Thank You First Responders

Veterans bring a variety of qualifications to roles in law enforcement

Tim Isaac's indigestion had caused heartburn that wouldn’t go away. It was Valentine’s Day and he had stopped to eat in Rock Falls with his wife and sister-in-law on their way to Clinton, Iowa. Soon, he would be slumped over the wheel of the moving car he was driving.

Video: A recent ride along with DeKalb Police Sgt. Raynaldo Hernandez highlighted a dangerous stretch of North Annie Glidden Road where a February crash sent one man to the ICU.

Meet Wes, a Belgian Malinois and partner of Sycamore patrol officer Greyson Scott. Together they make up the department’s first K-9 unit.

From paramedic to medical school to the military, Dr. Gregory Conrad and clinical nurse Randa Melms, also a military veteran, use their field skills to help triage at Northwestern Medicine Kishwaukee Hospital in DeKalb.

Mario Manfredini is the Berwyn Fire Department's fire inspector and a battalion chief. He also prepares his own Italian sauce, which is sold in local stores and farmers markets.

In addition to supporting co-workers, many other personality traits are needed for a career in EMS. Among them are problem solving, flexibility, adaptability, compassion, empathy and teamwork.

Nurses on Mercyhealth's REACT medical helicopter team share what it's like to provide care in the air.

Will County Sheriff's Police Deputies Victoria Sims Janovyak and Mike Janovyak have been working for seven years to increase fundraising and participation for Special Olympics in Will County through their department.

Algonquin orthopedic surgeon Dr. Michael Kogan was asked in 1995 to help with Jacobs football team on the sideline at games. He's been a part of the Golden Eagles' sports family ever since then.

The Daily Chronicle honors and salutes all DeKalb County First Responders.

Thank you La Salle County first responders.

My Suburban Life honors and salutes all First Responders.

The Kane County Chronicle honors and salutes all First Responders.

Kendall County Now honors and salutes all First Responders.

KeeLey Meyer is the first woman to be hired as a full-time firefighter in the history of Sycamore, and Carlos Aburto is the first Latino at the Sycamore Fire Department.

When Bob Coleman started his firefighting career, Morris was a volunteer organization made up of 25 firefighters who all had day jobs. By the time he retired, it grew into a full time, fully-staffed fire department.

Kendall County Sheriff’s Sgt. Nancy Velez has been with the sheriff’s office since May 2009 and was recently honored as the Kendall County Sheriff’s Office Employee of the Year for 2023.

Capt. Matt Hornbuckle was honored by Joliet Cantigny Post 367 Veterans of Foreign Wars as Firefighter of the Year and received a Medal of Valor from the 100 Club of Illinois.

The Special Victims Team was created in 2023 to handle cases of child abuse, elderly abuse, domestic abuse, sexual assault, exploitation and juvenile problems in Kane County

You won't find many police officers still working at age 54, let alone still working midnights on patrol. But not many law enforcement officers love being a cop as much as Bill Sommer does.

Gina Plastiak is a 911 operator in North Riverside at the West Central Consolidated Dispatch Center.

Head of NIU’s sports medicine department for almost three decades, Phil Voorhis was at Wal-Mart when someone by him had a cardiac episode. Voorhis sprung into action, but was surprised when he found out the chain did not have an automated external defibrillator.

As a bored 15-year-old, he was coaxed into joining the Utica Fire Department as a cadet. In just over a decade, Ben Brown had soared up the ranks and was fire chief by age 26.

Rettke: The sacrifice of being a first responder often trickles down to their families. So today, we say "Thank you" to first responders throughout our DeKalb County communities, and thank you also to the families for all the ways you put service before self.

Typing the phrase “first responder” into the General Assembly website (ilga.gov) returns dozens of bills introduced during the current session.

Police and firefighters aren't alone on the scene when an emergency occurs in Grundy County: They have support in the form of communication, additional lighting, and more from the Grundy County Emergency Management Agency.

Heiser, 23, has been with the department since 2022. He grew up in Sugar Grove and is a Kaneland High School graduate.

Recently retired Sandwich Police Department patrol and detective sergeant Jennifer Marcellis was appreciative of the opportunity to serve a community like Sandwich.

One local fire district offers help after traumatic calls.

When Shauna Breckenridge, of rural Streator, was 12 years old, she was attending her cousin’s birthday party when tragedy struck – a man got his foot caught in a three-wheeler.

Elmhurst's First Responders Memorial will incorporate a 13-foot-long section of rail that was part of a rail system that ran under the World Trade Center

Mentoring others is a passion for Westmont Fire Battalion Chief Eric Blaskovich

They call her "the Magnet" because major catastrophes (the Westclox fire, for one) seem to always happen under her watch. But what Julie Dean, a veteran with Illinois Valley Regional Dispatch, attracts most is the esteem of law enforcement.

OSF Life Flight, in business in Illinois since 1984, makes more than 1,800 flights a year. It has made more than 10 from the area since opening locally.

Brinkley joined the department on Feb. 27, 2017. She will retire June 12 after seven years of service as a community service dog.

Dr. Adnan Hussain, an emergency room doctor at Ascension Saint Joseph – Joliet, was recognized by the American College of Emergency Physicians for the quality care he provides.

Elizabeth DePouw’s destiny to work in healthcare and with paramedics was likely predetermined at a very early age. Her father was among the first paramedics in Illinois. He volunteered for the rescue squad in Lake Villa.

Two Dixon city firefighters are going the extra mile to protect their community and build up the next generation of firefighters by teaching classes at the Illinois Fire Service Institute.

Officer John Martinez has only been at the Minooka Police Department for three years, and he's already been recognized as its 2023 Officer of the Year.

The Grundy County Children’s Advocacy Center now has a home at the We Care building, 530 Bedford Rd in Morris, and Executive Director Timberlie Jahn has come a long way from sitting in a desk at the Grundy County State’s Attorneys office, filling out grant applications.

Jennifer Larsen said she knew she wanted to be a police officer when she was in high school

Kendall County Sheriff’s Deputy Paul Kubinski is out to ensure that everyone gets the help they need.

During Sharon Anderson’s almost 31 years of experience as a Sycamore police officer, Anderson said she’s found crime patterns to be cyclical.

Chris Kinsella serves as an assistant football coach for Joliet Catholic and a full-time firefighter in Joliet.

Rebecca Keltner and Sue Maness both lost their husbands in the line of duty. They've found ways to honor their spouses and their legacies.

After graduating from Fieldcrest High School in 2005, Justin Arndt attended Indian Valley Community College for one year before transferring to Illinois State University where he played on the club hockey team.

Dustin Dahlstrom, a 12-year member of the department, officially became Dixon Rural's chief Jan. 16. Ken Wolf became Rock Falls fire chief Feb. 1.

Plainfield Police Officer Dean Klier said his experience in his first year as a school resource officer has taught him that "everybody has a story,” whether it’s “inside the school or on the street.”

Steve Siwy is a firefighter and paramedic in St. Charles who has been fighting fires in Kane County for over 20 years, and giving back to the community every step along the way.