10/18/2026
Today, the Calumet City Fire Department held our annual Open House in celebration of October being Fire Prevention Month!
A little history behind Fire Prevention Month. It dates back to the Great Chicago Fire of October 8, 1871, which destroyed thousands of buildings and claimed hundreds of lives. In 1922, Fire Prevention Week was established to honor those who lost their lives and teach the public the importance of fire safety. Over the years, this tradition has grown into a month of fire safety education, reminding families to practice escape plans, check smoke alarms, and learn how to prevent fires.
This year’s Open House was filled with fun, learning, and plenty of smiles! Families had the opportunity to participate in our CPR Challenge, the “Get Out, Stay Out” escape plan drawing with Firefighter Leo, Touch a Truck, vehicle extrication demonstrations, and a live car fire demonstration. One of the highlights was our live fire demonstration showing the difference between a room protected by fire sprinklers and one without them. Of course, we couldn’t forget the hot dogs, popcorn, and punch!
A special thank you to the Northern Illinois Fire Sprinkler Advisory Board, Nicor Gas, and our very own Firefighters Mendez, Soraghan, Maloney, and Murphy for helping make this event possible. We also want to recognize our wonderful secretary Nancy and Izzy, one of the Calumet City Fire Department’s biggest supporters! Your time, hard work, and dedication helped make this day a success.
We would also like to give a special thank you to Orland Central Dispatch for their continued support and dedication to our department. Their dispatchers handle all of Calumet City’s fire and EMS calls with professionalism, ensuring our firefighters and paramedics have the information they need to respond when our community needs us most. Although their work often happens behind the scenes, they are an important part of our team and the first link in every emergency response. We truly appreciate everything they do for our department and our residents!
We would also like to thank Alderwoman Phillips for stopping by and showing her support. She even had the opportunity to experience the view from 100 feet in the air aboard our new Tower Ladder, with Engineer Stapleton operating the ladder!
We also want to give a special shout-out to Calumet City resident and one of our biggest supporters, Tom Burns! Tom is a freelance photographer who has spent countless hours capturing special moments throughout our community. His photographs tell a story and help preserve the memories we make at events like today’s Open House. Tom, thank you for always showing up, supporting our firefighters, and sharing your talent with our community. Your dedication never goes unnoticed, and we truly appreciate everything you do!
Events like these remind us why we love what we do. It’s not just about fighting fires or responding to emergencies. It’s about building relationships, educating our neighbors, and making memories with the community we are proud to serve.
To everyone who came out today, thank you for the smiles, conversations, and new friendships. We hope you learned something new, had a great time, and left with a better understanding of fire safety.
From all of us at the Calumet City Fire Department, thank you for another wonderful Open House! We look forward to seeing everyone again next year!
Northern Illinois Fire Sprinkler Advisory Board (NIFSAB)
Nicor Gas
Alderwoman Melissa Phillips
