This week on Hibernian Radio, host Paddy Houlihan welcomes Chris Kribales, longtime North Riverside firefighter and President of IAFF Local 2714. Chris shares the extraordinary story behind a 14-year union fight to stop the privatization of the North Riverside Fire Department, a battle that tested the resolve and unity of every firefighter on the force. What started as a cost-cutting plan by village leadership soon turned into a defining labor struggle. Chris recounts how the firefighters rallied together, going door to door to earn community support, raising funds out of their own pockets, and standing strong through years of legal challenges and uncertainty. Their perseverance ultimately paid off, securing better conditions and job security for the department. The story is powerfully captured in Colin Hughes’s documentary Fire Department, Inc., which follows the union’s determination and the human toll of the fight. Chris also opens up about his own journey from police officer to firefighter, the toll such a prolonged union battle can take on mental health, and the strength of brotherhood that keeps first responders going. It is a powerful conversation about loyalty, leadership, and the enduring spirit of union first responders.

Sponsored by: Madden Funds, Local 150 (International Union of Operating Engineers), Fox’s Pizza of Orland Park and Mokena and Flood Brothers Disposal.