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Gov. Rod Blagojevich appointed Monday a former firefighter, investigator and SIUC graduate as the new state fire marshal.
Peter Viña, who will receive a salary of $98,200, is set to begin his new post today. The state fire marshal position is a governor-appointed position that needs Senate confirmation.
Viña will replace Ernest E. Russel as the 22nd person to hold this position in its 93-year history. He is also making history for another reason. Viña is the first Hispanic and minority to serve as the state fire marshal.
" [Blagojevich] tried to fill the position with someone who would protect cities in Illinois and work with fire departments around the state," said Tom Schafer, spokesman for Gov. Blagojevich. "Peter's appointment goes back to his 17 years of experience with fire service. The governor was looking for someone with the experience that he offers."
Viña received an associate's degree in fire technology from Triton College and his bachelor's degree in fire administration from SIUC in 1988. He later went on to receive his Arson Investigation Certification from the National Fire Academy in Maryland.
Viña, 50, has more than 17 years of fire service experience. From 1978 to 1989, he was employed at the Maywood Fire Department. He began as a fireman and worked his way up from firefighter to positions of arson investigator and lieutenant. For the next six years, Viña managed the Chicago office while working for the State Fire Marshal's office.
"[Blagojevich] wanted someone who has worked their way up the ranks," Schafer said. "And Peter has definitely done that; he brought a lot to the table."
From 1995 to 1999, Viña worked for the Department of Public Aid as an internal affairs investigator. He currently holds the position of assistant chief of the Bureau of Latino Relations within the Illinois Department of Human Services.
Viña also serves on boards of the Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus Foundation, Proviso United Way and the Illinois Association of Hispanic State Employees.
The State Fire Marshal's Office works with local fire departments to provide firefighter career development, assistance in arson investigations, as well as general information regarding fire prevention safety.
"I have to get in there first," Viña said. "But I plan on making assessments of the divisions and getting to know the different firefighter organizations to figure out what their needs are."
Chief Jeff Anderson of the Carbondale Fire Department said the State Fire Marshal's Office decides how training should be conducted. It also shares information and provides assistance in arson investigations to the Carbondale Fire Department.
"We work fairly closely with the State Fire Marshal's Office," Anderson said. "They help us with a number of things."
The mission of the State Fire Marshal's Office is to "reduce death, injury and property loss of Illinois citizens from fires, explosions and other hazards."
The agency currently has three regional offices throughout Illinois in Chicago, Springfield and Marion.
"I am excited, humbled and privileged to hold this position," Viña said. "This is just a dream come true. When I started working in '78, I remember wishing that I would be able to work for the State Fire Marshal's Office."
