Personnel Roster

See our personnel roster with staff names, ranks, and entry information.

Position Descriptions

Fire Chief

The Edwardsville fire chief is the lead administrator of the Fire Department. The chief provides direction and coordination of Department activities while managing the work force. The fire chief reports to the city administrator under the guidance of the mayor. The fire chief also routinely reports discussion items to the Public Safety Committee to keep aldermen abreast of major events and issues in the Department. The Public Safety Committee considers departmental action items to be forwarded to City Council and/or other committees when appropriate. The fire chief also serves as the Emergency Management Coordinator for the City.

Budget & Operations

The fire chief develops the budget and sees it through the approval process with the city administrator, City Council and mayor. On the operations side, the fire chief must be adept at modern firefighting procedures and techniques. And he must work seamlessly with other city agencies and outside emergency service providers.

Successful Outcomes

A successful fire chief will also always have a good “war story” when prompted.

Appointment

The fire chief is appointed by the mayor with the advice and consent of the City Council and reports directly to the city administrator.

Deputy Chief

Position History

The Edwardsville deputy chief acts as second in command and assumes all responsibilities of the fire chief in his absence. The deputy chief position was created in 2016 and filled in 2017 in response to the increased administrative workload in the Department. The position delineates a clear chain of command within the rank structure between the fire chief and shift captains.

Responsibilities

The deputy chief tackles all those administrative chores that the fire chief pushes down the pipe. He assists with budget preparation and oversight. He constantly preaches training and safety, and directly supervises and monitors the progress of probationary firefighters. From a practical standpoint, the deputy fire chief coordinates the day-to-day operations and fills the role of liaison between city administration and the Department staff.

Appointment

The deputy fire chief is appointed by the mayor with the advice and consent of the City Council.

Shift Captain

The Edwardsville Fire Department is divided into three shifts, designated as A, B and C. Each of the three Edwardsville captains fills the role of shift commander and directly supervises the 10-person shift to which he is assigned. The captain oversees scheduling of personnel and daily events, and responds to all significant fire and EMS calls. If that isn’t enough, he or she ensures that all reports are properly completed and filed daily, sometimes at 3 a.m. after getting everything else done. The captain assumes initial command of emergency incidents.

Administrative Responsibilities

Additionally, each captain is given at least one area of administrative responsibility such as the following and others:

• EMS
• Fire Prevention
• Inspections
• Plan Review
• Public Education
• Training
• Volunteer Organization

They must be adept at current firefighting / EMS techniques, tools and methods of operation, and apply those skills while handling major incidents before the rest of the cavalry arrives.

Appointment

Captains are promoted based upon a competitive testing process overseen by the Edwardsville Board of Fire and Police Commissioners.

Lieutenant

The Edwardsville Fire Department has three lieutenants, whose primary role is to supervise the satellite stations and fill the role of shift commander in the absence of the captain. Each lieutenant is also given at least one administrative task to directly oversee (information technology, quality assurance of reports, school inspections, shift training, etc.). They assume command of incidents prior to the arrival of other officers - a lonely feeling in anxious moments. Lieutenants are required to maintain their paramedic license and routinely are assigned for ambulance response.

Each lieutenant typically works out of Station 3 (campus station) unless moving up to act as shift commander for the day. Lieutenants also must also be adept at current firefighting / EMS techniques, tools and methods of operation, because he or she never knows when their decisions are going to ultimately decide the success of an incident response.

Lieutenants are promoted based upon a competitive testing process overseen by the Edwardsville Board of Fire and Police Commissioners.

Firefighter / Paramedic

Edwardsville firefighter / paramedics are the backbone of the Department. They comprise three shifts which combine to fill a 24/7 schedule, providing fire, rescue and emergency medical services to Edwardsville area residents. Firefighter / medics must hold a minimum certification of Basic Operations Firefighter by the Office of the State Fire Marshal, and Emergency Medical Technician / Paramedic by the Illinois Department of Public Health.

Certifications

Many hold other specialized certifications, including certifications in the following areas and others:

• Confined Space
• Fire Officer
• Ropes
• Technical Rescue
• Trench
• Vehicle
• Water

In addition to daily emergency response, firefighters are committed to training; vehicle, equipment and station maintenance; fire pre-planning and inspections; and other special projects as assigned by administration. Firefighter / paramedics must react quickly to high stress situations on a daily basis. They must remain physically and psychologically fit to mitigate the worst of situations in an efficient and professional manner using the resources available at hand.

Firefighter / paramedics are hired through a competitive testing process overseen by the Edwardsville Board of Fire and Police Commissioners. This includes:

• Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT)
• Full Background Check
• Oral Interviews
• Physical / Psychological Exams
• Polygraph Test
• Written Examination

Administrative Assistant

Edwardsville Fire Department has one administrative assistant who handles the day-to-day business functions of the Department. In short, the administrative assistant is the hub of the Department. The administrative assistant is responsible for written and verbal correspondence, both within the City and to the general public; manages the Department calendar; provides support to both the administrative and operations staff; reviews medical reports prior to billing; and maintains strict confidentiality of medical and personnel records. While not considered a “sworn” officer, the administrative assistant is critical to the success of the Edwardsville Fire Department.