January 15, 2025
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Joliet plans emergency volunteer squad

City cites similar programs developed elsewhere in Will County

By Bob Okon
Joliet firefighters extinguish a fire at a house in the 400 block of Ohio Street on Friday afternoon. July 12, 2024

A proposed Community Emergency Response Team in Joliet would be available to help first responders and neighbors during fires and other emergencies. (Provided by Joliet Fire Department)

The city of Joliet plans to develop a squad of volunteers who will aid their neighbors in emergencies.

The idea is still in development, but City Council member Joe Clement said the city plans to develop a network of volunteers who would be available to assist in fires and other emergencies.

The volunteer network likely would comprise as many as 200 residents who could be dispatched to emergency situations as needed, he said.

Clement chairs the City Council’s Public Safety Committee, which last week heard from city staff on planning for the volunteer force.

He called the project an “unbelievable program,” adding, ”We’ll dig into it a little deeper in a couple of weeks."

Councilman Joe Clement speaks out against the grant money Joliet Township board applied for to help asylum seekers without the city of Joliet’s knowledge at the Joliet City Council Meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023.

Joliet City Council member Joe Clement chairs the Public Safety Committee. (Gary Middendorf/Gary Middendorf)

The Public Safety Committee last week recommended that the formation of a Community Emergency Response Team be sent to the full council for approval.

Council member Jan Quillman, also a member of the Public Safety Committee, said the program would serve as a morale booster for Joliet residents.

“It’s gong to bring the whole city together,” Quillman said.

The Public Safety Committee heard an outline of the proposal from John Lukancic, director of the city’s Office of Emergency and Disaster Management.

Lukancic noted that other communities have similar volunteer teams, pointing to “a very robust program” in New Lenox.

Joliet Fire Department Mental Health Coordinator John Lukancic leads a Crisis First Aid refresher course for the Joliet Fire Department Station One crew on Wednesday, July 12th, 2023 in Joliet.

John Lukancic is director of the Joliet Office of Emergency and Disaster Management. (Gary Middendorf – gmiddendorf@shawmedia/Gary Middendorf)

The city will recruit doctors, nurses and average residents – “anyone from 18 on up” – to participate, Lukancic said.

“It’s a tall order, and it’s going to take a lot of work,” Lukancic told the Public Safety Committee at its meeting last week. “But I guarantee you, it’s going to be worth it.”

The formation of a Community Emergency Response Team will have benefits beyond providing a network of volunteers ready to help when emergencies arise, Lukancic said.

“It’s a community builder,” he told the committee. “It’s a way to get us all together. It’s a way for residents to get involved with the city at large.”

The committee recommended that Lukancic make a report to the full council when it meets next week.

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