John Koller is not one to want attention — directed towards him.
Even when he is named the Illinois Fire Chief of the Year, Koller immediately turns the conversation back towards his team, the Cornbelt Fire Department — an organization he likes to highlight.
“It just speaks to the department,” Koller said, “it really really does. And so, the efforts of this department have been above and beyond anything we ever could have thought or asked for. Everybody stepped right up and did what they needed to do, every time.”
Over Koller’s six-year tenure as Chief of the Cornbelt, he has been at the helm of overseeing new buildings, expansion of EMS services, developing educational programs and making sure that his crew of 50+ are ready to respond to over 1,000 calls annually.
Being there for his community in this way is something that is in his blood. Koller’s grandfather was a firefighter.
“He was my hero,” Koller said. “It wasn’t so much about being a firefighter; It was just who he was as a person.”
Coming out of high school, though, Koller wasn’t sure what path he might want to follow. He thought about becoming a teacher, and then, after talking with Ken Sylvester, a member of the Bloomington Fire Department, Koller decided to put all his eggs in one basket.
For Koller, though, it wasn’t so much about walking into burning buildings, but moreso about how Sylvester talked about customer service.
Once he got a taste of being part of the team atmosphere, Koller decided that he’d like to pursue a career as a firefighter — and even after telling his peers who laughed at him — he wanted to become Chief of a Department.
“I get some of my drive from people saying you can’t do something,” Koller said.
With ten years of fire service under his belt in 2015, Koller joined the Mahomet team, taking the good, the bad and the ugly from his experiences in Normal and Champaign to build something for the
community he lived in.
“I just learned from people that have done it,” Koller said. “It’s funny how people will tell you what worked and what didn’t. They’ll be right up front.
“I wanted to get to this position one day where I could influence and make the decisions, and do it the right way. My drive was to be able to make things better for everyone.”
The only way Koller knows how to do that is to put people first.
“We’re in the people business,” he said, “whether it’s internally or externally.
“I want it to be the absolute best service that we can actually provide; not just doing it right from a technical sense, but doing the right things in how we treat people and how we talk to people.”
The Cornbelt crew knows that when people call 911, they are in a moment of need. Sometimes that moment is the worst moment of their life.
“We’re going to treat it respectfully, with care and kindness,” Koller said. “That’s our focus. You can have $10 million in equipment, 20 buildings, but if you’re not putting the right people in it, those people don’t do the right thing, none of that matters.”
Although decisions in the Cornbelt are made with the proper checks and balances, Koller wants to be that example of a good human being day-in and day-out.
Zakk Tompkins, the 2020 Cornbelt Firefighter of the Year, took enough notice of Koller’s character to nominate him for the Illinois Fire Chiefs Association award. Tompkins helped to collect letters from other firefighters and board members.
Koller said, though, that it is the Cornbelt team that made all of the accomplishments over the last six years possible.
In 2020, after all of the construction projects and agreements for EMS equipment were made, Koller told his board that he wanted to just focus on “Fire Chief stuff.”
But he said that the year turned upside down by COVID-19 was 24/7 “being on your toes.”
“But it’s been that way for everyone,” he said. “It’s not just firefighters, or police officers or hospitals. It’s been that way for everyone.
“I think, honestly, we did a really nice job. In the very beginning we were putting out things to the public like no we’re prepared We’re ready.
“I think this year was the year of adjustments. But I think we have planned very well. We were prepared and ready. And I think it shows.
“Everybody stepped right up and did what they needed to do, every time.”
Koller said the honor is not an individual award, but rather recognition for the entire department.
He also said that his ability to serve the community in this capacity would not be possible without the support and understanding of his family.
“I work a lot of hours, and I’m proud to and I’m happy to; I live the dream every day, and I mean that, I truly, truly mean that,” Koller said.
But the sacrifices on the other end have been met with understanding.
He said his wife, Debbie, was always there to support his ambitions as he sought to become Chief.
“When you have aspirations to be a Chief, those are certainly conversations you have with your partner, and she just never wavered. Ever.
Knowing what it was and what that meant, and that she would accept that… quite honestly, you know, she did wholeheartedly.”
Knowing that late nights and unexpected calls would be part of the deal, Debbie took on the role of making sure that the household ran efficiently, following their three active sons to practices and games while also pursuing her own professional interests.
“Debbie is one of the most wonderful people in the world,” he said, “understanding and caring and such a wonderful mother certainly a better parent than I am. My sons are the same way.
“They’ve always understood this line of work, backed me up, and been there. There’s no more support that I get from anybody than from my own family and I’m just so grateful for that.”
