List of heads of the Chicago Fire Department

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Head of Chicago Fire Department
Incumbent
Annette Nance Holt
since 2021
Inaugural holderHirman Hugunin (as "Chief Engineer")
Formation1835 (as "Chief Engineer")

The following is a list of heads of the Chicago Fire Department in Chicago, Illinois United States. This includes heads of the original iteration of Chicago's fire department, a volunteer force which preceded the establishment of the current, professional, fire department in 1858.

Currently the executive of the Chicago Fire Department is referred to as the "fire commissioner".[1] Before this, the head of the department was known as the "chief engineer".

The current head, holding the position of "fire commissioner", is Annette Nance Holt, appointed by mayor Lori Lightfoot in 2021.[1]

History[]

Currently, the head of the Chicago Fire Department is appointed by the mayor of Chicago, and confirmed by the Chicago City Council.

Originally, the leader of the Chicago Fire Department was known as chief engineer. This position was created by an ordinance passed by the then-village of Chicago's board of trustees in November 1835. In December 1835, Chicago's board of trustees appointed its president Hirman Hugunin to be the inaugural occupant of this position.[2][3] In 1837, when Chicago was incorporated as a city, its charter had the position be one which was elected annually by the city's voters. If an election saw no candidates, thus failing to produce an occupant of the office, the Chicago Common Council (as the Chicago City Council was known as the time) would appoint one.[3] This position originally oversaw a volunteer fire department, until the modern iteration of the Chicago Fire Department was established by city ordinance on August 2, 1858.[3]

In 1927, the title of chief engineer was replaced with the new title of fire commissioner.[3]

List of heads of the Chicago Fire Department[]

Chief Engineers (1835–1927)[]

Name Tenure start Tenure end Mayor(s) served under Notes Ref
Hirman Hugunin December 1835 February 17, 1836 N/AA [3]
George E. Snow February 17, 1836 February 1837 N/AA [3]
John M. Turner February 1837 1839 William B. Ogden
Buckner S. Morris		 [3]
Alexander Loyd 1839 1839 Benjamin Wright Raymond [3]
Alvin Calhoun 1839 1840 Benjamin Wright Raymond [3]
Luther Nichols 1840 1841 Alexander Loyd [3]
A.S. Sherman 1841 1844 Francis C. Sherman
Benjamin Wright Raymond
Augustus Garrett		 [3]
Stephen F. Gale 1844 1847 Alson Sherman
Augustus Garrett
John P. Chapin		 [3]
Charles E. Peck (acting) 1847 1849 James Curtiss
James H. Woodworth		 [3]
Ashley Gilbert 1849 1850 James H. Woodworth [3]
Cyrus P. Bradley 1850 1851 James Curtiss [3]
1851 1852 Walter S. Gurnee
U.P. Harris 1852 1854 Walter S. Gurnee
Charles McNeill Gray		 [3]
Cyrus P. Bradley 1854 1855 Isaac L. Milliken [3]
Silas McBride 1855 1857 Levi Boone
Thomas Dyer		 [3]
Dennis J. Swenie 1858 March 1859 John Wentworth [3][4]
Dennis J. Swenie November 10, 1879 June 1, 1909 Carter Harrison Sr.
John A. Roche
DeWitt C. Cregier
Hempstead Washburne
Carter Harrison Sr.
George Bell Swift (interim)
John P. Hopkins
George Bell Swift
Carter Harrison Jr.		 [3]

Fire Commissioners (1927–present)[]

Name Tenure start Tenure end Mayor(s) served under Notes Ref
Albert Goodrich 1927 1931 William Hale Thompson
Anton Cermak		 [3][5]
Edward A. Maloney (acting) 1931 August 15, 1931 Anton Cermak [6]
Daniel J. Carmody (acting) August 15, 1931 September 1931 Anton Cermak Died in office [6][7]
Michael J. Corrigan 1937 March 16, 1955 Edward Joseph Kelly
Martin H. Kennelly		 [3][8]
Anthony J. Mullaney April 16, 1955 1957 Edward Joseph Kelly
Richard J. Daley		 [9][3][10]
Robert J. Quinn March 1957 1978 Richard J. Daley
Michael Bilandic		 [3]
Richard Albrecht 1978 August 1980 Michael Bilandic
Jane Byrne		 [3]
Charles Pierce (acting) August 1980 September 1980 Jane Byrne [3]
William R. Blair September 1980 August 1983 Jane Byrne
Harold Washington		 [3]
Louis T. Galante August 1983 May 10, 1989 Harold Washington
David Orr (acting)
Eugene Sawyer
Richard M. Daley		 [3]
Raymond E. Orozco May 10, 1989 November 1996 Richard M. Daley [3][11]
Edward P. Altman 1996 October 15, 1999 Richard M. Daley [12]
James Joyce December 15, 1999 April 30, 2004 Richard M. Daley [3][13]
Cortez Trotter 2004 2006 Richard M. Daley [14][15]
Richard M. Daley
Robert Hoff June 2010 February 16, 2012 Richard M. Daley
Rahm Emanuel		 [16]
Jose Santiago April 18, 2012 August 31, 2018 Rahm Emanuel [17][18][19]
Richard C. Ford II September 1, 2018 April 2021 Rahm Emanuel
Lori Lightfoot		 Served as acting commissioner from September 1, 2018 until being confirmed by the Chicago City Council to permanently hold the position on November 14, 2018 [18][20][21]
Annette Nance Holt 2021 incumbent Lori Lightfoot Initially performed as acting fire commissioner. Was confirmed as permanent fire commissioner by the Chicago City Council on June 23, 2021 [22][23][24]

