Romeoville’s Bill Sterling Wins Award from State Fire Marshal

Romeoville’s Deputy Fire Marshal Bill Sterling has received the 2026 Marsha Giesler CRR Award for his work in developing and overseeing the Romeoville C.A.R.E.S. program.

Awarded by the office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal, this award recognizes individuals whose exceptional dedication to Community Risk Reduction has made a lasting impact through fire and injury prevention, public education, collaborative partnerships, and innovative initiatives that improve the safety, resilience, and well-being of communities throughout Illinois. Recipients embody Marsha's vision by leading with passion, fostering collaboration, and advancing prevention efforts that create safer communities for generations to come.

C.A.R.E.S. creates a bridge between emergency response and long-term problem solving. A resident's interaction with the fire or police department can now become an entry point to a broader network of assistance. Instead of simply identifying a problem and leaving residents to navigate a complicated system on their own, C.A.R.E.S. works to remove those barriers and connect residents with meaningful solutions.

Bill has helped move our organization from asking, "How do we respond to this emergency?" to also asking, "Why did this emergency occur, what does this resident need, and what can we do to prevent the next one?" Bill's leadership is hands-on. He meets directly with residents, listens to their circumstances, helps identify solutions, coordinates resources, and works alongside community partners to address their needs. That personal involvement has helped tum C.A.R.E.S. from an idea into a functioning program with genuine community impact.

“Bill has done a tremendous amount of good work for our Village and he deserves this recognition,” said Mayor Noak. “Not only has he championed the C.A.R.E.S. program, but he’s also started babysitter training, restarted the Citizens Fire Academy, and heads up the Youth Fire Safety Camp.”

Residents interested in supporting the C.A.R.E.S. program can voluntarily contribute through their water bills to help fellow residents during times of need. Learn more at romeoville.org/1495/Romeoville-CARES-Program.