Romeoville Fire Academy gets grant extension to recruit young firefighers

Romeoville — The Romeoville Fire Academy has received $380,000 from Endeavor Health’s Community Investment Fund for its continuing work to recruit and train firefighters and emergency medical technicians from diverse communities.

The Romeoville Fire Department said the academy, which provides firefighter and EMT training to students from around the country and internationally, was named a partner by Endeavor Health in 2024 and was awarded $100,000.

The department recently learned that it has had its grant funding extended for 2025 and 2026, and it will receive $190,000 per year through the program, according to a news release from the fire department.

“The fire service continues to experience challenges in recruitment. It’s crucial to discover effective strategies to draw in and retain the next generation of firefighters and EMTs.”

—  John Noak, village of Romeoville mayor

Romeoville’s grant funding will be put to use as part of an effort to combat a nationwide shortage of firefighters and EMTs.

Fire Academy leaders discovered that during recruiting sessions, “students of different ethnic groups wanted to join but would become discouraged when they heard the cost of getting through training,” according to the release.

The grant money from the Endeavor Health Community Investment Fund will be used to provide scholarships for fire and EMT training to more than 20 students from underserved communities in 2025 “with hopes of successful job placement by the end of the year,” the fire department said.

In 2024, the program supported 15 students.

“We are beyond thrilled that Endeavor Health has chosen to increase their funding to support the partnership with our Fire Academy,” Romeoville Mayor John Noak said in the release. “The fire service continues to experience challenges in recruitment. It’s crucial to discover effective strategies to draw in and retain the next generation of firefighters and EMTs. This funding will provide new opportunities as we enhance those efforts.”

The Romeoville Fire Academy is one of 44 Chicago-area organizations chosen by Endeavor to “collaborate on programs focused on behavioral health, food and housing insecurity, and access to care,” according to the release.

“By bringing together diverse community groups, we don’t just fund projects, we create opportunities for collaboration that drive innovation, spark new ideas and deliver solutions that are greater than the sum of the parts,” Endeavor Health Chief Innovation and Transformation Officer Kristen Murtos said.

Students can register for the Romeoville Fire Academy using the form at romeoville.org/1381/Fire-Academy or by phone at 815-372-4042.

Online registration is only accepted for Department-pay students. Personal-pay students must register by phone and provide payment at the time of registration, according to the website.

Students will be registered based on the date the registration request is received. All classes will be filled to the maximum capacity. Any student registering after the class has filled to capacity will be placed on a waiting list, according to the Fire Academy’s website.

For more information, go to romeoville.org/1381/Fire-Academy.