Homewood Fire Department has 3 new captains

The Homewood Fire Department has three new captains in its ranks.

Chief Bob Grabowski promoted a trio of lieutenants to the captain. Chris Kieta and Bill Wright were sworn in at the July 11 village board meeting. Tim Cameron was sworn in later that week.

Wright became a cadet in 1979 and a full-time firefighter in 1989. He was promoted to lieutenant in 2000. He’s served as dive team coordinator, quartermaster officer, with the fire apparatus committee and president of the firefighter association. He’s currently maintenance coordinator for the department.

Kieta became a full-time firefighter with Homewood in 2001. He’s been a fire investigator, a dive team leader and dive team coordinator for Mutual Aid Box Alarm System 24 (MABAS), the aid agreement partnership with other south suburban communities. 
 

He’s currently the support staff captain, assisting with training and information technology administration. 
 

Both hold associate degrees in fire science and multiple certifications.

Cameron joined the department in 1997. Over his 20-year career, Cameron has obtained multiple state certifications. He has been a member of both the MABAS 24 Dive and Technical Rescue teams. He was promoted to lieutenant in February 2009. He is the department’s EMS coordinator. 

Also at that meeting, Dan Gierlowski was sworn in to his “dream job” as a firefighter/ paramedic for Homewood.

The Tinley Park resident joined the Homewood department after serving on the Oak Forest Fire Department.
 

As a firefighter/paramedic, “you can take someone who’s had the worst day of their life and make it at least a little bit better or even make it fantastic,” Gierlowski said. “It’s a job that I could really see myself enjoying for the rest of my life.”