Captain William Tilley is Park Forest’s Firefighter of the Year.
The 41-year Park Forest resident was recognized during the Fire Department’s Annual Recognition and Awards Ceremony at Village Hall on Monday, August 18.
Standing before a packed room of fellow firefighters, friends, family, and residents, Tilley was honored as the following citation was read:
Captain William Tilley began his career as a volunteer firefighter in 1973 and has given the Village over forty years of dedicated service. Captain Tilley leads by example in everything he does and, in his time with Park Forest Fire Department, has set an example for all firefighters to follow. After 40-plus years of served you might think he would start to slow down but nothing could be farther from the truth.
Captain Tilley retired from his full-time job as a truck driver this past year and has used his new found time off to dedicate even more time to the fire service. He is very active in the Department’s training, helping to mentor our new members, and works as an instructor with the Fire Science Program offered through Prairie State College.
Over the past 40 years, Captain Tilley has been the most consistent POC member on the Department. No matter what time of the day or night, he continually answers the call of duty responding in the middle of the night, on weekend and on holidays when many other members do not.
When inducted into the Park Forest Hall of Fame in 2013, Captain Tilley was quoted as saying, “It’s just a matter of serving your community in a job you love to do.”
Captain Tilley’s professionalism, exhibited daily, is in keeping with the highest traditions of the Fire Service and for these reasons Captain William Tilley was selected as Firefighter of the Year.
Several other members of the Park Forest Fire Department were also recognized for their professionalism and bravery as part of the ceremony.
View the Recognition and Awards Ceremony below.