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May 24, 2022 - CHIEF TIMOTHY BANTES ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT FROM THE GRAND CHUTE FIRE DEPARTMENT
More than Four Decades of Emergency Services Experience / 17 Years of Service to Grand Chute
 After a public safety career spanning more than four decades, with 17 of those years of service dedicated to protecting the citizens and visitors of Grand Chute, Fire Chief Timothy Bantes has announced his retirement from the Grand Chute Fire Department effective July 6th, 2022.
“Chief Bantes has served the Town of Grand Chute with unwavering dedication and integrity for the past 17 years,” Town Administrator James March said. “His commitment to the GCFD’s vision of ensuring the citizens and visitors of Grand Chute ‘experience better’ quality of life through the provision of excellent risk reduction and response services is palpable. As the Town’s Emergency Manager he has been a beacon of leadership guiding the Town’s staff and elected officials through numerous large-scale emergencies including many severe storms, the Fox River Mall shooting incident, and the COVID-19 pandemic. It is no coincidence that under his tenure, the Grand Chute Fire Department has become a recognized leader amongst fire and emergency services agencies on a local, state, and national level.”
“I am sincerely humbled and honored to have had the opportunity to serve this community for the past 17 years, with 15 of those as your Fire Chief,” Chief Bantes said. “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. 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.”
Under the leadership of Chief Bantes, your Grand Chute Fire Department made significant strides resulting in countless enhancements to the services provided and overarching public safety within the community. While too numerous to list, noteworthy accomplishments include the construction of two new strategically located fire stations to replace inadequate facilities, collaboration with surrounding communities for automatic and mutual aid agreements, partnerships with Outagamie County Public Health for a community-based fall prevention programs, securing in excess of $1,000,000 in grant funding to improve responder and public safety for Grand Chute, passage of two referendums to provide adequate staffing for fire and emergency response, recognition as one of 295 CFAI-accredited fire departments in the world, and perhaps most significant, the upgrade to advanced life support (ALS) paramedic-level first response in 2021.
Chief Bantes has served as the Grand Chute Fire Chief since 2007, and joined the Grand Chute Fire Department family in 2005 as the Assistant Chief of Training. Prior to serving in Grand Chute, he progressed through the fire service ranks as a firefighter, paramedic, and lieutenant. He holds an Associate’s degree in Fire Protection from Fox Valley Technical College, and was recognized as the "Fire Chief of the Year" by the Wisconsin State Fire Chiefs Association in 2018. Chief Bantes’ passion, leadership, and advocacy for public safety extended beyond the boundaries of Grand Chute, where he was elected by his peers to represent them as the 2019 to 2020 President of the Wisconsin State Fire Chiefs Association, as well as serving as the President of the Outagamie County Fire Chiefs Association from 2007 to 2022. Additionally, Chief Bantes serves on the Wisconsin Technical College System Fire Service Advisory Committee on Education and Training, the Fox Valley Technical College Fire Protection Advisory Committee, and the State of Wisconsin Emergency Medical Services Board.
Reflecting on a lifetime dedicated to serving others, Chief Bantes stated “I look forward to enjoying the spoils of what I hope will be a long and healthy retirement by spending time with my wife, Rhonda, whose sacrifices throughout my career have been too numerous to list, as well as our nine children and ten grandchildren. While I am proud of the department that the GCFD has evolved into under my leadership, my family and loved ones will be the legacy by which I want to be remembered. Thank you again for affording me the opportunity to serve in the best job in the world. The honor and pleasure has truly been all mine.”
For more information please contact Assistant Chief Matthew Kasriel or Assistant Chief Kelly Hanink at (920) 832-6050, or matthew.kasriel@grandchutewi.gov or kelly.hanink@grandchutewi.gov. |
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