The Fire Department hosted a swearing-in ceremony Friday morning at the main fire station to celebrate the promotion of Matthew Kohler to the rank of Lieutenant and the arrival of Colin Duggan and Pedro McDaniel as new firefighter/paramedics. OPFD Lieutenant Steve Ausmann was also installed as the department’s Fire Training Lieutenant. The Police Department also hosted a swearing-in ceremony Friday at Village Hall to welcome new Police Officer Kevin Kimmons. Elsewhere, the Neighborhood Services Department recently welcomed Annie Bailey as its new Executive Coordinator, and Imani Woolfolk arrived as a new Records Clerk in the Police Department.

Oak Park firefighter/paramedics responded to 777 calls in December, bringing the yearly total to 9,474, an average of nearly 26 per day. This was another record high number of calls for the department, with 546 more calls in 2025 than the prior year. Emergency medical services calls continued to be the largest category of calls, comprising 60% of the department's total for last year.  

Holiday trees will be collected the weeks of Jan. 5 and 12 from residential properties of five or fewer units served by the Village refuse hauling contractor. Be sure to remove all decorations and stands and place the tree in the regular collection area before your regular collection day during these two weeks. Trees are mulched at a licensed composting facility and used for soil enrichment, so please do not leave them in plastic disposal bags or they will not be collected. Wreaths and garlands cannot be collected for recycling because they contain wire — place them in the trash container. More information is available on the Village website – click here to view.

The Fire Department offers a variety of life-saving classes including cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and training in how to use an automated external defibrillator, or AED. Classes are held at the Fire Department’s certified American Heart Association community training center in the main station, 100 N. Euclid Ave. All courses are taught by a certified instructor. Fees vary by type of class and residency. In-person registration at the main station is required, and class sizes are limited. The 2026 class schedule is posted online at www.oak-park.us/cpr along with descriptions of each class offered. For more information, call 708.358.5605 or email cpr@oak-park.us.

As the calendar turns to 2026, the Village is celebrating the positive impact generated during the first year of its E.C.H.O. program (Engaging Communities for Healthy Outcomes). In the past 12 months, E.C.H.O. has become a vital bridge between residents and needed support, providing compassionate care coordination across the community. By the end of 2025, E.C.H.O. completed more than 700 referrals, connecting residents with essential services including wellness checks, invalid assists and falls support, housing and homelessness assistance, warming and cooling center activation, extreme-weather supply kits, food and utility resources, truancy support, domestic violence services and behavioral health care. Each referral represents a resident receiving timely, person-centered help when it matters most. For more information, visit www.oak-park.us/echo or contact the E.C.H.O. team at 708.358.5640 or echo@oak-park.us.

With flu cases are on the rise across the region and the country, the Public Health Department is issuing a reminder that here is still time to get both the flu and COVID-19 vaccine to help limit the spread of respiratory viruses this season. Local and state public health officials recommend a flu vaccine for all people ages six months and older. For more information about accessing a flu or COVID-19 vaccine, visit www.oak-park.us/25respiratoryillness.