BLOOMINGTON
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Meeting fire protection demands
In an effort to deliver better fire protection services to the city, the Bloomington Fire Department is reconfiguring its staffing and updating its fire stations.
The Fire Department, which responded to more than 10,500 calls in 2024, has been staffed historically with part-time firefighters, but in recent years its roster has been well below the 155 firefighters the department is authorized to staff. To ensure a prompt, adequate response 24 hours a day, the department has been adding full-time firefighters with a goal of having full-time employees around the clock at all fire stations, supplemented by part-time firefighters.
The department’ s firefighters include 48 full-time firefighters on shift duty, including 36 that were added with funding from a Federal Emergency Management Agency grant. The grant provides funding for their salaries and benefits for three years, with 18 of the salaries being absorbed into the department’ s budget in 2026.
The department also employs nine full-time chiefs, five full-time inspectors and 85 part-time firefighters.
As the fire department works to address its staffing challenges, the city is also in the process of replacing outdated fire stations.
The fire department was formed in 1947, following years of planning while Bloomington relied upon neighboring cities for fire protection. The city’ s first fire station was a two-bay
garage at the intersection of 95th Street and Garfield Avenue.
Today, Bloomington firefighters work out of six stations, with Fire Station No. 3 in east Bloomington having been replaced in July 2020 and Fire Station No. 4 in northwest Bloomington having been replaced in July 2023.
Fire Chief Ulie Seal has been with the department since 1976 and became its first full-time fire chief in 2007.
Each fall, department members participate in visits to fourth-grade classes at Bloomington schools to speak about fire prevention. The department also hosts an open house during National Fire Prevention Week in October, featuring fire prevention exhibits and displays from other organizations, including the city’ s police and public works departments.
Throughout the year, fire department representatives will test, install or replace smoke detectors for Bloomington homeowners. Smoke detectors are free to homeowners, and in-home visits are available by appointment. Residents who are physically unable to change batteries in a working smoke detector may also call the fire department for assistance.
The department’ s administrative offices are at Fire Station No. 1, 10 W. 95th St.
More information about the fire department and its services are available by calling 952-563-4801 or visiting its website at tinyurl. com / bfiredepartment.
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