(Arlington, VA) The Congressional Fire Services Institute (CFSI) and Masimo will honor the Joliet (IL) Fire Department with the 2025 Excellence in Fire Service-Based EMS Award for its innovations in emergency medical services. The award will be presented at the 35th Annual National Fire and Emergency Services Dinner on February 13th in Washington, DC.
The Joliet Fire Department was selected for its Community Mental Health Program that provides both prevention and awareness training for firefighters and rapid crisis intervention and cost-free definitive mental health services for the citizens involving a network of local mental health organizations. An important element of the program is the city of Joliet establishing a fund to cover the costs of the services not covered by insurance. Since 2022, the program has provided rapid care to over 2,000 residents seeking treatment for mental illness or experiencing traumatic events.
“With an increase in mental health-related calls nationwide, fire departments face challenges in responding to these calls and providing rapid care for the growing number of individuals who suffer from mental illness”, said CFSI President Jim Estepp. “I congratulate the Joliet Fire Department for developing an innovative EMS program that addresses a significant challenge facing the department and enhances its EMS capabilities.”
“Masimo is proud to cosponsor the Excellence in Fire Service-Based EMS Award,” said Andy Jones, Senior Vice President of US Alternate Care. “At Masimo, our focus is on product innovation just as fire departments find ways to innovate their services to meet the growing emergency medical challenges in their communities. As a proud cosponsor of the Excellence in Fire Service-Based EMS, Masimo congratulates the Joliet Fire Department for their achievements in emergency medical services.”
Additional details about the 35th Annual National Fire and Emergency Services Symposium and Dinner are available by clicking here. The event benefits the Congressional Fire Services Institute, a nonprofit, nonpartisan policy organization designed to educate members of Congress about fire and life safety issues.
