Zion Fire-Rescue Department

A hearty congrats goes out to ZFRD FF/PM Gerald Ramirez, who was voted by his peers as the 2026 Kiwanis Club of Zion-Benton Firefighter of the Year! He and other local recipients were honored at their annual banquet last evening at the Zion-Benton Moose Lodge 667, and we thank each organization for their ongoing support of local First Responders. Congrats to all of this years' recipients, and keep up the good work Gerald!

We're getting a head start on Fire Prevention Week thanks to a donation of fire safety materials from PJ Stich State Farm Agency! Stay tuned for more info on our upcoming Open House and Blood Drive (spoiler alert - Saturday October 17!)

Today marks another special day at ZFRD. FF/PM Coda F. successfully completed his one-year probationary period and was celebrated with a cake and congrats from his co-workers. His speech was brief but we expect his career to be long and rewarding. Keep up the good work Coda!

Please see the attached informational release and contributed photo from a residential structure fire that ZFRD and mutual aid crews responded to early Tuesday morning. Fortunately no injuries were sustained by the occupants of the home or first responders, though two family cats remain unaccounted for. Red Cross is assisting the family at this time. The exact cause of the fire has not yet been determined.

Still a couple of weeks to apply - ZFRD is a great place to call home! Please help spread the word and check either the link or QR on the pic!
https://applytoserve.com/Application.aspx?ID=803

It's been an EXCITING week at ZFRD! Along with Winthrop Harbor Fire Department and Beach Park Fire Department, we cover roughly six miles of State Park & Lake Michigan shoreline and have responded to numerous water-related emergencies over the years. Because of these incidents, we have been requesting state assistance for response capabilities. Water-emergencies are tough on first responders and emergency divers, and need specialized equipment that can handle the Lake when conditions are rough - which is often. State Representative Joyce Mason worked hard on our behalf and helped secure a state budget appropriation of $500,000 - which allowed us to purchase this Ocean Craft Responder boat. We took delivery of it a couple weeks ago and finally have been able to present it to City Council, and get it in the water. It has already been on one emergent response, and our crews are regularly conducting training exercises with local personnel and county dive team members. This will not just be a Zion boat; Winthrop Harbor is a great partner and will be sharing with operational, response and maintenance responsibilities. The Northpoint Marina has graciously provided a slip to be able keep the boat in the water - meaning crews will be able to respond to emergencies without needing to trailer and launch it each time. Finally, whether the reported emergency is in the north, center, or south portion of the State Park - ZFRD, WHFD and BPFD all immediately respond together and will be using this equipment together regularly. Thank you to all that had a hand in making this important request become a reality - and please BE SAFE while enjoying the beauty of Lake Michigan and our lakefront recreation options!

Please see the attached informational release and contributed photos regarding a structure fire that ZFRD and mutual aid crews responded to earlier today. Fortunately, no injuries were reported and crews were able to minimize damage despite difficult conditions. We thank our mutual aid partners, Zion ESDA volunteers and Zion PD officers for assistance on the scene.

Our application for full-time testing is open! Please check the QR for full details, and feel free to share this with your fire/EMS contacts! So many good reasons to apply!

It’s a luxury when we are able to obtain real structures to train and practice valuable fireground skills on. Today ZFRD crews joined with our neighbors to take advantage of a beautiful morning and work on ground ladder operations and placement at a local home that was reserved for our training needs.