Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal

The Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal (OSFM) is raising awareness about the importance for burn prevention during National Burn Awareness Week February 1-7, 2026. This year’s theme, “Burn Prevention Where You Live, Work, and Play – Preventing Burns in the Workplace,” highlights how small, proactive safety steps can prevent serious injuries.

Burn injuries continue to be a significant public health issue, with more than 398,000 people seeking medical care for burns in the United States in 2021, according to the CDC. Compared to the overall population, children under five were 2.0 times as likely to be seen for burn injuries at a hospital emergency department. Many of these injuries occur in the home and are preventable through awareness and education.

In 2024, Illinois fire departments responded to 9,860 carbon monoxide (CO) related calls across the state. According to the National Carbon Monoxide Awareness Association, emergency rooms across the U.S. see more than 100,000 visits each year due to CO exposure. Tragically, over 14,000 people are hospitalized annually, and approximately 1,200 people die each year from carbon monoxide poisoning, a number that continues to rise. Each year, hundreds of people across Illinois are treated in emergency rooms due to carbon monoxide (CO) exposure, and over the past decade, an average of 20 people per year have died from accidental CO poisoning.

Portable heaters or space heaters are used by many during the winter months to help keep warm from the persistent frigid temperatures. While portable space heaters do help to generate heat, OSFM wants residents to be aware of the increase risk of fire caused by these heaters. 

Fire Prevention & Life Safety Award This award is in recognition of the extraordinary efforts performed by individuals in furtherance of fire prevention and life safety.

If you know someone who is deserving of this award, click the link below and nominate them today! Deadline for nominations is March 1. 

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources Division of Forestry administers the USDA Forest Service’s VFA funds. The funds are for rural and small fire departments. The grant funds fire projects at 50% of the cost of a project up to $10,000 per department. Forestry’s portion is up to $10,000, the Department may spend as much as they need to complete the project. No one item can be $5,000 or more. The funds can only be used for fire projects, EMS, HazMat or crash rescue are not eligible.

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)

The Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal has made some changes to the Portal login, and a dual authentication system has been added. If you did not previously set up your authentication and are therefore unable to login, you will need to go on the Portal and register your email. Email addresses that were not authenticated by 9/22/2025 have been removed from the system.

Please note that if your department is using Vector, you must register the same email address that you use with Vector. Otherwise, your information will not upload correctly.

If you are having trouble logging in, please contact our office at sfm.pse@illinois.gov.

You will want to register for the OSFM portal through our website.