EMERGENCY RESPONSE CAN BE ACTIVATED BY CALLING 911.
Established in 1910, the Carterville Fire Department presently has 4 full-time staff, 1 full-time fire chief, and 19 volunteer firefighters. Most are combination firefighters and paramedics. Paid employees work 24-hour shifts. Most employees donate countless hours to the service, in training, and in the form of fundraisers, to purchase equipment.
Carterville Fire Services contract to Crainville and Colp for fire suppression and emergency ambulance support. Full-time population protected is approximately 6500. However, the population can double during the school season of John A. Logan College. Additional protection area creates approximately 24 square miles.
Existing equipment within the Department includes 1- engine, 1- aerial truck, 1- engine/tender, 1- brush truck/ALS first response vehicle, 2- boats, 1- ATV, 1- UTV, 2- Chief’s vehicle, an antique engine, 2- ALS ambulances and 1-MABAS air support unit.
Carterville was an initial fixture in providing the Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) to Southern Illinois and remains a strong force in Division 45. Employees are trained to the highest standards in America, and work closely with our partners in emergency service, to include Illinois Emergency Management, Department of Public Health, the State Fire Marshal, and others in disaster services.
Carterville has team members on the Regional Division 45 hazardous materials team and the technical rescue team. Skills include high angle, trench rescue, confined space, building collapse, and hazmat mitigation. The ambulance service operates at the Advanced Life Support level. Water rescue and recovery has been a service since the 1950s, with the underwater dimension added in 1965. Fire prevention is a service provided to young and old.
Several department vehicles have been purchased with fundraising efforts. In 1992, a new fire station was built, mostly by volunteer labor and funding. The station is located at 300 North Division and is a showpiece to the historic downtown area.
For more than 100 years, the Fire Department’s objective is to provide protection for the citizens of Carterville.
A tour, or training session, can be arranged by calling 618-985-8060. Emergency response can be activated by calling 911.
Through Preparation, Planning, and Vigilance Comes Confidence, Safety, and Freedom.