Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Walworth accepts Fire/Rescue chief's resignation and appoints deputy as new chief
Summary
The Village of Walworth accepted Fire/Rescue Chief Dave Austin's resignation and appointed Deputy Chief Mike Kahl as the new Fire/Rescue Chief after the department voted on the leadership change; the board also approved destruction of obsolete tactical gear and deferred annual appointments to the March General Services meeting.
President Louise Czaja and the Walworth Village Board on Feb. 9 accepted the resignation of Fire/Rescue Chief Dave Austin and appointed Deputy Chief Mike Kahl as the department's new chief, following the Fire/Rescue Department's internal vote earlier in the month.
The board's action came after the Fire/Rescue Department met on Feb. 3 and selected Mike Kahl; at the Feb. 9 meeting the board approved a motion from President Louise Czaja, seconded by Trustee Merik Fell, to accept Austin's resignation and appoint Kahl, and the motion carried unanimously.
The board also approved a recommendation from the department to destroy outdated tactical gear after attempts to transfer the items to local colleges and a hospital were unsuccessful. Annual Fire/Rescue appointments and other management details were noted as forthcoming and will be presented at the General Services meeting on March 2, 2026.
Why it matters: The appointment gives Walworth a fully established local command as the department moves into spring operations and schedules for training and equipment updates. The board's acceptance of the resignation formalizes the internal leadership change previously voted by Fire/Rescue members.
The board recorded no debate in the minutes about the appointment; the next procedural step is for the board to review annual appointments related to the department at its March General Services meeting.
