The new first responders exhibit at Oak Lawn Public Library has a special meaning for Mayor Terry Vorderer, a former village police officer of 34 years.

“I know the sacrifice first responders make for our community,” Vorderer said. “The shift work, working holidays, along with the dangers, requires a total commitment to our community.

An exhibit recently installed at the Oak Lawn Public Library that focuses on the history of public safety “is an amazing display,” he said.

First Responders of Oak Lawn: Celebrating 100 Years of Firefighters and Police History, which opened in late April, includes pictures and artifacts compiled over more than a century, along with carefully documented timeline histories, both colorful and informative, about the village’s police and firefighters.

That history dates back to 1909, when the law in Oak Lawn was enforced by a village marshal, police magistrates and patrolmen. Frank O’Brien was the police magistrate until the first actual police chief, John Cleveland, was named in 1920. Volunteer fire chief Nick Schmalen started in 1923 and Elmore “Ollie” Harker Sr. came on as the first paid fire chief in 1940.

These days, Michael McMillin is fire chief and the police chief is Daniel Vittorio.

Tom Javorcic, the local history librarian who curated the exhibit, said the library had a wealth of old photos and artifacts available for the exhibit and more were donated or loaned by the Fire Department and residents. Much of the history is highlighted on the library’s website https://olpl.pastperfecton line.com/.

Organized fire protection in Oak Lawn started after Brandt’s Tavern burned down in 1893. Not wanting a repeat, when the tavern was rebuilt in 1896, the village formed a fire department.

Oak Lawn’s police department also was formed after an unsavory incident, after several drunken Chicago police officers crashed a community dance in 1913 resulting in a melee involving around 75 residents. A Tribune headline afterwards stated “Villagers Beat Chicago Police Who Invade Ball: Oak Lawn Citizens Strip Intoxicated Bluecoats of Their Stars and Revolvers.”

Shortly afterward, the village organized its own police department.

Today, both departments are heavily involved in the community, supporting charities and raising money for kids at schools according to Javorcic. The strength of both departments and the many residents who appreciate them is one reason he decided to do the exhibit.

“I just wanted to give them some credit and celebrate them,” Javorcic said.

Javorcic said he created collages for the timelines and added color to make them more interesting. He said the timelines can be an educational draw for youth, too. Many people may not realize the village once included two smaller sections, Columbus Manor and Grandview Park, which were annexed into the village in the 1960s.

“I wanted kids to look at them and understand there’s a beginning to everything,” he said. “In 1967, there was that tornado. Paramedics, who we take for granted, when did they start? In 1976.”

Plus, he said, children love fire engines, so he appreciated the photos of local fire engines donated by Bill Friedrich, a firefighter in Downers Grove and amateur photographer.

Javorcic also added a bulletin board, where people can jot down on colored notecards what they appreciate about both departments.

Jeff Kane, a firefighter/paramedic with the Oak Lawn Fire Department, who is president of the Oak Lawn Firefighters Local 3405, said he and the department were touched by the exhibit.

“Oak Lawn Professional Firefighters Local 3405 is extremely honored to have such an amazing display highlighting the history of our department and union,” said Kane. “I am truly grateful to Tom for his excellent work showcasing the development of our great organization from a small volunteer department to the best-staffed, full-time, professional union fire department we have today.”

Erica Gilbert-Staudt, daughter of former Oak Lawn police Chief Frank Gilbert, who is featured in the exhibit, was one of many residents who said the exhibit was important to her personally.

“It’s just kind of how we always lived our life,” Gilbert-Staudt said about her dad’s profession. “Oak Lawn was important to him. It was part of us. To see his legacy continue under the new generation is pretty impactful,” she said.

Gilbert-Staudt also donated police uniforms and artifacts that belonged to her father from his roughly 30 years on the force.

She said police and firefighters have a lasting impact on the community, which is reflected in the exhibit.

“Especially today in the news, you see so much negative. … It’s nice to see the positive once in a while,” she said.

Javorcic, the history librarian, agreed.

“These guys are putting their lives on the line for people. They deserve respect for protecting people,” he said.

Janice Neumann is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.