Joe Pronesti named interim Elyria fire chief, plans to go for full-time job

ELYRIA — Joe Pronesti has been named the interim fire chief of the Elyria Fire Department. He takes the place of former Chief Carl Mack, who submitted his retirement resignation letter in July. Pronesti joined the department in 1988 and rose up to the ranks as the assistant fire chief. Because he was the assistant chief with the most seniority, Pronesti was selected as the interim chief. He will remain in that position until Dec. 31 this year. Safety Service Director Kevin Brubaker said the Civil Service Commission will put out the test for a new fire chief sometime in late September or October. Whoever scores the highest on the test is offered the position of chief. Pronesti said he plans to take the test. After Mack stepped down from the job, Fire Marshal Bill Gall was the acting chief per city rules. Brubaker applauded Gall for stepping into the role after only being fire marshal for less than a year. Pronesti said he wasn't expecting to end up in this role again. He previously was interim chief in 2008. This time he expects to be much different than his previous experience. Pronesti said in 2008 he stepped in at a time when the fire department and Mayor Bill Grace's administration were clashing. He ultimately chose not to become the next fire chief because there were too many differences. Pronesti said he wanted to support the fire union and went back on shift. This time is completely different with the current administration, he said. "My heart's in the city," Pronesti told City Council. "My heart's in the fire department. … I won't let you down." Over the next five months — and beyond if he becomes the permanent fire chief — Pronesti said he plans to improve the trust between the chief's office and the fire department. On Dec. 3, the local fire union had a unanimous no-confidence vote in Mack for multiple allegations of anti-union behavior, falsifying documents and putting the safety of other firefighters at risk. There were two years of documented complaints and grievances that led to the vote. Pronesti said he plans to work hand-in-hand with the union during his time as chief. "We're not a big department," he said. "We're only 60 some guys. And there has to be that trust that the chief has your back and will do everything possible for the firefighters." Contact Laina Yost at (440) 329-7121 or lyost@chroniclet.com.