Lemont Fire District Taps Native George Rimbo as Next Chief

George Rimbo has a long history with the Lemont Fire Protection District. His grandfather was a firefighter and lieutenant, his father serves on the board of trustees and it's where George started his career in 1988.

On Thursday night, the Rimbo family marked yet another milestone—perhaps its most important yet—as George was named the district's new fire chief.

The fire district board voted unanimously Thursday to approve a one-year, $125,000 contract with Rimbo, who is currently a battalion chief. He replaces current Chief Carl Churulo, who will retire in August after eight years with the district.

Rimbo's father, Rick Rimbo, serves on the board of trustees but abstained from the vote. Although Rick declined to comment after the meeting, he said he also abstained during the board's closed session discussions about his son's promotion.

George Rimbo said he is "humbled and honored" to be named chief.

"I'm completely humbled and grateful that the board has given me this opportunity to lead the district," Rimbo said. "I'm excited about the possibilities."

Rimbo, 44, started with the Lemont Fire Protection District in April 1988 as an on-call firefighter, and was promoted to a full-time position the next year. He became a lieutenant in 1993 and a battalion chief in 2009.

His grandfather served as a district lieutenant in the 1950s, and his father has served on the board for 11 years. They also believe George's great-grandfather was a volunteer firefighter before any formal records were kept.

"This fire district has meant a lot to my family, so I think it makes becoming chief even more special," Rimbo said.

Rimbo was born and raised in Lemont, and graduated from Lemont High School in 1987. He earned an associate's degree in fire science from the College of DuPage in 1995, and a bachelor's degree in fire service management from Southern Illinois University in 1999.

He and his wife, Agatha, have two sons—Joe, 19, a 2012 graduate of Lemont High School, and Tom, 16, a rising junior.

Rimbo was elected in April to his second term on the Lemont High School District 210 Board of Education. He has no immediate plans to step down from the position, but will consult with his fellow board members about how they want to proceed.

"I think we need to talk about it as a board and see what we want to do," Rimbo said. "We have to do what's best for the school district, ultimately."

Rimbo will be sworn into his new position July 18, but will work alongside Churulo for about a month to ease the transition process.

All three candidates who applied for the job currently work in the district—a fact that impressed Churulo and the board.

"We are very proud that all of our candidates came from within the district itself," Board President Victoria Cobbett said. "We are so proud to be able to promote from within."

Churulo, who worked for the Romeoville Fire Department for 25 years before coming to Lemont, said it was important to him that his replacement be someone who already knows and cares about the district. 

Rimbo will be the 17th fire chief in the district's 127-year history, but is the only one in recent history to be hired from within.

"A big part of my job has been mentoring guys like George because we always wanted the next chief to be someone from the inside," Churulo said. "George was just the right man for the job. He's well-qualified and will do an excellent job. I'm very happy with the decision."

Rimbo said he will look to build on Churulo's success by focusing on district finances and developing a long-term strategic plan.

"Chief Churulo has really done a fantastic job setting us in the right direction, so I'm hoping to just take the baton and continue all the positive things we're already doing," Rimbo said. "I'm excited to move forward and lead the district."