Executive Board

President
Brad Buntrock  

Vice President
Tony Soler

Secretary
Marco Vazquez

Treasurer
Jack Long

A Shift Steward
Gregg Paiser

B Shift Steward
Chad Gonwa

C Shift Steward
Ryan Koncki

Meet Local 473

Executive Board

One Year Trustee
Adam Slade

Two Year Trustee
Scott Repec

Three Year Trustee
John Ludford

Web Masters

Dan Kublank

John Ludford

Jon Nordgren

We are the men and women of Local 473 of the International Association of Firefighters. Our membership is 106 union members of 113 employees staffing 3 fully staffed and 2 "jump" fire stations with 100% union-member firefighters and lieutenants. We serve the 87,000+ citizens of the city of Waukegan on the shores of Lake Michigan 24 hours a day through a 3 x 24 hour shift schedule. Members of our local proudly protect our city manning 4 engines, 1 ladder truck, 5 ALS ambulances, 1 heavy rescue squad,1 T-12 Airport Crash Vehicle, 1 inflatable fast-attack dive rescue boat, and 6 other support vehicles. We average 8500-9000 calls per year.

Special Teams & Training
All of our members are required by the city to be certified Firefighter IIIs and licensed paramedics by the conclusion of their third year of service to reach Journeyman Firefighter status. Our officers exam is negotiated and governed by the contract, striving to be balanced and fair. In addition to fire suppression and ALS emergency care, a majority of our members are Fire Apparatus Engineers and Emergency Rescue Technicians. We also man an Aircraft Firefighting truck near Waukegan Regional Airport and participate in Railway Accident Preparedness, both of which require special training. Beyond this, our members comprise several specialty and highly trained teams that serve not only our own community but also respond to Lake County emergencies. These include: Hazardous Materials, Trench/Confined Space Rescue, Dive Rescue, High-Angle Rescue, and Explosive Ordinance Devices.

Philanthropy
We support several local philanthropy efforts including the Waukegan High School Wrestling Team, Waukegan High School Booster Club, a Girl's Age-Group Softball Team, North Shore Boxing Club, and two annual Waukegan High School Athletic Scholarships. We sponsor a pony league baseball team and Waukegan Warriors Travel Baseball. We host an annual Bowling Tournament and Golf Outing in the spring which support Burn Camp and MDA respectively. Our members also mentor teenagers through the department's Fire Explorer program.