Message from Fire Chief Matthew Sekosky

Welcome to our Fire Department’s website! It’s my honor and privilege as Fire Chief to greet you.

The Decatur Fire Department was founded in 1866 under the leadership of Chief Engineer Benjamin Dobson. Buckets, hooks and ladders were the tools of trade. The department was made up of citizens dedicated to protecting and serving their community.

Today, our Fire Department has not forgotten its heritage and continues to serve its community with professional and compassionate employees. Our department is a paid unionized department with 116 employees. We protect 82,000 citizens and 50 square miles with 108 fire personnel assigned to three battalions manning seven fire stations.

Fighting fires, providing emergency medical services, performing industrial, technical, and water rescues, public education, fire code enforcement and fire investigations are samples of our Department’s activities.

The Decatur Fire Department is an aggressive department, always preparing for the next challenge through daily training. Our firefighters train in-house, at our Regional Training Center and with local industry, refining standard practices and techniques.

Our Fire Prevention and Public Education Division educates young children and seniors in personal and home safety practices. We present the safety material utilizing state of the art equipment and props in conjunction with contemporary delivery methods. Members assigned to this Division also enforce fire codes and investigate the cause and origin of fires.

This brief overview is just a sample of what information is available on our website. For more information contact our department at (217) 424 2811 or you can e-mail me.