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Rep. Daniel Lipinski

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Fire Chief Anthony Bednarz upon his retirement after 50 years of service to the residents of Western Springs and Riverside, Illinois, two villages in my district. He retired on December 31, 2011. These two villages are, and always will be, safer thanks to his efforts.

The seeds of Chief Bednarz's career were planted at a young age, since his father served as a firefighter as well. Thinking that he wanted to avoid firefighting, Chief Bednarz entered the United States Army where he served honorably. After his discharge, he changed his mind and joined the Riverside Fire Department in 1961. He knew almost immediately that he wanted to be a leader within the department and took classes to be one of the first to earn a degree in Fire Science from the College of DuPage.

Over the years, Chief Bednarz gained the respect of his peers and eventually became Fire Chief of the Riverside Fire Department in 1976--a position he would hold for the next 30 years. The Riverside Fire Department is one of the most progressive and effective in the area thanks to the leadership of Chief Bednarz. He was pivotal in modernizing the department's building and rolling stock. He also coordinated the Riverside emergency medical response system in the 1970s.

Chief Bednarz left the Riverside Fire Department five years ago to join the Western Springs Fire Department where he helped make improvements and guided the construction of a new building for the fire department.

Chief Bednarz has touched countless lives as a firefighter, manager, and mentor. He will be missed as a veteran firefighter and we are all sad to see him go. But it is a happy time for his family, as his retirement will give him more time to enjoy with his wife, Marianne, his children, Krista, Lisa, Charles, and Paula, and his grandchildren. I thank Fire Chief Anthony Bednarz for his career of service and I wish him a long and happy retirement.