List of heads of the Chicago Fire Department

The following is a list of heads of the Chicago Fire Department in Chicago, Illinois United States. This includes heads of the original iteration of Chicago's fire department, a volunteer force which preceded the establishment of the current, professional, fire department in 1858.

Head of the Chicago Fire Department
Incumbent
Annette Nance Holt
since 2021
Inaugural holderHirman Hugunin (as "Chief Engineer")
Formation1835 (as "Chief Engineer")

Currently the executive of the Chicago Fire Department is referred to as the "fire commissioner".[1] Before this, the head of the department was known as the "chief engineer".

The current head, holding the position of "fire commissioner", is Annette Nance Holt, appointed by mayor Lori Lightfoot in 2021.[1]

History

Currently, the head of the Chicago Fire Department is appointed by the mayor of Chicago, and confirmed by the Chicago City Council.

Originally, the leader of the Chicago Fire Department was known as chief engineer. This position was created by an ordinance passed by the then-village of Chicago's board of trustees in November 1835. In December 1835, Chicago's board of trustees appointed its president Hirman Hugunin to be the inaugural occupant of this position.[2][3] In 1837, when Chicago was incorporated as a city, its charter had the position be one which was elected annually by the city's voters. If an election saw no candidates, thus failing to produce an occupant of the office, the Chicago Common Council (as the Chicago City Council was known as the time) would appoint one.[3] This position originally oversaw a volunteer fire department, until the modern iteration of the Chicago Fire Department was established by city ordinance on August 2, 1858.[3]

In 1927, the title of chief engineer was replaced with the new title of fire commissioner.[3]

List of heads of the Chicago Fire Department

Chief Engineers (1835–1927)
Name Tenure start Tenure end Mayor(s) served under Notes Ref
Hirman HuguninDecember 1835February 17, 1836N/AA[3]
George E. SnowFebruary 17, 1836February 1837N/AA[3]
John M. TurnerFebruary 18371839William B. Ogden
Buckner S. Morris		[3]
Alexander Loyd18391839Benjamin Wright Raymond[3]
Alvin Calhoun18391840Benjamin Wright Raymond[3]
Luther Nichols18401841Alexander Loyd[3]
A.S. Sherman18411844Francis C. Sherman
Benjamin Wright Raymond
Augustus Garrett		[3]
Stephen F. Gale18441847Alson Sherman
Augustus Garrett
John P. Chapin		[3]
Charles E. Peck (acting)18471849James Curtiss
James H. Woodworth		[3]
Ashley Gilbert18491850James H. Woodworth[3]
Cyrus P. Bradley18501851James Curtiss[3]
18511852Walter S. Gurnee
U.P. Harris18521854Walter S. Gurnee
Charles McNeill Gray		[3]
Cyrus P. Bradley18541855Isaac L. Milliken[3]
Silas McBride18551857Levi Boone
Thomas Dyer		[3]
Dennis J. Swenie1858March 1859John Wentworth[3][4]
Dennis J. SwenieNovember 10, 1879June 1, 1909Carter Harrison Sr.
John A. Roche
DeWitt C. Cregier
Hempstead Washburne
Carter Harrison Sr.
George Bell Swift (interim)
John P. Hopkins
George Bell Swift
Carter Harrison Jr.		[3]

Fire Commissioners (1927–present)
Name Tenure start Tenure end Mayor(s) served under Notes Ref
Albert Goodrich19271931William Hale Thompson
Anton Cermak		[3][5]
Edward A. Maloney (acting)1931August 15, 1931Anton Cermak[6]
Daniel J. Carmody (acting)August 15, 1931September 1931Anton CermakDied in office[6][7]
Michael J. Corrigan1937March 16, 1955Edward Joseph Kelly
Martin H. Kennelly		[3][8]
Anthony J. MullaneyApril 16, 19551957Edward Joseph Kelly
Richard J. Daley		[9][3][10]
Robert J. QuinnMarch 19571978Richard J. Daley
Michael Bilandic		[3]
Richard Albrecht1978August 1980Michael Bilandic
Jane Byrne		[3]
Charles Pierce (acting)August 1980September 1980Jane Byrne[3]
William R. BlairSeptember 1980August 1983Jane Byrne
Harold Washington		[3]
Louis T. GalanteAugust 1983May 10, 1989Harold Washington
David Orr (acting)
Eugene Sawyer
Richard M. Daley		[3]
Raymond E. OrozcoMay 10, 1989November 1996Richard M. Daley[3][11]
Edward P. Altman1996October 15, 1999Richard M. Daley[12]
James JoyceDecember 15, 1999April 30, 2004Richard M. Daley[3][13]
Cortez Trotter20042006Richard M. Daley[14][15]
Richard M. Daley
Robert HoffJune 2010February 16, 2012Richard M. Daley
Rahm Emanuel		[16]
Jose SantiagoApril 18, 2012August 31, 2018Rahm Emanuel[17][18][19]
Richard C. Ford IISeptember 1, 2018April 2021Rahm Emanuel
Lori Lightfoot		Served as acting commissioner from September 1, 2018 until being confirmed by the Chicago City Council to permanently hold the position on November 14, 2018[18][20][21]
Annette Nance Holt2021incumbentLori Lightfoot
Brandon Johnson		Initially performed as acting fire commissioner. Was confirmed as permanent fire commissioner by the Chicago City Council on June 23, 2021[22][23][24]

