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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
HONORING THE NORWOOD PARK FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT ON ITS 75TH ANNIVERSARY
WHEREAS, the Norwood Park Fire Protection District was chartered on August 25, 1941, by Walter E. Schoenfeld and Walter Merkele; and
WHEREAS, the Norwood Park Fire Protection District services were first provided out of Schoenfeld's garage located at 4318 Ottawa, considered to be the first fire station; and
WHEREAS, in 1947, a partially burned Presbyterian Church was relocated to the corner of Montrose and Ottawa to serve in the updating of the first fire house. The new station was built around the Chief's garage with the church bell tower used to call out volunteers for fire alarms; and
WHEREAS, in 1954, an additional fire station was constructed at 7301 W. Lawrence in Harwood Heights; and
WHEREAS, the volunteer fire department was reorganized in 1958 as the Norwood Park Fire Protection District with Tobias Schaden (Norridge), Hubert Huening (Harwood Heights), and Lucien E. Bond (Norwood Park Township) serving as the first trustees; and
WHEREAS, on January 1, 1959, Walter E.Schoenfeld became the first full-time fire chief; and
WHEREAS, on February 1, 1961, the district went to 24-hour-a-day, full-time fire protection; the first full-time firefighters were Ed Jilka, Les Richards, Paul Schoenfeld, and Alan Campbell; and
WHEREAS, full-time paramedic service began in 1974, and the district was considered pioneers in the field of paramedics starting in 1978; and
WHEREAS, a new fire station opened in 1988 at 7447 W. Lawrence, consolidating both stations to better serve the communities; and
WHEREAS, the district has grown to 35 full-time firefighters and paramedics and is led by Fire Chief Kevin J. Stenson; and
WHEREAS, the district's 75th anniversary celebration culminated on August 27, 2016, with the unveiling of a towering granite monument that encases a piece of the World Trade Center wreckage from the 9/11 attacks.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that ...
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