Mokena Fire Protection District Meeting | October 14, 2025

The Mokena Fire Protection District Board of Trustees on Tuesday, October 14, 2025, celebrated the award of approximately $160,000 in federal and corporate grants that will cover the replacement cost of all fire hoses and nozzles. Fire Chief Joe Cirelli also announced a major operational change, confirming the district will end its automatic response to incidents on Interstate 80 east of Route 45 effective January 1st, as that area is under Tinley Park’s jurisdiction. For more detail on these topics, please see the full articles.

The board also approved the renewal of its health and dental insurance at rates significantly below what other districts are reporting. In other business, trustees received updates on costly apparatus repairs, the Station 2 bunk room project, and the FYE 2025 audit.

News Briefs

Costly Apparatus Repairs Underway:
Deputy Chief Rick Campbell reported that Engine 92 recently returned to service after an $8,600 repair to replace a faulty turbo charger that failed while the engine was returning from a call. Meanwhile, Truck 92 is at Chandler Services receiving a new Cummins engine, along with suspension and corrosion repairs.

FY2025 Audit Approved:
John Williams from the accounting firm Hearne & Associates presented the annual audit report for the fiscal year ending in 2025. Following the presentation, the board unanimously voted to approve the audit as presented. The FYE25 Treasurer’s Statement was also approved in a separate unanimous vote.

Station 2 Bunk Room Project Begins:
The renovation project for the bunk room at Fire Station 2 began on October 7. The project has an approximate completion time of eight weeks and will be completed with assistance from several MFPD members and local contractors.

New Ambulance Enters Service:
A new district ambulance officially went into service on September 26 after passing its inspection with the Illinois Department of Public Health. Additionally, Underwriter Laboratories recently performed annual inspections on all engine fire pumps, with all units passing.

Hiring Process Moves Forward for New Firefighters:
The Board of Fire Commissioners has posted its final eligibility list, which includes five candidates. According to Chief Cirelli’s report, the first candidate on the list has been contacted and is proceeding through the background examination phase.

Pancake Breakfast a Success:
The Trustees expressed their gratitude to the Mokena Lions Club and district personnel for the successful Pancake Breakfast held on October 5th. Trustee Hennessy gave a special thank you to Michael Warning for his dedication and assistance during the event.