Homewood Fire Selected As First Recipient Of Community Safety Partnership Award

HOMEWOOD, IL — The Homewood Fire Department on Friday was recognized as the inaugural recipient of a community safety partnership award from a national organization.

TRANSCAER (Transportation Community Awareness and Emergency Response) selected the department to receive its Outstanding Community Safety Partnership Award. The award is presented in recognition of a fire department’s exemplary commitment to hazardous materials (hazmat) preparedness and community safety, according to a release.

TRANSCAER is an outreach program covering North America. It focuses on assisting communities and training emergency responders to prepare for and respond to hazardous material transportation incident.

The Outstanding Community Safety Partnership Award was established to honor fire departments that not only meet—but exceed—standard practices in hazmat safety, response, and community engagement. Departments are evaluated on six core criteria: training and education, community engagement, incident response, collaboration and partnership, leadership and innovation.

The Homewood Fire Department has earned this distinction by achieving high marks across all criteria, including:

• Continuous hazmat training and education for its personnel
• Exemplary performance in responding to hazmat incidents, including successful containment and mitigation
• Active collaboration with local, regional, and industry partners
• Participation in TRANSCAER training, drills, and video development initiatives
• Leadership in advancing community preparedness

"TRANSCAER commends Homewood Fire Department’s pivotal support during the filming of TRANSCAER’s Rail Incident Training video and public service announcements," the organization said in a release. "Their logistical and operational assistance, coupled with a spirit of collaboration and professionalism, helped deliver high-quality tools for responder education nationwide."

“Homewood Fire Department has truly set the bar for what it means to be a community focused, safety-driven department,” said Erica Fischer, Director, Training, Outreach and Partnerships at CHEMTREC. "Their collaboration with local, regional, and industry partners and commitment to continuous hazmat training and emergency preparedness embodies the mission of TRANSCAER."

Mayor Rich Hofeld applauded the department.

“It’s very nice that the Homewood Fire Department was recognized for a leadership award in hazard materials response," Hofeld said.