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Westmont highlights police and fire accreditations, mutual-aid and community programs
Summary
Village officials highlighted accredited police and fire departments, mutual-aid arrangements, public-safety outreach programs and recent fundraisers, stressing training, reputation and interjurisdictional cooperation.
Village leaders used the State of the Village presentation to outline recent public-safety recognitions, mutual-aid arrangements and community outreach programs run by police and fire.
Jim Gunther, village manager trainee, noted that both the police and fire departments are accredited and described a shift toward more rapid deployment tactics and integrated police-fire responses for active threats: "That was the SOP... that didn't work in Columbine. So that evolved over decades to where we now stand at rapid deployment," Gunther said.
Programs and recognition: Gunther said the Westmont Police Department prioritizes outreach—squad car night (June 19), National Night Out and a Facebook page for community engagement—and that the department received the 2024 Flame of Hope award from Special Olympics Illinois. The village also raised more than $10,000 at a recent "Cop on Top" fundraiser, a presenter said.
Mutual aid and specialized teams: Officials described county-level mutual-aid systems (MABAS for fire response) and a DuPage County "merit task force" for law enforcement incidents. Gunther credited DuPage County board support for vehicles used by the task force.
Training and community programs: The police department runs a citizens police academy and a junior academy (September) for community education and officer–resident interaction; Gunther emphasized reputation and continuous training as central to department strategy.
Ending: Officials said accreditation, training and mutual-aid partnerships support local public safety and allow the village to scale responses to large incidents.
