Around Town: Jim Leslie, Naperville Fire Department

Jim Leslie, Naperville Fire Department History: Jim grew up in Naperville and graduated from Naperville Central High School. He studied Fire Science at Columbia Southern University in Orange Beach, Alabama.  Positions Held: Jim has been a firefighter and paramedic since 2001. He is also a charter member of Naperville Professional Firefighters Local 4302. The goal of the union is to improve life of its membership and ensure they reach retirement in a healthy and safe manner.  Naperville Professional Firefighters for a Cause, which was formed in 2003 (and coming up on its 20th anniversary), was Jim’s brainchild, as many members of Local 4302 were already involved in charitable efforts in the community that he founded a 501(c)(3) to organize continued support. Organizations the charity supports include St. Baldrick’s Pediatric Cancer Foundation, Loaves and Fishes, Autism Speaks, and others.  Current Events: Since January 2022, the department has been running a pilot program to understand root causes, possible remediations, and overall prevention of frequent users of EMS services. They defined “frequent” as people calling more than three times a month but found some people calling five or more times a day. The department allocated a special unit that is available Tuesday through Friday from 7am to 5pm. Many of the calls were related to mobility issues, and in one successful case, Jim was able to work with a woman whose prescription for a chair lift had expired. He contacted her primary care doctor and was able to get the chair installed in her home. The department is able to bill insurance for this time, which saves taxpayer money in the long run. Ultimately, the department would like to hire a case manager to do the leg work needed for the individualized care. The goal of the program is to remediate needs before crisis intervention is required.  Ways the Community Can Get Involved: (1) Sign up for a First Aid, CPR Certification, or the Y-FIRE Program (focused on youth education). (2) Complete the contact form at www.npffc.org for more information about how to get involved with the Naperville Professional Firefighters for a Cause organization. (3) Apply to the Citizen Fire Academy by contacting Soraya McLaughlin, Public Education Specialist, 630-305-7055 or mclaughlins@naperville.il.us.