Deliver fire prevention services and protection to Belleville’s people, resources, and environment by dispatching community-based full-spectrum emergency response services.
Vision
Build and sustain a culture of trust, transparency, and accountability to develop a highly skilled, flexible, and innovative team delivering first-rate fire and emergency services to the city of Belleville, IL.
Our Priorities
Focused on our people
Personal-Organizational: Continuously focus on our “WHY”
Occupational-Functional-Developmental: Invest in professional & personnel development
Develop and sustain a culture of Trust-Transparency-Accountability
Focused on our mission
Readiness: Trained and capable fire fighters who can deliver services anytime, anywhere
Sustain high standards: Job knowledge, Job execution, Community Ambassadors
Talent Management/Development: Focused training on command & control
Develop KSAs: target accountability / communication
Provide experience opportunities
Department History
Belleville's first fire department was organized in 1841 as a volunteer department with two fire stations. By 1878, the city council authorized a pay schedule for its firefighters. In 1918, Belleville's firefighters unionized and became charter members of the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF). Belleville Firefighters Local 53, as a charter member of the IAFF, is very active in the community and surrounding area.
By the 1920's, Belleville was a growing community with two engine houses. In 1932, a third engine house was opened in the west end of Belleville at 6200 W. Main Street. This engine house gave the city three strategically located engine houses with thirty-three firefighters in the department. A fourth engine house was opened on January 12, 2009 to keep up with the increasing population and growth of the city.
In the 1950's, The Belleville Fire Department had changed its work week from a 72 hour week to a 56 hour week. In 1971, the department changed to a 42 hour work week.
