Crime & Safety

Fire Chief Tom Martello Bids Farewell to the Badge

After 38 years in fire service, Martello says he wants to go out happy.

One week from today, Chief Tom Martello will be saying goodbye to the Chicago Heights Fire Department.

Martello, who has been involved in firefighting since 1973, said he is ready to retire, and has been for a while now.

"I’ve been planning this for some time now," Martello said. "It seems like you never find the most opportune time. We had just returned from vacation and I had a long talk with my wife, I said, ‘I just keep putting this thing off.’"

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A History in the Field

The chief has been helping put out fires and keeping people safe for nearly four decades. Oddly enough, Martello initially had no intention of becoming a firefighter.

"I was on the road to going into communication electronics and computers in 1973, which was a pretty new field back then," Martello said. "But I got the bug and I changed my whole scholastic profile."

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Martello then got involved in the Fire Science and Technology program at Prairie State College. "I soaked that stuff up like a sponge," he added. 

In 1983, after ten years of volunteer firefighting and paid on-call work, Martello officially became a full-time firefighter for the City of Chicago Heights. 

After years of rising through the ranks, Martello became the fire chief in 2007. He has also been an adjunct instructor for Prairie State's fire science program since 1994.

Speaking about his background in the field, Martello is clearly proud.

"I’ve worked myself up through the ranks, learned and performed pretty much all aspects of the job, from soup to nuts," he said. "I’ve had a very involved experience, a very rewarding experience in the fire service."

Along the Way

Part of Martello's success in fire service came from having mentors in his early years as a firefighter. 

"My first interfacing was really with Bob Walters, who was the fire chief here in Chicago Heights back in the late ‘70s," Martello said. "I knew him before I chose this career path."

Martello said he also learned a lot from former Glenwood Fire Chief William Kennedy and former Assistant Chief Bill Edgar. 

"They were able to root a very strong foundation and education and training," Martello said. "They were good mentors."

Fight or Flight

As a firefighter, Martello has been in what he calls "hairy situations," but when it comes to the dangers of the job, he has made a career out of caring more for his comrades' safety than his own.

"There’s a certain amount of calculated risk one takes with regard to fire rescue services," Martello explained. "You come close to that line where you don’t want to cross it, where things become futile. I’ve probably been more concerned with those issues, where things start to look really ugly for the troops."

That mentality is no coincidence, according to the chief. He said he believes humans have certain approaches to life ingrained in their DNA.

"Firefighters are kind of a special breed," Martello said. "When they talk about courage and commitment and all that, it’s present in all of them, and the special thing about the genetic make-up of a firefighter is they have a stronger fight mechanism than flight mechanism. They’re going to give they’re all to achieve a positive outcome."

Martello said he believes the fight over flight mentality is also true of police officers, with the proof being that his two sons are in the police and fire service. 

Looking Ahead

As Aug. 1 – Martello's last day on the job – approaches, Assistant Chief James "Jamie" Angell is preparing to fill the big shoes as he will be the interim fire chief going forward. 

"The only thing I’ve been told is that I’ll be leading it right now," Angell said. "They’re kind of undecided. I haven’t talked to the mayor about the direction he wants to go." 

Angell was honest when it came to how he felt about seeing Martello leave.

"How I feel about him retiring is I’m not happy," Angell said. "Running the department is not as easy as everyone thinks. They think we sit in this ivory tower with our feet up. It’s a lot of work. They’re asking us to do more with less."

Despite having to take on a more challenging role, Angell said he is happy for his predecessor. "I’m sure he’ll have a wonderful time in retirement. I’m sure he’ll be happy and I’m sure I’ll have a bigger bottle of Excedrin."

Martello has full confidence in Angell's ability to lead the department. 

"He’s really involved with the different special teams," Martello said. "He certainly has the dedication that one should have to be in the managerial position in the fire service."

Enjoying Retirement

Martello's said his family feels good about the way he is closing out his career with the Chicago Heights Fire Department.

"My wife is happy with my positive outlook," he said. "They knew this was coming."

Martello's wife, Diane, said she knows her husband has made changes for the better during his time as chief, mainly because organization is in his nature.

"When he walked into that office as chief, it was packed to the ceiling with boxes," she said. "He’s very meticulous, very tidy. The man is just smart. It makes me mad sometimes, he so smart."

Finally, as he heads into a new era in his life, Tom Martello said he's glad to be taking on the title of "former chief" while he can still have fun. 

"I know far too many people that have stayed on maybe far too long in the fire service, and the next thing you know their health was going and they didn’t have an enjoyable retirement," Martello said. "When you have the opportunity to go out happy and holding your head up high, by all means do so."


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