Hillsboro Volunteer Fire Department

09/09/2026

Anyone who owns an OCOOPA rechargeable hand warmer should check the model number printed on its underside.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has recalled approximately 1.5 million OCOOPA hand warmers because their lithium-ion batteries can overheat and ignite. The recall applies to models UT3053, UT3056, ZLS-118, ZLS-118S, ZLS-118D, H01, and H01(PD), which were sold online through Amazon, Walmart, and OCOOPA between September 2018 and May 2026. CPSC has received 1,480 reports of the hand warmers overheating. Those incidents resulted in 15 fires, 350 burn injuries, and one death.

Owners should stop using the recalled hand warmers immediately and contact OCOOPA Direct for a refund. The devices should not be placed in household trash, ordinary recycling, or battery recycling boxes at retail stores. Because defective lithium-ion batteries require special handling, consumers should contact a household hazardous waste facility before taking the devices there. The recall notice includes photographs, model information, refund instructions, and additional disposal guidance:

Consumers should stop using the recalled hand warmers immediately and contact OCOOPA Direct for a full refund in the form of an OCOOPA gift card or the original form of payment. Consumers will be asked to write in permanent marker “RECALLED” on the hand warmer and submit a photo showing that mar...

09/09/2026

The City of Hillsboro Board of Police and Fire Commissioners is accepting applications to generate a two-year hiring list for City of Hillsboro Fire Department Engineer / Dispatcher. All applicants must be 21 years of age, successfully graduated high school or equivalent, and must possess a valid driver’s license. Applicants may not have any felony convictions or certain misdemeanor convictions. Entry-level applicants must be able to pass a physical and written examination.

-Starting pay: $24.49 per hour, shift differential of $0.30 per hour for afternoons, and $0.40 per hour for midnights

-City-provided medical, dental and vision insurance with some employee contributions (Single $66.15 per pay, Employee and Spouse $79.28 per pay, and Family $88.96 per pay).

-Downstate Fire Pension Retirement

-NEW MILEAGE: must live within 15 miles from City Hall

-City-provided uniforms and equipment.

Applications can be picked up at Hillsboro City Hall or online at hillsboroillinois.net. Applications must be completed and returned to Hillsboro City Hall no later than Friday, September 25, 2026 at 4 p.m.

09/08/2026

Free webinar on farm fires tomorrow (9/9) at 11:00 a.m.
If you'll go to the original post, a registration link is provided.

09/07/2026

Every evening at 6:00 p.m., a familiar sequence of tones is transmitted over the Hillsboro Fire Department’s radio frequency. Many Hillsboro residents may recognize the daily test page even though they have never carried a fire pager. It has been part of the community’s daily rhythm for decades. The fixed time gives the test page the quality of a ritual, one of those familiar sounds that marks the evening in Hillsboro.

The regular schedule also serves a practical purpose. Our volunteers do not remain at the fire station waiting for calls. They carry pagers that are programmed to activate when the Department’s alert tones are transmitted. The tones are followed by a voice message providing information about the emergency. The 6:00 p.m. test activates the same pagers. The daily test pages allow Department members to discover transmission and reception issues if one exists, rather than discovering a problem when an emergency call is dispatched.

For many residents, the 6:00 p.m. page is simply a familiar Hillsboro background sound. For the Department, it is a daily check of the system connecting the fire station with volunteers throughout the community.

09/06/2026

A recent WAND report examined a problem affecting fire departments throughout Illinois and across the country. Fewer people are volunteering, even as many communities continue to depend upon volunteer firefighters.

Hillsboro has a combination fire department. Five full-time Engineers provide continuous station coverage and routinely inspect, test, and maintain the department’s apparatus and equipment while performing various other duties. Approximately 35 volunteers provide emergency response. Depending upon their availability when the pagers go off, they may leave work, step away from a family event, leave dinner unfinished, or get out of bed to respond. No volunteer can answer every call, but membership requires a willingness to make emergency response a genuine part of everyday life.

Volunteer firefighting involves much more than just responding when a call comes in, though. Our members train at least monthly (and often several times per month) for structure fires, vehicle crashes, water rescues, farm emergencies, and other situations in which preparation really matters to those who need our help. The training and time commitment are necessary to perform the work safely and effectively.

If you or someone you know wants to make a real difference in the community, we are always accepting applications for volunteer membership. Anyone who is interested can stop by the firehouse and request an application or speak with a member of the department about joining.

