Police Department working to be among
elite of law enforcement agencies
The Oak Park
Police Department is working to become one of the elite law
enforcement agencies in Illinois by earning certification
through the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement
Agencies (CALEA), an independent association dedicated to
setting professional standards for law enforcement. In addition
to helping lower liability insurance costs and workers’
compensation claims, police say accreditation offers a greater
sense of well-being and safety to residents by providing
objective evidence of their police department’s
commitment to excellence in leadership, resource allocation and
service delivery. Accreditation requires a police department to
closely examine every aspect of its operations, a form of
objective, critical self-analysis that provides the information
necessary to create and implement effective law enforcement
policies and procedures. To become accredited, a law
enforcement agency must meet CALEA’s 446 standards, all
of which are based upon established professional policing
practices. Only 49 of Illinois’ approximately 1,250 law
enforcement agencies are accredited. For more information call
386.3800 or email police@oak-park.us.
Ice your
cell phone
No,
don’t put it in the freezer. I-C-E stands for In Case of Emergency
and the concept is to help emergency personnel contact your
family if you are unable to provide that information yourself.
The process is simple -- just program the emergency contact
person’s number in your phone and instead of listing them
by their name, file them under ICE.
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Fire Department News
Fire Department earns re-accreditation
The Oak Park Fire Department has once
again demonstrated its competence and excellence by earning
accreditation for the second time with the Commission on Fire
Accreditation International (CFAI), a non-profit corporation
dedicated to ensuring continuous quality improvement within
fire and emergency services agencies. One of only 107 agencies
to achieve Internationally
Accredited Agency status with the
CFAI, the Oak Park Fire Department also is accredited through
the Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services. The
initial CFAI accreditation was earned in 1999 and now will be
in effect through August of 2009. The Commission on Fire
Accreditation International, Inc. is dedicated to assisting
fire and emergency service agencies continually improve and
enhance service delivery to their communities.
New oxygen masks fitted for pets
The Oak Park Fire Department has joined a
host of other fire departments in the Chicago Metropolitan area
that now have oxygen masks intended for use with animals in
respiratory distress. Pets are at risk of injury and death from
smoke inhalation just as are people, but human oxygen masks
don’t fit properly on animals. The Fire Department
purchased three kits, each containing one feline mask, one
small canine mask and one large canine mask. The kits are
placed on the command vehicle, which responds to every
emergency call.
Contests, open house planned for Fire
Prevention Week
A poster design contest, essay competition
and open house are planned by the Oak Park Fire Department in
celebration of National Fire Prevention Week, October 9 - 15.
Winners will receive prizes and a Certificate of Merit from the
Fire Department, as well as join their immediate family as
guests at a dinner ceremony scheduled for Oct. 12 at the Main
Fire Station, 100 N. Euclid Ave. In addition, winning entries
will be displayed at Village Hall. Students in kindergarten
through third grade may submit artwork of any fire prevention
theme in a format of up to 12 inches by 11 inches. Fourth grade
through eighth grade students may submit artwork using the
theme of this year’s Fire Prevention Week, Use Candles with Care. Fourth grade through sixth grade students also may
choose to write an essay of 25-50 words on the candle care
theme. Seventh and eighth graders may submit an essay of 50-100
words on any home fire safety topic. All essays should be on
standard letter-sized paper of 8.5 inches by 11 inches. Entries
may be brought to any of Oak Park’s three fire stations
and must include the printed name of the contestant, school and
grade, as well as home phone number on the back on every item
submitted. The deadline for entries is 5 p.m., Thurs., Oct. 5.
The Fire Department also will host an open house from 10 a.m. -
2 p.m. on Sat., Oct. 15 at the Main Fire Station.