Rusin Named Buffalo Grove's Firefighter of the Year

When your boss tells you to do something, you do it. So when Buffalo Grove firefighter Steve Rusin was instructed to show up in his dress blues at Monday night’s Village Board meeting, he didn’t question authority.

After all, he had to be there to hear the reading of that proclamation.

What proclamation?

“I didn’t even ask,” he said.

And that’s how Rusin, a 23-year veteran of the , was lured to for a surprise ceremony in which he was named the 2011 Firefighter of the Year.

Rusin, a member of the department’s honor guard, also represents Buffalo Grove as a participant in the Pink Heals campaign, a national program that raises awareness and shows support to women affected by cancer. Rusin returned last week from a 13-day Florida tour in the signature pink fire truck.

Earlier this year, he took his commitment a step further by launching the northern Ilinois chapter of Guardians of the Ribbon, even purchasing his own 30-foot pink fire truck to help raise awareness on a more local level. His truck, “Jessica,” was among the attractions in the Buffalo Grove Days parade.

Fire Chief Terry Vavra lauded Rusin for his commitment to the village, and Battalion Chief Wendy Durkin, who received the award in 2009, said there’s no one more deserving of the honor than Rusin. Honorees are nominated by members of the department, and the winner is selected by the .

Rusin, whose family attended the ceremony but kept the award a secret, said he was surprised by the honor. “I appreciate the award, but I think it’s for everybody, not just me,” he said.

Rusin said working for the Buffalo Grove Fire Department is “the greatest job in the world,” but it was not always his ambition to fight fires. “I was afraid of fire trucks until I was 7 years old,” he admitted.

A 1988 graduate of , Rusin went on to volunteer with the Long Grove Fire Department. When he decided to pursue firefighting as a career, he knew he wanted to work in Buffalo Grove. He said highlights of his career have included helping to battle the Villa Verde apartment fire in 2000 and delivering two babies.

The Firefighter of the Year award includes a $250 donation in Rusin’s name to the Buffalo Grove Rotary Club’s scholarship fund as well as $250 for the charity of Rusin’s choice.