Chief's Message

To East Moline Citizens

I am very proud to work and live in the City of East Moline, and be of service to all of you as your Fire Chief.

The East Moline Fire Department serves a diverse community and our fire protection efforts focus on residential, commercial and large industrial complexes.

We also are tasked with protecting several schools, nursing homes and high-rise apartment buildings. We have an Insurance Services Organization (ISO) Public Protection Classification rating of 2.

Beyond the corporate limits of East Moline, the fire department is responsible for fire protection in the unincorporated Four-Way, East Moline Rural and Campbell's Island Fire Protection Districts.

The mission of the East Moline Fire Department and our members is to protect the lives and property of the citizens and visitors of East Moline from the adverse effects of fires, medical emergencies and hazardous conditions, through the highest achievable prevention and mitigation methods available to us.

We accomplish our mission by employing 36 highly trained and motivated personnel who work to prevent fires and medical emergencies through public education and frequent fire inspections. When these efforts fail to prevent unfortunate incidents we maintain a readiness to quickly respond and mitigate emergencies.

The fire department responds to fires, emergency medical conditions, and serious motor vehicle accidents. Additionally, department personnel are trained as Hazardous Material and Technical Rescue technicians and serve on teams that respond to hazardous spills and technical emergencies such as confined space, structural collapse and high angle emergencies.

The fire department participates in a structured mutual aid program with other local fire departments to provide additional resources for large incidents. The partnerships we have formed with these departments has helped the entire Quad City area enjoy an increased capability of their respective fire department to handle large incidents in an organized and efficient manner.

Since September 11, 2001, directives from the Department of Homeland Security and our nations new understanding of the challenges first responders face have influenced the role of the fire department during catastrophic and national security events.

Today, your fire department spends time training on terrorism detection and response protocols, along with the more traditional daily fire training. The department has received grants through the Illinois Terrorism Task Force for sophisticated equipment and training to assist with these new responsibilities.

When I entered the fire service over 22 years ago, the roles and the technologies that exist today for firefighters were unimaginable. I am proud to say, the East Moline Fire Department and its members gladly accept the changes the fire service has undergone and have embraced a constant quest for improving the public's safety, your safety, wherever possible.