Will County Gazette

The Park Forest Fire Department held a swearing-in ceremony during the board meeting on Monday evening. During this event, a departmental member was promoted, and another was officially welcomed into the service.

Elisabeth "Bess" Vlahakis, who hails from Park Forest, has been promoted to lieutenant, marking her as the second female lieutenant in the department's history after Lieutenant Michelle Paradise achieved this milestone in 2023. Vlahakis has been with the department since 2016 and has served as the emergency medical services (EMS) coordinator. Her career began in 2003, having graduated as an EMT-B. She became a firefighter in 2007 and obtained her paramedic certification in 2009. Before joining her hometown department, she worked with several other local fire departments.

Over two decades, Vlahakis has received 32 fire service certifications, including technical rescue certifications. She is also an active Combined Agency Response Team member and serves as a rescue specialist with the Illinois Task Force 1 Team. Her commitment to EMS is evident, having developed training programs benefiting both the Park Forest Fire Department and surrounding departments. For 13 years, she has instructed at the Prairie State Fire and EMS Academies, aiding in training future firefighters, EMTs, and paramedics.

In addition, the Park Forest Fire Department welcomed Jacob Reece during the Board meeting. At 24, Reece, a native of the Southland, carries a family legacy in firefighting with his grandfather having served in Lansing and his father being a lieutenant with the Hazel Crest Fire Department. Reece began his career at the Beecher Fire Protection District, completing the fire academy in 2021, and recently earned his paramedic certification. At his swearing-in, his grandfather, Don Reece Sr., pinned his badge on him.

All members of the Park Forest Fire Department serve as both firefighters and paramedics.