BATAVIA, IL — The Batavia Fire Department has two new deputy chiefs to assist with operations and administration.
Chief Craig Hanson swore in John Lucas and John Kessler as deputy chief of operations and deputy chief of administration, respectively, at Monday night’s City Council meeting.
As deputy chief of operations, Lucas will oversee several operation functions, from managing line operations and supervising major emergency incidents to assisting the fire chief in the department’s general administration. He will also serve as the chairperson for the department’s public education committee, which is responsible for community outreach and education.
Lucas joined the Batavia Fire Department as a firefighter and paramedic in January 2006. He worked in the role until he was promoted to lieutenant in April 2013 and later to battalion chief in July 2016.
Before working in Batavia, Lucas served as a lieutenant at the New Lenox Fire Department. Until November, he was also a fire science adjunct faculty member at the College of DuPage.
In his role as deputy chief of administration, Kessler will oversee the fire department’s administrative functions while also serving as the reporting and building software administrator and manager of the Fire Prevention Bureau.
When Kessler first joined the Batavia Fire Department in August 2018, he served as fire marshal for the city. Before that, he worked at the St. Charles Fire Department for nearly 30 years, holding ranks including battalion chief.
During his career, Kessler also served both the Geneva and Batavia fire departments in roles including paid-on-call firefighter and paramedic, respectively.
