Edwardsville Fire Department

09/03/2026

Congratulations, Chief Fillback! We've enjoyed working with you and wish you a very happy and peaceful retirement!

Thank you, Chief Michael Fillback! It's bittersweet news we announce on this Thursday, September 3: Chief Michael Fillback will retire from the Edwardsville Police Department, effective Friday, October 2. He's spent his entire 30-year law enforcement career with Edwardsville, the past five at the helm of the department.
His time as chief was marked by some extraordinary challenges: the December 2021 tornado that took six lives happened just five months after he stepped into the role. He's also overseen a period of tremendous growth in both the City and the department.
As chief, he's pursued advances in officer-worn safety equipment and helped standardize gear such as crisis care kits in vehicles, as officers are typically the first to arrive at emergency scenes.
“I’m immensely grateful for Chief Fillback’s expertise and his calm, measured leadership during some trying moments for the City,” Mayor Art Risavy said.
Chief Fillback has for years been an enthusiastic supporter of Special Olympics Illinois, continues to serve on numerous regional advocacy boards and currently leads the Southern Illinois Police Chiefs Association. A graduate of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (with both bachelor's and master's degrees), he began his career here in August 1996, and will wrap it up just over 30 years later. We wish him all the best in retirement and offer a heartfelt thanks for his leadership and compassion for the community!
Mayor Risavy will announce his appointee to succeed Chief Fillback at a later date. The mayor's appointments are subject to City Council approval.
Read more about the chief's announcement at: https://www.cityofedwardsville.com/m/NewsFlash/home/detail/882
(Photo is from 2021, when then-Deputy Chief Fillback was sworn in as chief.)

09/02/2026

It was a terrific night for the Edwardsville Fire Department on Tuesday as we saw several veteran personnel promoted, and welcomed some new faces as probationary firefighters! We're proud to serve this community!

08/31/2026

High temperatures can lead to heat exhaustion or heat stroke very quickly. Please be alert to the weather conditions this week, and be sure to check on family, friends and neighbors (and don't forget about your pets!).

As August ends and September arrives, we'll be dealing with very high temperatures for several days. With that in mind, we want to remind everyone of cooling center locations in Edwardsville that are available to offer heat relief during their normal hours of operation:
📌 Edwardsville Public Library: 112 S. Kansas St. – 618-692-7556 Availability: Mondays-Thursdays: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Fridays: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturdays: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sundays: 1-5 p.m.; Website: www.edwardsvillelibrary.org
📌 Edwardsville Main Street Community Center: 1003 N. Main St. – 618-656-0300 Availability: Mondays-Fridays: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Website: www.mainstcc.org
📌 YMCA Meyer Center: 7348 Goshen Road – 618-655-1460 Mondays-Fridays: 5 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturdays: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sundays: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Website: www.edwardsvilleymca.com
📌 YMCA Niebur Center: 1200 Esic Drive – 618-656-0436 Mondays-Fridays: 5 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturdays: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sundays: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Website: www.edwardsvilleymca.com
📌 The United Way of Missouri/Southwest Illinois annually compiles a list of facilities throughout the St. Louis and Metro East region that can provide shelter during specified hours or conditions. That list can be found at: www.211helps.org/cooling-sites/ (It’s suggested to call in advance to confirm hours and availability for locations. Details on shelters and other resources also are available through United Way’s 211 service by dialing 211, day or night.)
📌 We've gathered some additional health and safety resources for dealing with extreme weather, including heat, storms and more. Find it on the City's website at: www.cityofedwardsville.com/m/NewsFlash/home/detail/829

08/24/2026

That was fun! It was a great night to support our colleagues in the Edwardsville Police Department and our local Special Olympics athletes! (And to eat some ribs, too!)

08/23/2026

We are excited and proud to be joining our Edwardsville Police Department colleagues on Monday, August 24, for a fun time and a great cause: a rib-eating contest and the annual Tip-A-Cop event to raise funds for Illinois Special Olympics! We'll be at Texas Roadhouse going plate to plate in a rib-eating contest against Edwardsville officers! The Tip-A-Cop runs from 4-8 p.m. Monday.
Let your server or to-go staff know you're there for it, and 10% of your total will go to our local Special Olympics athletes. Thanks for your support and thanks to Texas Roadhouse, a national partner in the Tip-A-Cop initiative!

