Assistant Chief Ken O’Dell joined the Department June 12th 1969. He was promoted to Engineer and Lieutenant in 1970, to Captain in 1972, to Deputy Chief in 1983, and to Assistant Chief in 1995. He has been a member of the Illinois Fire Chiefs Association for 22 years.

He has attended the Illinois Fire Service Institute at U of I fire training and taken E.S.D.A classes in Handling Hazardous Material, Officers Command Class, and Hazardous Waste Control Programs. He has taken classes on Emergency Resource, Fire Attack, Strategy and Tactics of Initial Company Response as well as Confined Space Rescue and Emergency. He has completed the required NIMS Classes through FEMA. He also completed the Electrical Safety Training Course for Firefighters put on by Com Ed.

Ken retired from Chrysler in 2001 after working 36 years as a maintenance pipe fitter.