The Chicago Fire Department (CFD) provides firefighting services along with emergency medical response services, hazardous materials mitigation services, and technical rescue response services in the city of

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

, United States, under the jurisdiction of the

mayor of Chicago The mayor of Chicago is the Chief executive officer, chief executive of city Government of Chicago, government in Chicago, Illinois, the List of United States cities by population, third-largest city in the United States. The mayor is responsib ...

. The Chicago Fire Department is the second-largest municipal fire department in the United States, after the

New York City Fire Department The New York City Fire Department, officially the Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY) is the full-service fire department of New York City, serving all Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs. The FDNY is responsible for providing Fi ...

(FDNY). It is also one of the oldest major organized fire departments in the nation. It has numerous general purpose and specialized vehicles and equipment to accomplish its missions. The Chicago Fire Department is led by the fire commissioner, currently Annette Nance-Holt. The Fire Commissioner is appointed by the mayor of Chicago, is confirmed by the

Chicago City Council The Chicago City Council is the legislative branch of the Law and government of Chicago, government of the Chicago, City of Chicago in Illinois. It consists of 50 alderpersons elected from 50 Wards of the United States, wards to serve four-year t ...

, and is assisted by the First Deputy Commissioner, who oversees the department's bureaus. There are four bureaus under the command of the First Deputy Commissioner: Operations, Fire Prevention, Administrative Services, and Logistics. The Chicago Fire Department receives over 800,000 emergency calls annually.

History

The "Washington Volunteers," the first fire company, was established in 1832. The first Chicago regulation, which forbade "the passing of any stove pipe through the roof, partition, or siding of any building, unless guarded by tin or iron six inches from the wood," was passed in November 1833. For this infraction, there was a $5.00 fine. The volunteer fire department was disestablished on August 2, 1858, when the city council passed the ordinance organizing the paid City of Chicago Fire Department.

Organization

Bureaus

There are four Bureaus within the Chicago Fire Department: Bureau of Operations, Bureau of Administrative Services, Bureau of Logistics and Bureau of Fire Prevention. Each of the four Bureaus are commanded by a Deputy Fire Commissioner, who then reports to the 1st Deputy Fire Commissioner, who in turn reports to the Fire Commissioner.

Bureau of Operations

The Bureau of Operations is the largest Bureau within the Chicago Fire Department. The Bureau of Operations commands the following Divisions: Fire Suppression & Rescue, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Special Operations Command, and the Office of Fire Investigation (OFI). The Bureau of Operations is composed of over 4,500 Uniformed Firefighters and EMS personnel and is commanded by a Deputy Fire Commissioner The Fire Suppression and Rescue Division is organized into 5 Districts which command a total of 24 Battalions and 1 Special Operations Battalion.

Bureau Of Administrative Services

The Bureau of Administrative Services commands the following Divisions: Personnel, Training, the Photo Unit, and the Employee Assistance Program. The Bureau Of Administrative Services is commanded by a Deputy Fire Commissioner.

Bureau of Logistics

The Bureau of Logistics commands the following Divisions: Support Services, Support & Logistics (EMS), Equipment & Supply, Building & Property Management, Record, Employee Relations, Labor Relations, Staff/Human Relations, the Pension Board, the Regulatory Compliance, and Management Information Systems/Technology. The Bureau of Logistics is commanded by a Deputy Fire Commissioner.

Bureau of Fire Prevention

The Bureau of Fire Prevention commands the following Divisions: Code Compliance and Inspections. The Bureau of Fire Prevention is commanded by a Deputy Fire Commissioner.

Operations

The Bureau of Operations is one of four Bureaus within the organization of the Chicago Fire Department. Like the other Bureaus, the Bureau of Operations is commanded by a Deputy Fire Commissioner, who reports to the 1st Deputy Commissioner, who in-turn reports to the Fire Commissioner. The Bureau of Operations is currently the largest Bureau within the Chicago Fire Department and is organized into four Divisions: Fire Suppression and Rescue, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Special Operations (including the Technical Rescue Unit, the Hazardous Materials Unit, and the Air-Sea Rescue Unit), and the Office of Fire Investigation (OFI). The Fire Suppression and Rescue Division is commanded by an Assistant Deputy Fire Commissioner. The Special Operations Division and the EMS Division are also commanded by an Assistant Deputy Commissioner. The Office of Fire Investigation (OFI) is under the command of the Commanding Fire Marshal, equivalent to the rank of Deputy District Chief.

Fire station locations and apparatus

The Chicago Fire Department is organized into 5 Districts, which command a total of 24 Battalions and a Special Operations Battalion.

In popular culture

The Chicago Fire Department cooperated with film director Ron Howard on making the 1991 film '' Backdraft'', starring Kurt Russell, William Baldwin, and Robert De Niro. The NBC television show '' Chicago Fire'', centers on a group of fictional firefighters and paramedics at a firehouse that is the headquarters of the fictitious Engine Company 51, Truck Company 81, Rescue Squad Company 3, Battalion Chief 25 (previously reassigned to another firehouse, now returned to Firehouse 51), Deputy District Chief 2-2-6 (reassigned to another Firehouse), and Ambulance 61 (represented by the headquarters for real Engine Company 18). The arcade game Emergency Call Ambulance takes place in Chicago. Players would take the role of an unnamed Chicago Fire Department

Paramedic A paramedic is a healthcare professional trained in the medical model, whose main role has historically been to respond to emergency calls for medical help outside of a hospital. Paramedics work as part of the emergency medical services (EMS), ...

and ambulance driver, as they race through Chicago streets to save lives in 4 different cases.

Ranks

https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/cfd/auto_generated/cfd_our_structure.html

Gallery

File:E38's House.jpg, Quarters of Engine 38, Truck 48, and Ambulance 77 in the North Lawndale area File:SunsetA77.png, Ambulance 77 & Engine 38 responding to a medical emergency on Roosevelt Ave. File:20141019 CFD Scuba Team.JPG, Scuba Team vehicle on Lake Shore Drive in Hyde Park File:Chicago Fire Department SUV.JPG, CFD 1st Battalion Chief's Ford Explorer SUV File:Chicago Fire Department-00.jpg, CFD Tower Ladder Company 10 File:Chicago Fire Dept. Truck Company 58 - Left.jpg, CFD Truck Company 58 File:Chicago Fire Department Hazardous Incident Team.jpg, CFD Haz-Mat. Incident Team (H.I.T.) Unit 5-1-1 File:A77 @ St Anthony's.jpg, Ambulance 77 at St. Anthony's Hospital

References

External links

* {{Authority control 1858 establishments in Illinois