Niles Fire Department commemorates 100 years of community service

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Updated: March 17, 2012 8:22AM

The village of Niles Fire Department will mark its 100th anniversary on Feb. 19.

At the January village board meeting, Mayor Robert Callero presented a proclamation honoring the anniversary on behalf of the village board and the community.

In 1912, the Niles Volunteer Fire Company was established and consisted of only seven members.

In September 1953, the village board passed an ordinance that made it a full-time fire department under Fire Chief George Pasek. Pasek was followed by Fire Chiefs Albert Hoelbl, longest-serving Fire Chief Harry Kinowski, Barry Mueller and current Fire Chief Steve Borkowski.

In 1958 the Fire Department answered 423 calls for service, and in 1974 the department started to provide paramedic service to Niles residents.

The department has grown into one that consists of 47 sworn members. In 2011 the busy department answered 6,140 calls for service.

At the board meeting on Jan. 24, Callero expressed his appreciation for the Fire Department’s past and present dedication and service in protecting the citizens of Niles.

Also at the January board meeting, Old Navy donated a $250 check to the Niles Teen Center.

The donation is a “Field Team Grant” from the Gap Foundation for the Camp Old Navy Job Shadow event held in July in which teenagers shadowed Old Navy employees for four hours.

The teenagers participated in new employee training activities, learned how to use cash registers and handheld scanners, and how to restock merchandise.

The Teen Center, at Golf Mill Shopping Center, will use the $250 donation to buy new equipment that will allow it to keep providing quality programs for local teenagers.