Fire Chief Rick Shares Department Positives, Challenges on Eve of Open House

By David A. F. Sweet

Lake Forest’s Public Safety Open House is coming up on Sunday, Oct. 19 from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the Public Safety Building (255 E. Deerpath). It’s a family-friendly event where residents can tour the building, meet first responders, and see fire and police demonstrations up close.

Ahead of the event, Lake Forest Love sat down with Fire Chief Andy Rick to talk about his first year on the job, what’s new with the department, and what families can expect at this year’s Open House.

How’s your first year on the job going?

Although I’ve served with the Lake Forest Fire Department for 17 years, this January I had the honor of stepping into the role of Fire Chief. My passion for the fire service started early – my dad was a career firefighter/paramedic at Countryside Fire Protection District in Vernon Hills. Taking on the Chief position has been a rewarding transition, balancing new leadership responsibilities while keeping close ties with the crews. It’s also been energizing to help shape the department’s future – whether that’s investing in training, hiring new employees, strengthening community partnerships, or supporting our team’s professional growth.

"I'm confident we have a talented staff that will continue to grow and provide the high level of service our community expects," says Lake Forest Fire Chief Andy Rick.

What are some challenges facing the fire service?

Even though Lake Forest doesn’t face the same wildfire threats as the Western states, we share many of the challenges seen nationwide – more retirements, fewer applicants, and tough competition for firefighter/paramedics. All of that makes it harder to recruit and retain firefighter/paramedics, who are already in short supply.

How are those challenges playing out in Lake Forest?

We’ve certainly felt those pressures here, and Fiscal Year 2025 was an especially demanding one with several issues hitting at once. Over the past few years, we experienced five retirements, sent several new hires through paramedic school, and dealt with injuries that kept some members out. All of those factors added up to higher overtime and staffing shortages. For much of the year, we were also working with an eligibility list that didn’t have candidates with firefighter or paramedic training, which limited our hiring options.

How is the City addressing these challenges? We’ve taken several proactive steps to strengthen our department and reduce the overtime strain we experienced last year. One of the biggest changes was raising our hiring standards so that all new recruits must already be licensed as paramedics when they start. That way, they’re ready to go on day one rather than spending a year in school before joining the shift rotation.

The City Council also approved increasing shift staffing from 10 to 11 for each of the department’s three shifts. That may not sound like a big jump, but it gives us much more flexibility to cover vacancies due to time off, illness, worker’s compensation, or training needs without having to rely as heavily on overtime.

On top of that, the City is investing in our long-term resilience by planning a renovation of the Public Safety Building with a special focus on wellness and mental health. That’s something we know makes a difference in retaining staff and supporting them throughout their careers.

While the fire service nationwide is facing challenges with a younger workforce and shrinking recruitment pool, I'm confident we have a talented staff that will continue to grow and provide the high level of service our community expects.  

How do you support wellness and mental health?

This is something we’ve really prioritized. We’re fortunate to have a dedicated social worker, Lauren Perez, who supports our first responders and their families. We also run a structured fitness program and maintain an on-site facility so our team can train and stay healthy. The planned renovation of the Public Safety Building will expand those resources even further, giving us modern spaces to support both physical and mental resilience. We know the job can take a toll, so making sure our team is supported is one of our top priorities.

For residents who want to see the Fire Department in action, what opportunities are there to connect with you?

We always enjoy connecting with the community. Whether it’s through City events, visiting schools, or events like the Open House, we want residents to feel comfortable approaching us to ask a question, show their kids the fire engines, or just stop and say hello.

What can residents expect at the Public Safety Open House?

The Open House is one of our favorite events of the year because it’s a chance for residents to see what we do up close. Families can tour the Public Safety Building, climb aboard our fire engines and ambulances, and meet the firefighters and police officers who serve Lake Forest.

We’ll have live demonstrations, opportunities for kids to try on fire gear, and of course, our team will be serving the championship burger recipe that won us the Revelry Burger Battle. It’s a great mix of fun, food, and hands-on learning about public safety.

We hope to see families from across Lake Forest join us – it’s one of the best ways to learn more about public safety while having a little fun at the same time.