Illinois is facing a critical shortage of volunteer firefighters

09/04/2026

By 1888, changes were underway for Hillsboro to replace its system of neighborhood bucket brigades with an organized fire protection system. On March 5, 1888, plans for a fire department engine house were approved, and, two weeks later, a site was purchased for $40. At the same time, Hillsboro was developing its first municipal water system. Until then, the community had relied upon wells and the large spring in what is now Central Park.

In 1888, the spring was enlarged, a pumping station was constructed, and water was pumped into the City’s first water tower (shown in last Friday’s post). New mains carried the water to hydrants throughout the City, while the elevated tower provided the pressure needed to move water through fire hose. Together, those improvements made organized firefighting far more practical than it had been before.

On July 2, 1888, Mayor S. A. McLean signed Ordinance No. 45, which formally established the City's fire department. The ordinance set qualifications for membership, limited the size of the Fire Company, required the volunteers to hold monthly meetings, and required a public drill once each year. Those provisions gave the new organization a structure for membership, training, and operation.

By the end of 1888, the surviving handwritten records of the Fire Company identify 29 men who served during its first year. Those records (shared here) preserve the names of the volunteers whose service marked the beginning of Hillsboro’s organized fire service and the foundation upon which later generations would build.

Sources: Patt Miles, “H.V.F.D. Celebrates 100 Years,” The Hillsboro Journal, Sept. 8, 1988; Hillsboro Guide, Writers' Program of the Work Projects Administration in the State of Illinois, 1940.

09/02/2026

If grilling is part of your Labor Day weekend, take a minute to check the setup before lighting it. Propane and charcoal grills should be used only outdoors. Place the grill away from the house and deck railings; do not place it beneath eaves or overhanging branches. Remove grease and fat buildup. Never leave the grill unattended, and watch children and pets. If you are using a gas grill, open the lid before lighting it.

A few minutes of preparation can keep a fire or serious burn from becoming part of the holiday weekend. For more information, visit the Illinois Office of the State Fire Illinois State Fire Marshal's website:
https://sfm.illinois.gov/currentfocus/grilling-safety.html

08/31/2026

A structure fire is not the place to learn how to move a charged hose line through a doorway or to work as a crew in heat and limited visibility while trying to communicate with one another. For 20 years, our burn building has provided a controlled setting in which volunteers train with live fire while wearing full protective equipment and breathing apparatus. Among other things, it allows our volunteers to practice advancing hose lines, searching rooms, locating and controlling the fire, and communicating with one another under simulated conditions.

The first photograph was taken in 2009 (as indicated) during a training exercise. They show part of the work that takes place between emergency calls. Practicing essential tasks allows members to perform them together under more difficult and demanding conditions.

08/28/2026

Hillsboro’s organized volunteer fire service dates to 1888, but the City had begun addressing the danger of fire many years before then. In 1871, the City appointed what was described as a “flu and fire inspector.” Committees were also appointed to prepare a fire and water ordinance and to investigate the cost of constructing a municipal waterworks. Early ordinances authorized inspection of fireplaces, chimneys, flues, stovepipes, boilers, and other sources of heat, and City records from 1871 and 1874 reflect enforcement of fire regulations against frame buildings.

Before 1888, Hillsboro did not yet have an organized company of firefighters. When fires occurred, the community relied upon neighborhood bucket brigades. That changed when Hillsboro erected a water tower near the site of the present fire station, constructed a pumphouse that drew water from the lake in what is now Central Park, and installed water mains leading to hydrants. For the first time, the City had a pressurized water system capable of supplying the hoses and equipment necessary for organized firefighting.

The construction of the City's water system provided the practical foundation for the organization of the Hillsboro Fire Company later that year. The history of Hillsboro’s organized volunteer fire service begins with she story of the 29 men who organized the Hillsboro Fire Company in 1888. Their organization marked the end of Hillsboro’s reliance on neighborhood bucket brigades and the first step in the evolution of the Hillsboro Volunteer Fire Department that serves our community today.

Sources: Bob Bliss, “Fire Company to HVFD, 100 Years,” Montgomery County News, Sept. 1, 1988; Patt Miles, “H.V.F.D. Celebrates 100 Years,” The Hillsboro Journal, Sept. 8, 1988.
Photo credit: Jim May

08/28/2026

Your next career could put you at the center of Hillsboro’s public safety operations. If you are ready for varied work, real responsibility, and a meaningful role in the community, consider joining us.