Notes

^A Hirman Hugunin and George E Snow's tenures predate the incorporation of Chicago as a city. While no mayor was serving at the time they were High Constable, John H. Kinzie was Town President

See also

References
  1. "Fire - Leadership". www.chicago.gov. City of Chicago. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
  2. "Meet "Chicago's Twins"". www.firehouse.com. 1 September 2005. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
  3. "HISTORY OF THE CHICAGO FIRE DEPARTMENT" (PDF). chicago.gov. City of Chicago. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
  4. "Chief Swenie". chicagology.com. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
  5. "A.W. GOODRICH IS DEAD; EX-FIRE COMMISSIONER". Newspapers.com. Chicago Tribune. 31 Mar 1938. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
  6. "DANIEL CARMODY APPOINTED HEAD OF FIRE DEPT". Newspapers.com. Chicago Tribune. 16 Aug 1931. Retrieved 20 June 2021.
  7. "Fire Commissioner of Chicago Dead". Fire Engineering. 1933-10-01. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  8. "CORRIGAN QUITS AND MULLANEY GETS HIS JOB". Newspapers.com. Chicago Tribune. 16 Mar 1955. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  9. "NEW COMMISSIONER". Newspapers.com. Chicago Tribune. 17 Mar 1955. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  10. "ANTHONY J. MULLANEY". The New York Times. 1960-11-29. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
  11. Zielinski, Graeme (15 November 1996). "RETIRING CHIEF KEPT POLITICAL FIRE AT BAY". chicagotribune.com. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
  12. Almer, Ellen (15 October 1999). "Chicago Fire Commissioner Edward Altman resigned today..." Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  13. Washburn, Gary (28 December 1999). "NEW FIRE CHIEF SHAKES UP DEPARTMENT". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  14. Washburn, Gary (2 April 2004). "Joyce exits; Daley taps 1st black chief". chicagotribune.com. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  15. "Trotter Named Chief Emergency Officer, Orozco New Fire Commissioner for Chicago". GovTech. 2010-07-28. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  16. "Chicago Fire Commissioner Hoff Resigns". www.firehouse.com. 16 February 2012. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  17. Spielman, Fran (2018-08-12). "Chicago fire commissioner awaits his fate as he nears mandatory retirement age". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  18. "Mayor Emanuel Taps Richard Ford II As New Fire Commissioner". chicago.cbslocal.com. CBS Chicago (WBBM-TV). 2018-09-21. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  19. "CITY COUNCIL APPROVES JOSE SANTIAGO AS CHICAGO FIRE DEPARTMENT COMMISSIONER" (PDF). Office of the Mayor of the City of Chicago. 18 April 2012. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  20. "Will Chicago get its first Black female fire chief? | The Crusader Newspaper Group". Chicago Crusader. 23 June 2021. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  21. "CITY COUNCIL CONFIRMS MAYOR EMANUEL'S APPOINTMENT OF RICHARD FORD AS NEW FIRE COMMISSIONER" (PDF). Office of the Mayor of the City of Chicago. 14 November 2018. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  22. "Annette Nance-Holt Becomes First Black Woman to Lead Chicago Fire Department". NBC Chicago. 23 June 2021. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  23. "First Black female fire commissioner nominee awaits City Council approval | The Crusader Newspaper Group". Chicago Crusader. 21 May 2021. Retrieved 14 June 2021.
  24. "Annette Nance-Holt becomes Chicago Fire Department Commissioner". Chicago Defender. 2021-05-15. Retrieved 14 June 2021.
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