Johnson Creek officials swore in the community’s new fire chief, Bruce Peterson, Monday evening.
Born and raised in the northwest Chicago suburb of Barrington, Illinois, 59-year-old Peterson brings 36 years of professional fire-fighting and paramedic experience to his new job in Johnson Creek. His entire career has been with Barrington’s department, he said.
“I worked my way up through the ranks in Barrington and I’m glad to be here,” Peterson said. “I plan to move my family up here. I’m in it with everything I have and I’m in it for the long haul. I tend to go to a spot and stay.”
Peterson wants to bring stability to the Johnson Creek department, he said.
“My career brought me to this point,” he said. “I was looking for a town that could use my expertise. I want to improve the service and coverage here. I was looking for a smaller town. This is a sweet spot for me. We are an hour and half away from Barrington and Wisconsin is another home to us.”