Organization of the Chicago Fire Department-Cedar Herald Index

The Chicago Fire Department is the second largest municipal fire department in the United States and one of the largest in North America. The Chicago Fire Department is organized in a paramilitary fashion, similar to that of most large municipal fire departments.

Personnel Profile and Rank Structure

These are executive and emergency response members of the department, including administrative positions. Some of these members are included in emergency response. The Fire Commissioner (known as Chief of the Department in other cities) is appointed by the Mayor of the city of Chicago and is Confirmed by the City Council. 1st Deputy Fire Commissioner, Deputy Fire Commissioner, Assistant Deputy Fire Commissioner, District Chiefs, Deputy District Chiefs, and Assistant Deputy Chief Paramedics are appointed by the Fire Commissioner. Battalion Chiefs, Captains, Lieutenants, Engineers, Paramedic Field Chiefs, and Ambulance Commanders are by examination.

Organization of the Chicago Fire Department

Apparatus Profile

Below is a complete listing of all fire companies and units operated by the Chicago Fire Department.

Organization of the Chicago Fire Department

Frontline Fire Companies

96 Engine Companies

50 Truck Companies

10 Tower Ladder Companies

1 Aerial Tower Company

4 Squad Companies

1 Fireboat Company

1 Reserve Fireboat Company

EMS Units

80 Advanced Life Support (ALS) Ambulances

6 EMS Mass Casualty Triage Units

1 EMS Mass Casualty Command Support Unit

1 EMS Oxygen Transport Bus

1 EMS Transport Bus

3 EMS Logistics Supply Trucks

9 EMS Equiped Engines

Command Units and Chief Units

25 Battalion Chief Units (Firefighting Battalion Chief Units 1-24/Special Operations Battalion Chief Unit 5-1-5) 9 Paramedic Field Chief Units (Paramedic Field Chief Units 4-5-1 Through 4-5-9) 14 Deputy District Chief Units (Deputy District Chief Units 2-2-1 to 2-2-9)(Deputy District Chief Units 4-1-5/4-1-6/4-1-8/4-1-9)(Deputy District Chief Units 2-7-11)(5-1-0)(6-4-0) 12 District Chief Units (District Chief Units 2-1-20 through 2-1-32) 2 Assistant Deputy Chief Paramedic Units (Assistant Deputy Chief Paramedic Units 4-4-11/4-4-12) 4 Assistant Deputy Fire Commissioner Units (2-1-9 through 2-1-12) 4 Deputy Fire Commissioners (Deputy Fire Commissioner Units 2-1-5 through 2-1-8) 1 1st Deputy Fire Commissioner Unit (1st Deputy Fire Commissioner Unit 2-1-4) 1 Fire Commissioner Unit (Fire Commissioner Unit 2-1-3)

Organization of the Chicago Fire Department

Special and Support Units

5 Command Vans (2-7-1/2-7-2/2-7-3/2-7-4/2-7-5) 1 Major Incident Command Van (2-7-9) 2 Hazardous Materials (Haz-Mat.) Incident Team (H.I.T.) Units (5-1-1/5-1-2) 1 Hazardous Materials (Haz-Mat.) Incident Team (H.I.T.) Support Unit (5-1-1a) 1 Hazardous Materials (Haz-Mat.) Decontamination (Decon.) Unit (5-3-0) 1 Hazardous Materials (Haz-Mat.) Mass Decontamination (Decon.) Unit (5-3-1) 1 Hazardous Materials (Haz-Mat.) Mobile Lab (5-1-11) 1 Collapse Rescue Unit (5-2-1) 1 Collapse Rescue Shoring Unit (5-2-2) 1 Technical Rescue Team (T.R.T.) Unit (5-2-5) 1 Tunnel Rescue Unit (5-2-6) 1 Vacuum Truck Unit (5-2-4) 1 Air Compressor Unit (5-2-3) 3 Jump Bag/Trash Pump Units (5-6-1/5-6-3/5-6-5) 1 Utility Unit (5-6-4) 1 Support Unit (6-4-8) 2 Box Trucks (6-4-14/6-4-15) 1 POD Truck (5-6-7) 4 PODs (POD 1-4) 3 Fireground Rehabilitation (Rehab.) Units (5-7-1/5-7-2/5-7-3) 2 Hose Wagons (6-1-1/6-1-2) 2 Dry Chemical (Chem.) Units (6-2-4/6-2-5) 1 High-Expansion (Hi-Ex) Foam Unit (6-3-1) 1 Bulk Foam Carrier Unit (6-3-2) 1 Mobile Battery Vehicle (6-3-4) 3 Breathing Apparatus Service Bottle Trucks (6-4-4/6-4-5/6-4-6) 1 High-Rise Response Unit (6-4-16) 2 Airport Stairway Units (6-3-4/6-3-5) 10 Airport ARFF Crash Rescue Trucks (6-5-1 Through 6-5-10) 2 Airport Mini-Pumper Units (6-3-7/6-3-8) 2 Deluge Units (6-7-3/6-7-6) 2 Helicopters (6-8-1/6-8-2) 1 SCUBA Dive Team Unit (6-8-7) 2 Fast Rescue Boat (6-8-8/6-8-9) 4 Rescue Boats 2 Jet Skis (JS 1/JS 2) 6 Mass Casualty Units (8-8-12 Through 8-8-16) 2 Light Wagons (9-1-3/9-1-5) 2 Smoke Ejector Units (9-2-1/9-2-2) 2 Mobile Ventilation Units (9-2-3/9-2-4) 4 Support Service Canteen Units (5-11 Club) (4-0-1 through 4-0-4) 3 Salvation Army Canteen Units (4-0-5/4-0-6/4-0-7) 1 Special Operations Specialty Extrication Equipment Unit (6-2-7)