Fire News

Due to an overwhelming response from the community, the St. Charles Police and Fire Departments can no longer participate in birthday parades for community members.

Lt. David Chmelar and Firefighter/Paramedic Chad Tinsley of the St. Charles Fire Department have been honored as 2020 Everyday Extraordinary Firefighter Heroes by the American Red Cross of Chicago & Northern Illinois. Each year, the organization honors individuals for acts of bravery, dedication, and service to the community.

Scott Swanson will be appointed Fire Chief of the St.

At 7:34 a.m. Nov. 15, 2019, the St. Charles Fire Department was dispatched to 803 State Street for an unknown fire situation. Firefighters were on the scene by 7:37 a.m. and found light smoke coming from the garage area of the house. A fire in a trailer was located within the garage at that address. Firefighters were able to confine the fire to the garage and then extinguish the involved trailer. The structure was checked for any fire extension and the smoke was ventilated from the building. Firefighters removed the trailer from the garage and cleared the scene just after 10:00 am.

At 8:34 p.m. on Oct. 21, the St. Charles Fire Department was dispatched to a report of a kitchen fire at 1907 Moore Avenue. Firefighters were on the scene by 8:39 p.m. and found light smoke in the house. A fire was located in the kitchen and firefighters were able to confirm the fire was extinguished within 10 minutes of arrival. Firefighters then checked for any fire extension, remaining on the scene until 9:53 p.m. to provide ventilation of the smoke and complete the fire investigation.

Watch the ceremony here.

The City of St. Charles held a 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony at 7:30 a.m., Sept. 11, 2019 at the Fire Dept. Memorial Monument, 2 E. Main St. All were invited to come together as a community to honor the first responders who put duty before self and remember those who lost their lives that day.

Kane County offers the CodeRED® Emergency Telephone Notification System. The system allows County officials to telephone targeted areas or the entire County if an emergency requires immediate action such as a boil water order, missing child alert or evacuation notice. CodeRED® is capable of dialing 50,000 phone numbers per hour and delivers a recorded message.

The St. Charles Fire Department has retained Accredited Agency status with the Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI) for once again meeting the criteria established through the CFAI’s voluntary self-assessment and accreditation program. The St. Charles Fire Department is one of only 250 agencies to achieve Internationally Accredited Agency status with the CFAI and the Center for Public Safety Excellence, Inc. The Department was first accredited in 2013.

--

School is back in session in St. Charles August 22, and student safety is at the forefront of back-to-school preparations. Coordinated student safety plans developed collaboratively by the St. Charles Police Department, St. Charles Fire Department and St. Charles Community Unit School District 303 officials are in place to keep students safe when they are in school.

The Vial of L.I.F.E (Lifesaving Information for Emergencies) is a free program that helps Senior Citizens, and others with special medical needs, have their complete medical information ready in their home during an emergency. It provides critical information about medical history and current medications when a patient is not able to speak or remember this information.  

Emergency medical personnel called to a home can lose precious minutes trying to gather information about the person’s medications, allergies and illnesses. “Vial of Life” kits can help.