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.
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.
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.
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.
Officer Sarah Markusic hasn't been with the Morris Police Department all that long, but she's made a big impact in her time there.
Officer Ryan Ties knew he wanted to be a police officer by the time he was a senior in high school, but it took until his senior year to make that decision: Up until then, he thought he'd become a teacher.
Not every kid takes the fire science and criminal justice classes at the Grundy Area Vocational Center knowing that they'll become a firefighter or police officer, but both programs have churned out new recruits at a high rate.
Vanessa Read was an emergency room nurse for 11 years – eight years at Morris Hospital – before transitioning into Morris Hospital’s nursing supervisor of emergency services in October 2023.
The Wilmington Emergency Services and Disaster Agency, or ESDA, has been around since the 1970s and is still to this day made up of volunteers lending a helping hand whenever first responder agencies need it.