Message from the Chief

As the Fire Chief of the Waukegan Fire Department, I am so proud and honored to say that the citizens of the City of Waukegan are well served by a highly trained and professional fire department.  The citizens are protected with a fire and emergency services department that is equipped with trained staff, vital equipment, specialized response teams and plans that have been developed to handle the risks identified within our community.

The Waukegan Fire Department is staffed with 119 sworn firefighters and 3 civilian personnel. We respond out of 5 fire stations that are strategically located throughout the City of Waukegan to meet the needs of our community. The firefighters work a 24-hour shift (8:00am to 8:00am) and their shift days consist of fire prevention activities, training requirements, and public education along with responding to 11,000 + emergency calls throughout the 26 square mile response area.

We have a strong mission statement that helps us meet out daily challenges and build on our foundations.   This is all made possible because of the dedication of our staff and the strong support provided by our city leaders.   The Department is committed to providing nice, highly trained, and professional first responders to our customers. The men and women of the Waukegan Fire Department are dedicated to the City of Waukegan. We are committed to giving our community the highest level of service in the utmost professional manner.  Through these efforts, we constantly strive to make the City of Waukegan a safer place to live, work, visit and raise families.

On behalf of all members of the Waukegan Fire Department, thank you for the privilege of serving you and for your continued support.  We value your comments and would like to hear from you regarding any of your concerns.   Please feel free to contact me at (847) 625-3333 or via email at  Gregg.Paiser@waukeganIL.gov 

Gregg Paiser
Fire Chief