As Fire Chief of the Manhattan Fire Protection District, I would like to welcome you to our website. Our intention is to provide you with information about the services that we provide to our community as well as to provide our taxpayers with transparency.
I am humbled and extremely honored to serve the Manhattan Fire Protection District citizens as Fire Chief, serving this community since 2002 when I started as a volunteer. I worked my way through the ranks and became Fire Chief in 2019. In 2007, the district went full-time, and I was one of the first three hired. Since then, I have seen and been a part of this organization’s significant improvements. Currently serving as the 7th Fire Chief, I am fortunate to be a part of the district’s deep-rooted history, to which I always remain loyal and committed to excellence.
The Manhattan Fire Protection District is an “all-hazards fire district” that encompasses approximately 145 square miles and protects the Village of Manhattan, Village of Peotone, Manhattan Township, Jackson Township, Peotone Township, Will Township, Green Garden Township, and Wilton Township. We are a combination department with 28 full time firefighters/paramedics and 25 part time firefighters operating out of 3 strategically located stations. The Manhattan Fire Protection District provides fire suppression, emergency medical services, technical rescue services, water rescue services, hazardous materials services and is recognized nationally for our training program and at the State level for our EMS program. We earned a Class 1 rating from the Insurance Services Organization (ISO) in 2020, ranking us in the top 1% of the country’s fire departments.
Fiscal responsibility is a cornerstone in the management of the Manhattan Fire Protection District. Many in the modern fire service live day by day, year by year, without ever genuinely evaluating their departments and District as a whole. While staying current with national standards and best practices, we work to share the vision for the fire district and the communities we serve, which has always been at the forefront of our progress. By setting high standards and expectations, this fire district is by far at the top of our game. The Board of Trustees has always exhibited strong leadership and has always made financial stability a top priority while minimizing taxpayer burden. The Board has identified the importance of being proactive and is aware of the district’s constantly changing needs.
Our sole mission is to provide the highest quality service, in a timely fashion, while being fiscally responsible. We will always be there when you need us, and we will always serve the citizens of our communities with the utmost respect and integrity. Thank you for taking the time out of your day to visit our website.
Respectfully, Fire Chief Steve Malone
