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Belvidere honors officers for smoke‑alarm rescue and on‑scene CPR; Mark R. Wiland receives decorated officer distinction
Summary
Belvidere City Council recognized multiple officers on March 17, 2025, awarding meritorious service and life‑saving citations for a December 2024 smoke incident and a January 2025 CPR response; Officer Mark R. Wiland also received a decorated officer distinction for repeated acts of service.
Belvidere City officials on March 17 presented meritorious service and life‑saving awards to multiple police and fire personnel for two recent rescues and a history of on‑duty heroism.
Chief Woody opened the recognition segment, saying he wanted to "recognize several of our officers here tonight" and read a prepared letter detailing the Dec. 7, 2024 response at 903 West Jackson Street. According to the department letter read into the record, Officers Mark R. Wiland and Anthony Jones entered a smoke‑filled apartment, located and escorted an occupant to safety, and helped evacuate the floor until firefighters rendered the scene safe. The council presented each officer a meritorious service certificate and a uniform ribbon.
Fire Chief Shadel and Chief Woody also presented life‑saving awards for a Jan. 30, 2025 incident in which Officers Wiland and Matthew Gibson performed CPR and administered naloxone to an unresponsive man. Chief Shadel said the officers "began CPR" and that the patient regained a pulse and was transported to Swedish American Hospital for further treatment.
Chief Shadel further read Belvidere Police Department policy 3-014.07 and outlined prior instances in which Officer Mark R. Wiland had been recognized — including responses in 2017, 2020 and 2023 — before presenting him with a decorated officer plaque and ribbon. "Officer Mark R. Wiland's exceptional attention to duty has brought credit and honor upon yourself, the Belvidere Police Department and the City of Belvidere," Chief Shadel said.
The mayor and council members offered public applause and brief remarks of thanks to the officers and responding fire and emergency medical crews. The recognitions were ceremonial; no votes or policy changes resulted from the presentations.
What happens next: The awards are departmental recognitions; no further council action was announced at the meeting.
