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Fire protection<br />
district<br />
Mokena Fire Department was organized in 1917<br />
with approximately 30 members. When the fire alarm<br />
sounded, the Volunteer Firefighters answered the call with the<br />
following equipment: 300 feet of 3/4 inch hose mounted on a<br />
wooden hose cart which was pulled by the Firefighters, 6 rubber<br />
buckets, 2 red flags, 2 red lights, and 4 white lights. This hose<br />
cart is still in existence today and proudly displayed at Mokena<br />
Fire Protection District Station #1<br />
In the fall of 1932, representatives of the W. S. Darley Company,<br />
manufacturers of firefighting equipment, held a demonstration<br />
of the fire apparatus mounted on a Ford chassis. The fire truck<br />
was connected to the fire plug in front of the Mokena Hardware<br />
Company and went through a series of hose demonstrations.<br />
The water was pumped directly from the water main and the<br />
various types of hoses were able to throw quite<br />
powerful streams of water. At the time, the Village<br />
Board was not in a position to purchase this type<br />
of firefighting equipment, so it became necessary<br />
to plan on acquiring this firefighting equipment by<br />
public subscription, as had been done in so many<br />
neighboring Villages. At the time, Mokena was in<br />
dire need of an organized Fire Department and<br />
some type of modern firefighting equipment.<br />
In November 1932, the matter of reorganizing the<br />
Mokena Volunteer Fire Department was taken up at the regular<br />
meeting of the Mokena Village Council. When the Department<br />
was founded, it had eight members. It was decided to reorganize<br />
a Fire Department with 25 Firefighters and all the Village Board<br />
members agreed to enroll as members.<br />
In December 1932, a list of 25 names, who were willing to serve<br />
in the newly reorganized Mokena Volunteer Fire Department<br />
was approved by the Village Board. On December 15, 1932, the<br />
Mokena Volunteer Fire Department was formally organized with<br />
25 active members.<br />
Early in 1933, a used 1929 Model “A” Ford chassis, previously used<br />
as a coal truck, was purchased for $75.00. On July 4, 1933, the<br />
Mokena Volunteer Fire Department sponsored a fire truck benefit<br />
dance at the Mokena Men’s Club pavilion, located on Wolf Road,<br />
to raise funds to outfit the truck with the necessary firefighting<br />
equipment. By July 15, 1933, the Mokena Village fire truck was<br />
complete with chemicals and a pump, the latter being purchased by<br />
the Village at a cost of $373.00. The remaining cost of the truck,<br />
totaling $650.00, was paid for by the Firefighters and the truck<br />
was donated by them to the Village. The members of the Fire<br />
Department also purchased additional parts and assembled the<br />
truck at no expense to the Village. At this time, the truck carried<br />
approximately 1,200 feet of hose, and with the chemicals newly<br />
acquired, small oil fires and attic fires could be quickly extinguished<br />
without using the regular fire hose. This Model “A” Ford truck is still<br />
used to this day in Mokena’s annual 4th of July parade.<br />
Plans were laid for a Fire Protection District supported by<br />
taxation so the Firefighters could better serve the community<br />
and not have to devote so much time raising money to keep the<br />
Fire Department solvent. It should be noted that the Mokena<br />
Community Volunteer Fire Department was the only Fire<br />
District application filed in Northern Illinois that was entirely<br />
debt free. All equipment, building, and supplies were paid for so<br />
the District’s application met no opposition.<br />
On July 19, 1962, an election was held, and the<br />
creation of the District was passed almost<br />
unanimously.<br />
For a long period of time, rescue work and first aid was the subject<br />
of much discussion in the Fire District and in the local press. The<br />
question of Fire District owned and operated ambulances versus<br />
utilizing the services of local and nearby ambulance operators<br />
was under constant pressure to be resolved. In November 1985, a<br />
referendum to create an Ambulance District was defeated; another<br />
referendum was presented in November 1988 and passed.<br />
Today, the Mokena Fire Protection District (MFPD) employs 34<br />
Full-Time Firefighter/Paramedics, 2 Full-Time Administrative<br />
Assistants, and one paid-on-call Firefighter. The Mokena Fire<br />
Protection District serves portions of Frankfort, Homer Glen,<br />
Mokena and Orland Park with a population of approximately<br />
17,500 people over 12 ½ square miles. The MFPD has one ladder<br />
truck, three engines, one heavy rescue squad, four Advanced<br />
Life Support (ALS) ambulances, and one brush truck. The MFPD<br />
responds to approximately 2,600 calls a year and this number<br />
continues to rapidly rise. The MFPD was awarded accredited<br />
agency status by the Center for Public Safety Excellence in August<br />
of 2001. As an internationally accredited agency, the MFPD<br />
believes in continuous quality improvement which is based on our<br />
core values of Professionalism, Responsibility, Integrity, Devotion<br />
and Effectiveness (PRIDE). We are proud to be classified as a Class<br />
One Fire Department by the Insurance Services Office (ISO).<br />
The MFPD will be celebrating its 100 years of service to the<br />
community (1917 - <strong>2017</strong>) in <strong>2017</strong>. The main event of the 100<br />
years of service celebration will be focused around the 4th of July<br />
Parade. The MFPD is planning a community based celebration<br />
with Fire Trucks on display, 100 year commemorative teeshirts<br />
(for purchase), food vendors, and other activities for<br />
the community to participate in and support. Please visit www.<br />
mokenafire.org for additional information.<br />
The MFPD has enjoyed our first 100 years of service to the<br />
community and we look forward to the next 100 years of service<br />
and progress.<br />
8 Mokena Chamber of Commerce | mokena.com