Oak Brook, Ill., Fire Chief Jim Bodony will retire March 16 after 36 years of service. He has served as chief since 2005. He holds an associate's degree in fire science from the College of DuPage and a bachelor's in fire service management from Lewis University. He was appointed to the Lewis University Fire Science Advisory Board in 1976.

Bodony was one of the first firefighters to be trained as EMTs and assigned to the ambulance when the department took over operation of the Village ambulance service in the mid 1970s, a service previously performed by the police department. He was in the first group of Illinois firefighters to train and become state certified. He taught one of the first state certification programs for fire apparatus engineers. He has been instrumental in the department's training program throughout his career. He authored the first written disaster plan for Oak Brook and developed the first box card system for the department to provide for an orderly method of securing mutual aid from neighboring fire departments.

He has held the positions of lieutenant, training officer, captain and battalion chief. He has served on the executive board of the DuPage County Fire Chief’s Association and on the board of MABAS Division 12, part of the statewide fire mutual aid organization. He is a member of the International Association of Fire Chiefs, the Illinois Fire Chiefs Association and the DuPage County Fire Chiefs Association. He also is an active member of the Glen Ellyn Volunteer Fire Company.

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