Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal

The Office of the State Fire Marshal is pleased to announce that applications for the Small Equipment Grant are now available. 

There will be $6 million available for grants this application cycle. 

It is important to note that you must meet certain pre-qualification requirements in order for your application to be considered for a grant, including being NFIRS compliant for the previous 2 years (November 2023 through October 2025) and being pre-qualified with SAM.gov and the state Grantee Portal. 

Applications this cycle will be done online and are due no later than November 14, 2025.

Since the application process is new this grant cycle you are encouraged to view all of the “How To” resources that are being made available (particularly the “How To” video) as it is important that you fill out the online application correctly in order for your grant to be considered.

The Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal (OSFM) reminds local Fire Departments and AHJ enforcers, and especially the owners/operators of “Haunted Houses,” that these occupancies can present special hazards making them particularly vulnerable to fire, and thereby exposing visitors and staff to fire injuries if applicable codes are not followed.

Firefighters gathered in DuQuoin for the annual water fights at the DuQuoin State Fair. Bragging rights were on the line as teams went head-to-head in tabletop water fights and the wild hose challenge. OSFM members also joined the main event, with even more bragging rights up for grabs during the OSFM interagency water fight.

Illinois State Fire Marshal Michele Pankow visited the Shawneetown Fire Department on Friday, August 22, to present checks totaling $350,000 each to Shawneetown and Carrier Mills Fire Departments and $300,000 to the Equality Fire Department through OSFM’s Fire Station Construction and Rehabilitation Grant Program.

State and local fire safety experts gathered at the Washington Fire Department on Wednesday, August 13, to raise awareness about the importance of working smoke alarms in their homes and to highlight a no-cost smoke alarm installation program in place for central Illinois residents.

The Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal (OSFM) is excited to announce the inaugural Fire Station Construction and Rehabilitation Program awards totaling $5 million to 16 grantees across the state. This funding will allow fire departments or fire protection districts to repair, upgrade, or construct new fire stations. 

The 5th Annual State of Illinois Community Risk Reduction Conference is being held in Joliet on September 16th.

Registration is now OPEN! A great lineup of speakers is set and will will feature experts from NFPA, Vision 20/20, IFSI, Tesla, 100 Club of Illinois and more. Come learn about how your department, no matter the size, can start a community risk reduction program. 

The National Emergency Response Information System (NERIS) is currently being rolled out by region across the nation, and Illinois fire departments will be brought onboard beginning in December 2025. This page will help fire chiefs and other personnel prepare for the shift from NFIRS to NERIS.

This page provides information to help Illinois fire departments shift from the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) to the National Emergency Response Information System (NERIS)