Bradley fire chief search underway

BRADLEY – The search to hire the next leader of the Bradley Fire Department is underway, and the next chief could be in place yet this summer.

Bradley Mayor Mike Watson said after Monday’s Bradley Village Board meeting that the Illinois Fire Chiefs Association is aiding in the search.

The goal is to have as many as four to five candidates go through the interview process, he said.

Current interim Fire Chief Jim Spoon has previously stated he would seek to become the department’s next chief, succeeding Don Kaderabek, who retired from the department in January after serving with the village for about five years.

Bradley has a full-time, 12-member fire department with a contingent of nine part-time members to staff two fire stations.

At Bradley’s board meeting, the village approved Watson’s appointments for a variety of positions, due to the start of the new governmental year, but the fire chief position was not one of those.

Spoon has been serving as the interim chief since January.

Among those people appointed to continue in their previous roles were Police Chief Don Barber, finance director Rob Romo and village administrator Craig Anderson.

The village also will continue with the law firm of Spesia & Taylor as their legal representation. The board also reappointed Steve Wilder as its representative to the Kankakee Valley Airport Authority board and Nick Allen to the Metro Mass Transit board.

Watson said further appointments would be made at the next board meeting, most notably to the position of director of the Department Public Works and the Community Development director. Appointments for the Bradley Planning & Zoning Commission need to be brought forward.

Regarding the fire chief position, Spoon is well known within the Kankakee County firefighting service.

He has been with the Momence Fire Protection District since 1989. He has been chief of the Momence force since December 2016.

Spoon has been with the Bradley department since June 2024 when he was hired to serve as its deputy chief.

He serves for Bradley from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. After the conclusion of his Bradley duties, he heads to the Momence department.

Watson previously stated he did not want to rush into filling the administrative vacancy. He also said he has been pleased with the direction Spoon has taken the department.