Fire Divisions
Administration
The Fire Chief is responsible for establishing policy, planning operations, controlling budget, managing expenditures, supplies, facilities, equipment and personnel, evaluating operational effectiveness, and implementing improvements. The administrative division coordinates emergency management functions for the planning, mitigation, response and recovery from disasters or other large-scale incidents within Reading and the Village of Arlington Heights.
Operations
The Fire Operations division is responsible for handling all emergencies within the City of Reading and Village of Arlington Heights. The primary services delivered by the operations division are…
- Fire Suppression
- Emergency Medical Services
- Hazardous Materials Response
- Technical Rescue
- Public Education
- Fire Prevention
- Fire and Arson Investigation
- Community Service Activities
Fire Prevention/Safety Education
The Fire Prevention Division is responsible for the enforcement of City of Reading and Village of Arlington Heights laws, codes, and ordinances, including the International Fire Code and nationally recognized standards. Through plan review, inspections, meetings with citizens and design professionals, and continuing education, the Prevention staff works toward the protection of life and property from the effects of fire.
The Fire Prevention Division is administered by the Assistant Fire Chief. His division performs many tasks, including the technical review and approval of construction, development, and fire protection system plans. Fire alarm system, fire sprinkler system, building construction, site utility, and various other plans are reviewed to ensure that buildings have adequate access roads, sufficient water supplies and fire hydrants, and correctly designed fire protection systems. The Prevention staff also performs various inspections to ensure the correct installation and maintenance of fire protection systems, and to verify compliance with all permit applications.
The Fire Prevention Division is also responsible for all fire investigations.
The Reading Fire Department is dedicated to providing community education programs to the citizens in our community and the Village of Arlington Heights. Please click here for a listing of all our programs.
EMS
The Reading Fire Department has provided Emergency Medical Services to the City of Reading since 1979 and the Village of Arlington Heights since 2009. Personnel are either EMT-Basics or EMT-Paramedics. This service provides an advanced life support non-transport unit staffed with two career firefighter/paramedics and two ambulances that are staffed by part-time personnel and a paid on-call or off-duty personnel. In addition to these units, a fire engine is equipped with advance life support equipment to provide care to citizens if the other units are unavailable due to other calls.
The EMS Division is governed by standing orders and protocols established by the Academy of Medicine of Cincinnati. The members of the EMS Division take great pride in the service that is provided to the citizens.
Click PHI for a copy of the HIPPA Privacy Rights.
Training
The Training Division encompasses all services provided by the department, both fire and emergency medical services. All training is referenced from local, state, and national curriculum and/or standards. Training subjects are determined through recertification needs, mandated laws, standards, and various training assessments. Most department training is performed in-house with the exception of initial certification programs and specialized training.
