GRAND CHUTE, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Fire Chief Timothy Bantes is retiring.
Bantes announced Tuesday that he would step down as leader of the Grand Chute Fire Department July 6.
Bantes has been with the department for 17 years, 15 of those as chief.
“While the accomplishments of your Grand Chute Fire Department have been numerous over these years, they were not the result of any one individual’s actions, and by no means, mine alone,” Bantes said in a news release.
“I’m proud of each and every member of this team for their valuable contributions, and the culture of professionalism that we have cultivated within our organization. I have absolutely no doubt that they will continue to lead this agency on a path and trajectory that exceeds the expectations of those they serve as they draw upon the steadfast commitment to public safety that Grand Chute has come to expect from its firefighters.”
During Bantes’ tenure, the department opened two new fire stations, worked on mutual aid agreements with surrounding communities, worked with Outagamie County Public Health on a fall-prevention program, received more than $1 million in grants to improve responder and public safety, became one of 295 Commission on Fire Accreditation International-accredited fire departments in the world and upgraded to advanced life support paramedic-level first response in 2021.
Town officials also credited Bantes with leading the fire department through the COVID-19 pandemic and the response to the Jan. 31, 2021, shooting at the Fox River Mall.
Bantes was named Wisconsin Fire Chief of the Year in 2018.
