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Morton Grove appoints Dennis M. Kennedy as fire chief; four police officers sworn in
Summary
At its Jan. 14 meeting the Morton Grove Village Board appointed Dennis M. Kennedy as fire chief and conducted ceremonial swearing-ins for multiple police promotions, including a new deputy chief.
The Village of Morton Grove appointed Dennis M. Kennedy as its fire chief and administered oaths to four newly promoted police officers during the board meeting on Jan. 14.
Mayor and trustees moved to appoint Kennedy after the village recounted his career in the department. Trustee Mink made the motion to appoint Dennis M. Kennedy as fire chief; Trustee Travis seconded. The board held a voice vote and the motion carried unanimously, and Kennedy then took the oath of office.
The appointment followed a presentation of Kennedy’s background: 26 years in the fire service, 20 years with the village, four years as the department’s district chief of administration under former Chief Ensign, and prior roles in EMS, training and logistics. After being sworn in, Kennedy thanked his family and colleagues, saying, “I can’t think of a better place, better people, better firefighters to spend it with and lead into the future.”
The meeting also included several police promotions and ceremonial oaths. The board recognized: - Dennis V. Johnson, sworn in as deputy chief of police; described by meeting remarks as a 15-year Morton Grove Police Department veteran and former task force commander for the North Regional Major Crimes Task Force. - Anthony E. Anderson, sworn in as commander; described as a 19-year department veteran with prior service on a narcotics and currency interdiction task force and promotions to sergeant and commander in recent years. - Tyler J. Rubio, sworn in as police sergeant; introduced by Commissioner Simpkins with a summary of his 12 years of service and prior roles including field training officer and juvenile officer.
Those promotions were administered by oath; the record does not show a separate formal vote on the promotions, which were presented as department actions and ceremonial recognitions.
Why this matters: the changes give Morton Grove new leadership at the fire department and shift senior roles within the police department, affecting local public-safety command as the village enters 2025.
The board’s public-business agenda continued after the swearing-in ceremonies with planning items and routine resolutions later in the meeting.
