10/21/2026
Better together!!
A Little Bit About South Rock Fire! 🚒🚑
South Rock firefighters respond to over 3,000 calls for service each year across the Blackhawk, Coal Valley, and Coyne Center Fire Protection Districts. These include emergency medical calls, fire responses, and mutual aid responses across our contracted service areas.
South Rock Fire currently staffs three fire stations in southern Rock Island County with full-time paid members for the fastest immediate response possible.
We utilize 8-10 full-time members each day in various roles, plus part-time and paid-on-call (volunteer) personnel, to provide fire protection, rescue, and emergency medical services.
🚒 Fire Station 24 – Coal Valley
Station 24 is located in Coal Valley and is staffed with four members assigned to two primary apparatus:
🚑Ambulance 2451 - Two firefighter/paramedics/EMT's
🚒Engine 2464 - Two firefighters/EMT's
These personnel also cross-staff a paramedic-level squad and a water tender depending on the nature and location of the emergency.
🚒Fire Station 19 – Blackhawk (Milan)
The Blackhawk Station is located in Milan and provides both fire and emergency medical services.
🚑Ambulance 2452 - Staffed with two firefighter/paramedics
🚒Squad 5 - Staffed by a combination of full-time and part-time personnel
Personnel assigned to Squad 5 also cross-staff an engine, water tender, or ladder truck, depending on the incident type and location.
Additionally, the Blackhawk Station maintains a roster of paid-on-call (volunteer) firefighters who respond to the station during serious emergencies to provide additional staffing and operational capabilities.
🚒 Fire Station 26 – Coyne Center
The Coyne Center Station is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with two South Rock Fire Firefighters assigned to 🚑Ambulance 2453.
These cross-trained firefighter/paramedics/EMT's also jump to a pumping apparatus to respond immediately to structure fires throughout the Coyne Center Fire Protection District, saving time, lives, and property.
Coyne Center volunteer firefighters are dispatched to all emergencies throughout their district.
🚒 Duty Chief - All Stations
A Duty Chief is also on duty 24/7 to provide incident command and leadership support to all three fire districts. All Fire Chiefs and Deputy Chiefs who serve each response area share this responsibility on a rotating schedule.
🚨 Three Stations. One Coordinated Response.
One of South Rock Fire's greatest advantages is our ability to coordinate personnel and equipment across all three fire stations.
All three stations are automatically dispatched to structure fires and other serious incidents, allowing firefighters, paramedics, and specialized apparatus to respond from multiple locations without waiting for additional resources to be requested.
Our firefighters and paramedics are cross-trained, meaning the same personnel can respond on an ambulance, fire engine, squad, ladder truck, or water tender depending on the needs of the incident.
Why do we operate this way?
At first glance, this staffing and response model might seem complicated. However, it is a practical and efficient approach to providing fire protection and emergency medical services across a large geographic area that includes municipalities, residential neighborhoods, commercial properties, heavy industrial areas, and rural communities.
By combining the capabilities of full-time, part-time, paid-on-call, and volunteer firefighters, we can maximize available resources, reduce unnecessary duplication, improve response capabilities, and ensure that our communities receive the highest possible level of service while remaining responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars.
Most importantly, this partnership allows us to put more trained firefighters and paramedics on emergency scenes, sooner, especially in remote areas.
South Rock Fire is about more than a new name. It represents a commitment to regional cooperation, responsible use of public resources, and providing the best possible emergency services to the people we serve.
Want to learn about opportunities to join?
Stop by the Blackhawk Station and Coyne Center Station to learn about volunteer opportunities.
Stop by the Coal Valley Station to learn about full-time and part-time opportunities.
Three stations. One mission.
SOUTH ROCK FIRE — BETTER TOGETHER! 🚒
