Klaiber Named New Evanston Fire Chief
Evanston City Manager Wally Bobkiewicz announced today his appointment of Greg Klaiber as the new Chief of Evanston’s Fire and
Life Safety Services Department. This appointment fills the vacancy created by the retirement of former Chief Alan Berkowsky. A nation-wide search was undertaken to fill the position and Klaiber was selected from a field of more than three dozen applicants.
“Greg Klaiber brings to the position of Evanston Fire Chief a combination of accomplishment and expertise in the areas of fire safety and emergency response management along with a keen understanding of the communities that make up the City of Evanston” said City Manager Wally Bobkiewicz.
“Chief Klaiber competed for this position among a group of highly qualified individuals. His success in this process is not only a tribute to his skills and abilities, but to the Evanston Fire Department’s record of producing outstanding leaders from within its ranks. I am confident that Chief Klaiber will continue a tradition of excellence within the Fire Department while using his expertise and understanding of Evanston to lead the department to new areas of achievement.” Bobkiewicz added.
Chief Klaiber is an Evanston resident and a graduate of Evanston Township High School. As a 25-year veteran of the Department he rose through the ranks from Firefighter/Paramedic, Captain, Division Chief, Deputy Chief and now to the highest rank of Chief.
Chief Klaiber was named Deputy Chief in February, 2010 and prior to that served as the Division Chief in charge of Emergency Medical Services and Specialty Teams including Hazardous Materials, Technical Rescue and the Water Rescue/Recovery Teams.
In addition to his duties with the City of Evanston, Klaiber was a member of the Board of Education of the Evanston/Skokie School District 65 (1999-2003), is a trustee of the Evanston Fourth of July Association and was an active participant in Evanston’s Youth Baseball Association. He holds a Master’s Degree in Cardiac Rehabilitation from Northeastern Illinois University and a Bachelor’s Degree in Exercise Physiology from the University of Illinois.