Evanston Fire Department announced firefighter Curt Koopman’s promotion to Fire Captain on Wednesday. 

Koopman, an eight-year veteran of EFD, will be officially promoted on Feb. 14. His promotion comes after former Fire Captain Michael Spillane’s December retirement announcement. Spillane served the department for 25 years and received the Craig Stiles Unit Performance Award, the second-highest level of recognition offered by EFD.

Fire Chief Paul Polep said in a news release that Spillane was a committed firefighter who “took a special interest in training, ensuring our newer members were prepared for the job.” 

Koopman is also a decorated firefighter. He received the Fire Chief’s Letter of Commendation in 2016 for exceptional service and professionalism while on an emergency call, according to the release. Polep said the promotion will allow Koopman to take on a “critically important leadership position in the department.”

Prior to his new role, Koopman was a shift emergency medical services coordinator from 2019-21 and was on the training committee for two years. Fire captains oversee daily operations at fire stations. EFD is made up of five stations, each of which is staffed by one to two fire captains at any given time.

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