Fire Chief's Office

Chief's Welcome

Welcome to the City of Peoria Fire Department website.  As the Fire Chief of the Peoria Fire Department, it is with the utmost honor I have the ability to lead this great fire department.  The citizens of Peoria are covered by a high level of service from our professional firefighters.  These professional services are accomplished through proper staffing, sufficient training and education and necessary equipment to handle the identified risks throughout our community and other territories.

Since 1875, the Peoria Fire Department is rich in history and tradition.  Our fire related services have adapted with the times over the past few decades to include many operations other than fire.  The Peoria Fire Department has four specialty teams that include the largest responding downstate Hazardous Materials Team, the region’s only underwater rescue dive team, a Technical Rescue Team that covers high angle, confined space, trench rescue and structural collapse.  Our Special Response Team works closely with the Peoria Police Department on a regular basis to provide paramedic level medical services in high-risk environments like a barricaded subject.

Our largest incident volume accounts for providing basic life support and advance life support to the citizens of Peoria on a daily basis.  As of May 2, 2022, the Peoria Fire Department has 12 fire stations strategically located throughout the city, 11 of which provide advanced life support with a daily staffed paramedic 24 hours a day.  Our other front-line emergency vehicles provide basic life support into their territories.

The Peoria Fire Department has a Prevention Bureau which supports public education programs working with the Peoria Public School systems and Parochial school system on a regular basis.  The Prevention Bureau also provides arson investigation, fire plan review, fire safety code inspections, hazardous materials inspections and emergency medical education like CPR instruction.

Training is a vital role for all professional firefighters.  The Peoria Fire Department trains at our regional training center on Galena Road, Vernon “Butch” Gudat Training Academy, on a regular basis to remain compliant with the professional standards through the Office of the State Fire Marshall, the Illinois Department of Labor, Illinois Department of Public Health, Peoria Area Emergency Medical Services Office, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and the Insurance Safety Office, ISO.  The training of our 174 firefighters is an important aspect of a well-trained, fully prepared professional fire department.

174 sworn professional firefighters and 5 civilian personnel staff the Peoria Fire Department.  12 fire stations are staffed 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to meet the demands of the citizens and the Peoria community.  Our incident call volume has grown over the years to over 20,000 incidents a year consistently through emergency medical services and fire related operations.

The men and women of the Peoria Fire Department are professional firefighters dedicated to the safety of the citizens of Peoria.  Commitment is displayed daily by providing the highest level of service through dedication and sacrifice.  Being a Peoria firefighter is not just a job, it is a life long commitment to the citizens of Peoria, on and off the job.  The Peoria Fire Department is proud to serve the community every day.

Fire Chief

Shawn Sollberger