Notes[]

^A Hirman Hugunin and George E Snow's tenures predate the incorporation of Chicago as a city. While no mayor was serving at the time they were High Constable, John H. Kinzie was Town President

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ a b "Fire - Leadership". www.chicago.gov. City of Chicago. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
  2. ^ "Meet "Chicago's Twins"". www.firehouse.com. 1 September 2005. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad "HISTORY OF THE CHICAGO FIRE DEPARTMENT" (PDF). chicago.gov. City of Chicago. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
  4. ^ "Chief Swenie". chicagology.com. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
  5. ^ "A.W. GOODRICH IS DEAD; EX-FIRE COMMISSIONER". Newspapers.com. Chicago Tribune. 31 Mar 1938. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
  6. ^ a b "DANIEL CARMODY APPOINTED HEAD OF FIRE DEPT". Newspapers.com. Chicago Tribune. 16 Aug 1931. Retrieved 20 June 2021.
  7. ^ "Fire Commissioner of Chicago Dead". Fire Engineering. 1933-10-01. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  8. ^ "CORRIGAN QUITS AND MULLANEY GETS HIS JOB". Newspapers.com. Chicago Tribune. 16 Mar 1955. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  9. ^ "NEW COMMISSIONER". Newspapers.com. Chicago Tribune. 17 Mar 1955. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  10. ^ "ANTHONY J. MULLANEY". The New York Times. 1960-11-29. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
  11. ^ Zielinski, Graeme (15 November 1996). "RETIRING CHIEF KEPT POLITICAL FIRE AT BAY". chicagotribune.com. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
  12. ^ Almer, Ellen (15 October 1999). "Chicago Fire Commissioner Edward Altman resigned today..." Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  13. ^ Washburn, Gary (28 December 1999). "NEW FIRE CHIEF SHAKES UP DEPARTMENT". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  14. ^ Washburn, Gary (2 April 2004). "Joyce exits; Daley taps 1st black chief". chicagotribune.com. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  15. ^ "Trotter Named Chief Emergency Officer, Orozco New Fire Commissioner for Chicago". GovTech. 2010-07-28. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  16. ^ "Chicago Fire Commissioner Hoff Resigns". www.firehouse.com. 16 February 2012. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  17. ^ Spielman, Fran (2018-08-12). "Chicago fire commissioner awaits his fate as he nears mandatory retirement age". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  18. ^ a b "Mayor Emanuel Taps Richard Ford II As New Fire Commissioner". chicago.cbslocal.com. CBS Chicago (WBBM-TV). 2018-09-21. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  19. ^ "CITY COUNCIL APPROVES JOSE SANTIAGO AS CHICAGO FIRE DEPARTMENT COMMISSIONER" (PDF). Office of the Mayor of the City of Chicago. 18 April 2012. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  20. ^ "Will Chicago get its first Black female fire chief? | The Crusader Newspaper Group". Chicago Crusader. 23 June 2021. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  21. ^ "CITY COUNCIL CONFIRMS MAYOR EMANUEL'S APPOINTMENT OF RICHARD FORD AS NEW FIRE COMMISSIONER" (PDF). Office of the Mayor of the City of Chicago. 14 November 2018. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  22. ^ "Annette Nance-Holt Becomes First Black Woman to Lead Chicago Fire Department". NBC Chicago. 23 June 2021. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  23. ^ "First Black female fire commissioner nominee awaits City Council approval | The Crusader Newspaper Group". Chicago Crusader. 21 May 2021. Retrieved 14 June 2021.
  24. ^ "Annette Nance-Holt becomes Chicago Fire Department Commissioner". Chicago Defender. 2021-05-15. Retrieved 14 June 2021.
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