HISTORY

HISTORY

The Early Years

The following historical accounting was written by CCFPD Assistant Chief, Dave Price.

1880-1890s

Humble Beginnings

Humble Beginnings The time is the late 1800’s, maybe 1880. Chillicothe is a thriving river town with a population of 930 people and is part of Chillicothe Township. At this time, Chillicothe was widely known as an important collection and shipping hub for grain, pork, and other farm products due to its location on the Illinois River. Availability of rail transportation via the main line of tracks, the Rock Island RR, a good road connecting Chillicothe with Rome and Peoria, and most importantly, a ferry that was capable of transporting cargo, wagons, horses, and people across the river to and from Woodford County, was key to the city’s success. The ferry business was so important, that the Chillicothe Ferry and Bridge Company acquired the legal means to establish and run a ferry to build a bridge, to make roads approaching the same on both sides of the river, and purchase..Read More

1900-1939

Early 1900s

The Early 1900s  In the time after 1900, Chillicothe continued to thrive with increased population, business opportunities, infrastructure improvements, etc. What failed to advance was the fire protection. Chillicothe was still under the old fire brigade system, whereby the fire brigade and Fire Marshal reported to the Chairman of the Fire, Water, and Light Committee, who reported to the Mayor and City Council at regular meetings. By 1907, the fire brigade numbered 28 members, two hose carts, 1500 ft of 2 1⁄2” hose, and no ladders. “Those heavy reels of hose were drawn by hand or pulled by anyone who happened to have his team of horses around handy. The late W.H. Ratcliff was often very kind in this regard, and many times sent one or two of his dray wagons to pull the hose carts to fires.” “I well remember one night when the temperature had hit about 20..Read More

1940-1953

WWII & Beyond

WWII & Beyond Chillicothe suffered through WW2 as did the rest of America, and had their share of young men who went off to war, some to return and some not so lucky. Gail “Mike” Myers was one of the lucky ones who returned. Returned to run a business in town and returned to resume his duties in the fire department. This chapter in history is not all about Gail Myers, but a good portion of it is. We will get to him later on. Chief Anderson led the fire department through the war years and into the years of progress after it was over. Even through the war years, Chief Anderson kept the number of firefighters up and succeeded in purchasing new equipment. Through the efforts of the department and needed donations from citizens, the city was able to purchase a new truck in 1942. It was an international..Read More

1950s-2000s

The Myers Era

The Meyers Era For the next almost 60 years, there would be a Myers at the head of the Chillicothe Fire Department. The fire department records show that in June of 1952, the fire department recognized the need for additional space and a larger fire station. From 1928 until 1954 the Chillicothe Fire Department was housed in the lower level of City Hall. You can still see the outline of the two stall openings in the South wall of City Hall on Walnut St. With the addition of larger trucks and more men, they had just outgrown the City Hall garage. Plans were drawn up and the bids were opened on April 29th, 1954 for the construction of Fire Station #1 in the city park on Chestnut St., our present location. The dedication of the new station was in 1954. The new station had four spacious truck bays, a large..Read More

Enjoy more of CCFPD’s history by clicking on the following photo slideshows…

Centennial Slideshow 1

Centennial Slideshow 2

Centennial Slideshow 3

Centennial Slideshow 4

Centennial Slideshow 5

Centennial Slideshow 6

Present Day

The citizens outside of the city limits voted to form the Chillicothe Community Fire Protection District (CCFPD) in 2017. The CCFPD was approved by the Peoria County Board on April 28th, 2017.

From 2017 to 2019 the departments (CFD and CCFPD) continued to operate as one department. In 2019 the citizens of Chillicothe voted to join the CCFPD. On Aug 1st, 2019, for the first time in its history, the fire department became one unit. The CCFPD is governed by an outside board of 5 citizens. Four members from Peoria County (two reside in the city limits) and one from Marshall County are appointed by their respective county boards.

The CCFPD serves over 15,000 people and covers 106 square miles. These limits extend from the Illinois River to the east of Rt. 40, south to Detweiller Park, and north to Hopewell Estates. 

We respond to:

  • Any Fire Situations
  • EMS Calls
  • Auto Accidents – Heavy-Duty Extraction
  • All Types of Rescue Calls
  • River Fire & Rescue
  • Property Maintenance
  • Liquor License Inspections
  • School Fire Drills and Building Inspections
  • Commercial and Industrial Plan Reviews for Building Permits
  • Rental Inspection

The department has grown a lot since 1893. From a mere whistle on the water tower to a modernized department where every member has a radio, pager, and yes, even an app on their phone. From just two hand trucks to a full fleet of apparatus, including but not limited to:

5 Engines
Heavy Rescue Truck
Hovercraft
Command Vehicle
100 ft Ladder Truck
Light Rescue Truck
Utility Truck
Rescue/Fire Boat
Brush Truck
3,500-gallon tender
UTV
Over 16,000 Ft of Fire Hose

Present Day

The citizens outside of the city limits voted to form the Chillicothe Community Fire Protection District (CCFPD) in 2017. The CCFPD was approved by the Peoria County Board on April 28th, 2017.

From 2017 to 2019 the departments (CFD and CCFPD) continued to operate as one department. In 2019 the citizens of Chillicothe voted to join the CCFPD. On Aug 1st, 2019, for the first time in its history, the fire department became one unit. The CCFPD is governed by an outside board of 5 citizens. Four members from Peoria County (two reside in the city limits) and one from Marshall County are appointed by their respective county boards.

The CCFPD serves over 15,000 people and covers 106 square miles. These limits extend from the Illinois River to the east of Rt. 40, south to Detweiller Park, and north to Hopewell Estates. 

We respond to:

  • Any Fire Situations
  • EMS Calls
  • Auto Accidents – Heavy-Duty Extraction
  • All Types of Rescue Calls
  • River Fire & Rescue
  • Property Maintenance
  • Liquor License Inspections
  • School Fire Drills and Building Inspections
  • Commercial and Industrial Plan Reviews for Building Permits
  • Rental Inspection

The department has grown a lot since 1893. From a mere whistle on the water tower to a modernized department where every member has a radio, pager, and yes, even an app on their phone. From just two hand trucks to a full fleet of apparatus, including but not limited to:

5 Engines
Heavy Rescue Truck
Hovercraft
Command Vehicle
100 ft Ladder Truck
1 Light Rescue Truck
Utility Truck
Rescue/Fire Boat
Brush Truck
3,500-gallon tender
UTV
Over 16,000 Ft of Fire Hose