Homer Fire Protection District

10/19/2026

10/19/2026

🥶 As we start turning on our furnaces to take the chill out of the house, carbon monoxide (CO) safety becomes even more important!
CO is an odorless, colorless gas that can be deadly. As temperatures drop, take a few minutes to make sure your home is protected:
✅ Test all CO alarms to make sure they are working.
✅ Inspect alarms and replace batteries or units as needed.
✅ Make sure CO alarms are installed on every level of your home and near sleeping areas.
✅ Have your furnace and heating system inspected and serviced regularly.
🚨 Remember: You can’t see or smell carbon monoxide, but a working CO alarm can save lives!
Stay warm and stay safe this fall and winter!

10/19/2026

This made me chuckle! Homer offers those same benefits. Only difference, our meetings are on Tuesday nights. Come on out, see what we’re about.

10/15/2026

🚒🔥 THANK YOU FROM HOMER FIRE DEPARTMENT! 🔥🚒

We want to extend a HUGE thank you to everyone who came out and joined us for our 2026 Homer Fire Department Open House!

It was a great evening filled with fun, learning, and community fellowship! We truly enjoyed getting to visit with everyone, show off our equipment, and give you a behind-the-scenes look at what we do as firefighters! 🚒👨‍🚒

We would also like to give a special thank you to the agencies and businesses who took time out of their busy schedules to join us and help make this event a success!

🚨 Champaign County Emergency Management Agency

🚔 Champaign County Sheriff's Office

🚓 Illinois State Police

📞 METCAD 9-1-1 - Champaign County, Illinois

🍧 Island Snow 2 Go

Your participation and continued support mean so much to our department and the community we serve! We appreciate each of you for helping make this year’s open house a success!

Most importantly, THANK YOU to our amazing community! Your continued support of our volunteer firefighters means more than you know. Events like this remind us why we are proud to serve Homer and the surrounding area.

We hope everyone had as much fun as we did, and we look forward to seeing you all again next year!

❤️🚒 From all of us at Homer Fire Department, THANK YOU for your support!

10/11/2026

🚒📻 BIG NEWS FOR HOMER & SIDNEY! 📻🚒

Homer Fire Protection District and Sidney Fire Protection District are proud to announce that we have been awarded a regional Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) totaling $176,522! 🇺🇸🔥

This grant will allow our departments to purchase new dual-band portable radios — a major upgrade that will greatly improve our ability to communicate during emergency incidents.

One of the most important capabilities of these new radios is the ability to operate across multiple radio systems, giving our firefighters the ability to communicate directly with both the Champaign County and Vermilion County dispatch centers.

This interoperability is critical when responding to emergencies that cross jurisdictional boundaries or when multiple agencies are working together. Clear communication can make the difference between confusion and coordination, and ultimately helps keep our firefighters, EMS personnel, law enforcement partners, and the citizens we serve safer.

📻 Better Communication.
🤝 Better Interoperability.
🚒 Better Regional Response.
🛡️ Safer Firefighters & Communities.

We are extremely proud to partner with Sidney Fire Protection District on this regional project and grateful for the investment made possible through the AFG program.

A special thank-you to FEMA and the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program for helping us bring this important technology to our departments.

This isn’t just an equipment upgrade — it’s an investment in communication, coordination, and firefighter safety.

Homer Fire Protection District & Sidney Fire Protection District
Working Together. Communicating Better. Keeping Our Communities Safe. 🇺🇸🚒📻

10/02/2026

Meet Fire Chief Matt Kosik 🔥🚒

Matt has been a member of the Homer Fire Department for 17 years, bringing nearly two decades of experience and dedication to the department as he steps into his new role as Fire Chief.

His career in emergency services began in 2005 when he started in EMS, and he obtained his Paramedic license in 2009. In addition to serving Homer, Matt is a full-time firefighter with the Danville Fire Department, making the fire service a pretty significant part of his life.

Outside of the fire service, Matt enjoys camping and claims he enjoys hunting — although none of us have actually seen enough evidence to confirm that. 😂 His newest hobby is working in his wife’s food truck, where we’re pretty sure “other duties as assigned” covers just about everything.

Throughout his years at Homer, Matt has gained plenty of experience and become someone our members can turn to for knowledge, leadership, and guidance. We’re excited to see him take everything he has learned over the years and lead the department into its next chapter.

Of course, 17 years also gives us plenty of material…

Fun fact: Matt has developed a bit of a reputation for getting fire trucks stuck. Mud, fields — you name it. And yes, on at least one occasion, he managed to get one stuck in a field that was actively on fire. 🚒🫣🔥

So if Chief Kosik looks at a muddy field and says, “We can make it,” the appropriate response is probably to start looking for a tractor. 😂

We’re proud to introduce Matt Kosik as the new Chief of the Homer Fire Department and look forward to his leadership as we continue serving Homer and our surrounding communities. ❤️🔥

09/30/2026

🚒🔥 HOMER FIRE OPEN HOUSE! 🔥🚒

Come out and join the Homer Fire Protection District for our annual Open House!

📅 Tuesday, October 13th
⏰ 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
📍 Homer Fire Department — 501 N Main St, Homer

Come meet your local firefighters and some of the agencies and organizations that help serve our community! Joining us will be METCAD, Champaign County Sheriff’s Office, Illinois State Police, Champaign County EMA, Arrow Ambulance, and Island Sno 2 Go!

🌭 Grab a hotdog, a bag of chips, and a cold drink while you hang out with our firefighters, meet some of our local first responders, and enjoy a fun evening with the whole family! 🚒🔥 We can’t wait to see everyone!

Bring the family, check out the firehouse, meet your local first responders, and enjoy an evening with the community. We’d love to see you there!

🔥 Help us spread the word — SHARE this post and invite your friends and family! 🚒

09/23/2026

Big news!We’ve received a grant from Norfolk Southern’s Safety First Grant Program!This funding will help us replace three sets of turnout gear that have become outdated. We’re grateful to for recognizing our work and supporting communities like ours across the country.

09/23/2026

🚒🔥 TRAINING NIGHT! 🔥🚒

Tonight, members of the Homer Fire Protection District and Sidney Fire Protection District came together for hands-on field fire operations training.

Training in the field allows our firefighters to work together, sharpen skills, practice communication, and prepare for the challenges we may face on an actual incident. 💪👨‍🚒👩‍🚒

We appreciate the partnership with Sidney Fire Protection District and the dedication of everyone who took the time to train tonight.

Train together. Work together. Respond together. 🚒🔥

09/15/2026

Behind the helmet, the badge, the medical bag, and the headset is a person. Someone with a family, feelings, and a heart that doesn’t simply forget everything when the call ends.

This September, during Su***de Prevention Awareness Month, Homer Fire Department wants to remind you to check on the people who are always checking on everyone else. ❤️

Our firefighters, law enforcement officers, EMS crews, and 911 dispatchers see and hear things that can stay with them long after the emergency is over. The trucks return. The equipment gets put away. The headset comes off. But the weight of a difficult call doesn’t always stay at work.

Check on the quiet one. The one who keeps everyone laughing. The one who always volunteers to help. The one who says, “I’m fine.” Make time to ask how they’re doing—and make room for an honest answer.

And to anyone wearing that uniform or answering that call: you deserve the same care you give everyone else. You don’t have to earn support by reaching a breaking point. Talk to someone you trust. Reach out for professional help. Let someone show up for you, too.

If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988 to reach the Su***de & Crisis Lifeline.

Different roles. Same humanity. Let’s take care of each other—this month and every month. ❤️