New Carlisle Firefighters Local 5263

10/11/2026

10/01/2026

🎀 Breast Cancer Awareness 🎀

This month, we stand together to support those affected by breast cancer and honor the survivors, fighters, and loved ones we’ve lost.
As firefighters, we know what it means to stand together, support one another, and never stop fighting. 💪🚒

💗 Together We Fight. Together We Support. Together We Can Make a Difference.

09/21/2026

🚨 STRUCTURE FIRE ALERT 🚨

Earlier today, the New Carlisle Fire Department responded to the 7200 block of Chicago Rd for reports of a structure fire.

Squad 91 arrived to find heavy fire conditions. A Shift initiated an aggressive, coordinated fire attack, successfully extinguishing the fire before it spread to the remainder of the structure while maintaining firefighter safety.

No injuries were reported.

During this incident, NCFD was also managing two additional emergency calls, bringing the total to three simultaneous incidents.

🚒 WHY DOES STAFFING MATTER?

NFPA 1710 identifies a minimum initial response of 16–17 firefighters for a typical single-family structure fire, depending on aerial apparatus use. This highlights the importance of adequate staffing and mutual aid, especially when multiple emergencies occur simultaneously.

A special thank-you to all mutual aid departments who responded and assisted with today's emergencies. We would also like to recognize our off-duty members who responded from home, providing additional personnel and equipment.

Outstanding teamwork and coordination by everyone involved. Thank you for answering the call and helping keep our community safe!

Saint Joseph County Fire Territory Clay Fire Kankakee Township Fire Department Galien Firefighters Centre Township Fire Department La Porte EMS

08/05/2026

🕯️ Remembering Assistant Chief Jamie Middlebrook — August 5, 2014 🕯️

Twelve years ago today, our fire service family lost one of its own. Assistant Chief Jamie Middlebrook, with more than 20 years of dedicated service, gave his life fighting a commercial structure fire, killed when a roof and truss system collapsed while he worked to protect his community.

Chief Middlebrook wasn't just a fixture on the fireground — he was a lifelong servant to his community.

On the night of the fire, witnesses recalled him pushing forward at the north side of the structure, working to protect equipment and cylinders inside — always thinking about what could be saved, always willing to go the extra step for the mission. That same night, a rapid intervention crew risked everything trying to reach him, a testament to the brotherhood he was part of and helped build over two decades of service.

Chief Middlebrook's legacy lives on every time a firefighter double-checks a collapse zone, calls for a safety officer, or trains harder on incident command — lessons drawn directly from the tragedy of that night meant to keep others safe. Today we remember not just how he died, but how he lived: in service, in training, in showing up for his neighbors again and again.