Wheaton Board of Fire & Police Commissioners

1/21/26

Today, our guest speaker was Kevin Illia, Chair of the Board of Fire & Police Commisioners.

The Board is responsible for testing, appointing, and promoting the sworn personnel of the Fire and Police departments, except for the Fire and Police Chiefs, Fire Assistant Chiefs, and Police Deputy Chiefs. The board also conducts disciplinary hearings. The five-member board serves three-year terms. The Board generally meets at 5:30 p.m. on the second Wednesday in January, March, May, July, September, and November at City Hall. All meetings are open to residents.

 

Firefighters: to become an entry-level firefighter in Wheaton you must possess an Emergency Medical Technician-Basic license from the Illinois Department of Public Health or a National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians EMT-B license. Additionally, higher education, such as an associate degeree or a Bachelor's degree, is also required. Basic firefighting training at the Office of State Fire Marshal, Basic Operations Firefighter level or greater is preferred. The Commission administers the hiring process which includes written and physical testing, oral interviews, pschological/polygraph assessment, and a medical exam. Successful candidates are placed by ranking on a hirieng list, and when positions become available, candidates are selected based upon their ranking

 

Police officers: minimum requirements include:

• Legally authorized to work in the United States
• Possess a valid driver’s license, which will be used for identification at all phases of testing
• Be at least 20 years of age and under 35 at time of application deadline, unless exempt by state statute
• Must have corrected vision to 20/20
• If a veteran of the military or currently serving, include a copy of your DD-214
• Must be able to pass the POWER test at time of hire in order to meet the physical requirements of the Suburban Law Enforcement Academy
• An applicant for the Police Department must have received a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university, or if they have not yet received a bachelor’s degree, but are enrolled in an accredited college or university at the time of the submittal of an application, they must complete the Educational Waiver Request form from the Board with a commitment to obtain a bachelor’s degree within 24 months of service, or the applicant has served for 36 months of honorable active duty in the United States Armed Forces and has not been discharged dishonorably or under circumstances other than honorable or (2) the applicant has served for 180 days of active duty in the United States Armed Forces in combat duty recognized by the Department of Defense and has not been discharged dishonorably or under circumstances other than honorable, with a commitment to obtain a bachelor’s degree within 60 months of service.