transition as possible.

What will stick with the chief as he prepares to move on?

“There are a lot of great people here in Hinsdale I’m going to miss,” Kelly said. “The thing I’ll remember most is the people I’ve worked with over the years.”