The Park Forest Fire Department welcomed a new firefighter-paramedic earlier this week at Monday night's Village Board meeting.
Jonas Campbell was sworn in with his parents, Carl and Christina Campbell, by his side to pin on his badge.
Campbell is no stranger to the south suburbs as he grew up in the area and graduated from Homewood-Flossmoor High School in 2012.
A few years later, Campbell was invited to attend an orientation for the Park Forest Fire Department's volunteer program. The fire department sponsored him, and he graduated from the Prairie State Fire Academy in late 2017. He then began working in a paid on-call capacity in Park Forest.
Campbell completed his emergency medical technician (EMT) in 2018 and completed his paramedic training in 2022. While in school, he maintained a 4.0-grade point average and made the president's list several times.
Two weeks after graduating, Campbell took his national test and passed on the first attempt. Before working in Park Forest, Campbell worked part-time with the Richton Park Fire Department.
When Campbell isn't fulfilling his duties with the Park Forest Fire Department, he's enjoying his various hobbies; cooking, baking, fishing, and restoring a vintage 1971 Chevy Chevelle.