Harold Damron, who recently left the Mokena Emergency Services Disaster Agency for a position with Will County ESDA, was honored this week by village officials for his more than 14 years of service to the village.
“Harold could be called the father of ESDA,” said Mayor Robert Chiszar, who credited Damron with taking a bare-bones organization and building it into “one of the finest in Will County, perhaps in the state.”
Chiszar said Damron worked to upgrade equipment, attract volunteers and make sure Mokena had emergency-siren coverage.
Mokena Fire Prevention District Deputy Chief Joe Holomy and Lt. Joe Cirelli also praised Damron’s work, especially in setting up a mobile emergency communications center.
The mobile communications center works so well that it was used during a recent railroad accident in Bourbonnais, Holomy said.