The City wishes to celebrate and thank Chief Peter O’Leary for his 13 plus years of service to the City of Fond du Lac and congratulate him on his upcoming retirement on April 13, 2022. Chief O’Leary began his career in Fire Service in 1979. He served as a Firefighter in Wheaton, IL and St. Charles, IL and as a Fire Chief in Durham, NH before accepting the Fond du Lac Chief’s Position in 2009.

Chief O’Leary’s career with Fond du Lac has numerous and lasting accomplishments including:

For the first time in the city’s history the City of Fond du Lac Fire Department achieved the industry’s benchmark for excellence, CFAI (Commission on Fire Accreditation International) Accreditation in 2015 and then re-accreditation in 2021.

The City of Fond du Lac attained IOS 1 (Insurance Services Office) status, the gold standard, in 2016, also for the first time in the city’s history and continues to maintain that status.

Chief O’Leary led the effort to develop a state of the art Public Safety Training Facility, which enhanced the training capability and the performance of the entire department.

Chief O’Leary led the development of a facility modernization plan that resulted in substantial improvements in the city’s three fire stations.

Chief O’Leary also led the development of an equipment modernization plan that resulted in the acquisition of superior communications equipment, fire engines, ladder trucks and ambulances.

Two of Chief O’Leary’s leadership team have gone on to become Fire Chiefs – Steve Beer in Hutchinson, KS and Troy Haase in Portage, WI.

Chief O’Leary set the standard for media relations through the use of social media and has taught other Fire Departments how to do the same.

Chief O’Leary’s service to the people of Fond du Lac has set a standard of excellence and an enduring legacy of superb leadership.