The city of Sycamore on Friday issued a statement on fire department staffing, though the release doesn’t address the employment status of it’s highest paid department employee after it was confirmed Thursday that Fire Chief Bart Gilmore is out and an interim chief was in place.

The city’s statement instead suggested that ongoing staffing conversations related to the department and its new fire station had been underway for months.

City Manager Michael Hall said in an email Thursday that the city was asking retired DeKalb Fire Chief Mike Thomas to work as an interim fire chief beginning on March 9.

However, hours earlier, a firefighter – who Shaw Local has decided not to name – said Deputy Fire Chief Jim Ward was the interim fire chief.

When asked in person Thursday, Hall again refused to elaborate or comment on online rumors that began circulating Wednesday night, suggesting that the Sycamore Fire Chief Bart Gilmore had been placed on administrative leave.

Rumors alleged that Gilmore’s employment change was because of comments he’d made after a Jan. 31 fire destroyed Tom & Jerry’s Restaurant. Gilmore told the City Council after the fire that there weren’t enough firefighters that day to staff a ladder truck when the fire broke out.

Shaw Local hasn’t been able to confirm whether that’s true or not. City officials remain tight-lipped on the matter.

The city purchased the truck in 2025.

Friday’s public statement released by the city Friday did not name Gilmore or Ward.

Instead, the city said staff began in early 2026 a plan to revise the fire department’s staffing models, evaluate deployment strategies and develop a plan to expand EMS and fire response capacity.

Officials also wrote that ongoing fire department labor union negotiations that began mid-2025 have included discussions about developing a new staffing plan and evaluating longterm operational needs.

“As part of this ongoing work, the city has asked retired DeKalb Fire Chief Mike Thomas to assist in reviewing operations and helping evaluate future staffing needs,” officials wrote. “This effort will also build upon the Fire Department’s 2015 strategic plan, which outlined long-term considerations such as staffing, a ladder truck, and future facilities.”

Thomas will help the city’s “future decisions regarding staffing, equipment, or facilities are based on objective operational data, professional standards, and responsible financial planning,” according to the statement.

Gilmore has worked as the city’s Fire Chief since June 2023. His employment status remains unclear. He hasn’t responded to request for comment.