08/19/2026

These guys have got class! No, really -- they've got lots of classes now that they've started their paramedic program. We're pretty darn proud of this group and will be thrilled when they complete the 15-month paramedic program through Southwestern Illinois College. All of our personnel complete the fire academy AND paramedic training so they are prepared for anything on every call.
Congrats and best of luck to (from left): Alex Thompson, Oren Baran, Michael Vaughn and Aaron Hayes! (Not shown in photo: Brandon Hoguet)

08/18/2026

Thank you, Senator Erica Harriss, for the support! The equipment to be purchased will help us do our job more efficiently, quickly and safely on every call we answer, and help reduce the injury risk to our firefighter/paramedics! While our service area, of course, includes Edwardsville, it also extends well beyond our City limits, and we assist on numerous mutual aid calls, so this equipment will be put to frequent and important use. Thank you!

I’m proud to have secured $195,000 in state funding for the The City of Edwardsville to support new EMS and public safety equipment for our first responders.

Full press release: https://senatorericaharriss.com/senator-erica-harriss-secures-195000-for-edwardsville-ems-and-public-safety-equipment/

08/18/2026

If you need to get CPR certified or recertified, we can help! We've added an upcoming American Heart Association Heartsaver class that includes certification. It's set for Wednesday, August 26, and geared toward ages 13 and older. The cost to attend is $20 for Edwardsville residents, and $35 for non-residents. Payment must be made the night of the class, cash or check only. (Credit cards are not accepted.)
Sign up TODAY because class sizes are limited! To register, please call the Edwardsville Fire Department at 618-692-7540.
📆 Wednesday, August 26
⏰ 6-10 p.m.
📍 Edwardsville Public Safety Building, 333 S. Main Street (second-floor training room)

08/09/2026

Whew! It's hot out there, and believe us, we know about dealing with the heat! The National Weather Service has an extreme heat warning in effect (with heat indices well over 100 degrees!) through Wednesday, August 12, so we want to remind everyone of locations in Edwardsville that are available to offer heat relief during their normal hours of operation:
📌 Edwardsville Public Library: 112 S. Kansas St. – 618-692-7556 Availability: Mondays-Thursdays: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Fridays: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturdays: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sundays: 1-5 p.m.; Website: www.edwardsvillelibrary.org
📌 Main Street Community Center: 1003 N. Main St. – 618-656-0300 Availability: Mondays-Fridays: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Website: www.mainstcc.org
📌 Edwardsville-YMCA Meyer Center: 7348 Goshen Road – 618-655-1460 Mondays-Fridays: 5 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturdays: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sundays: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Website: www.edwardsvilleymca.com
📌 Edwardsville-YMCA Niebur Center: 1200 Esic Drive – 618-656-0436 Mondays-Fridays: 5 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturdays: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sundays: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Website: www.edwardsvilleymca.com
📌 The United Way of Missouri/Southwest Illinois annually compiles a list of facilities throughout the St. Louis and Metro East region that can provide shelter during specified hours or conditions. That list can be found at: www.211helps.org/cooling-sites/ (It’s suggested to call in advance to confirm hours and availability for locations. Details on shelters and other resources also are available through United Way’s 211 service by dialing 211, day or night.)
📌 We've gathered some additional health and safety resources for dealing with extreme weather, including heat, storms and more, at: www.cityofedwardsville.com/m/NewsFlash/home/detail/829
And even if you don't need to utilize weather-related resources, please keep your friends, family, neighbors and pets in mind during this excessive heat!

07/28/2026

Fighting a fire would be pretty tough without a reliable, continuous source of water -- and not every location can guarantee that kind of source. Fire hydrants may be unavailable, too far away or not able to supply sufficient volume, Capt. Brett Milton explained this week. That's where drafting training comes into play for the members of the Edwardsville Fire Department (and any other firefighting team)! In this training, conducted in the area this week, firefighters learn and practice the proper techniques to pull water from a pond, lake or perhaps a tank of some sort. (It's not as simple as it might sound!)
Training exercises are an important part of our week (when we're not responding to calls) and are vital for our probationary firefighters.