Tonica Volunteer Fire Department and Ambulance

09/02/2026

*** REMINDER ***
🚨 FREE Smoke Alarm Installation Program 🚨
The Tonica Fire Department is proud to offer FREE 10-year smoke alarm installations for residents who live within the Tonica Fire Department District. These are at no cost to you! Please see below on how to contact us and get scheduled for your smoke detector installation and have the peace of mind knowing you are taking steps on protecting yourself AND your family.

🚨 FREE Smoke Alarm Installation Program 🚨

The Tonica Fire Department is proud to offer FREE 10-year smoke alarm installations for residents who live within the Tonica Fire Department District, thanks to funding provided through the Illinois Fire Safety Alliance. Whether you need only 1 or several detectors, we have you covered.

Did you know that a working smoke alarm can make the difference between life and death?

According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA):

🔥 Working smoke alarms reduce the risk of dying in a home fire by about 50%.
🏠 Nearly 3 out of 5 home fire deaths occur in homes with either no smoke alarms or smoke alarms that didn't work.
⏱️ When a smoke alarm sounds, you may have less than 2 minutes to escape safely. Early warning saves lives.
🔋 Smoke alarms should be tested monthly and replaced every 10 years to ensure they provide reliable protection.

Our firefighters will come to your home and professionally install your smoke alarm at no cost to you!

📞 To sign up:
☎️ 815-442-3527
📧 [email protected]
📱 Or send us a message on Facebook!

When you do call or message us, make sure you leave your name, address and a good contact number so we can reach out to you and make arraignments to install the detectors.

So protect what matters most! A smoke alarm can't prevent a fire—but it can give your family the precious seconds needed to escape safely. Together, we're helping protect our community, one home at a time. 🚒🏡🔥

09/01/2026

We would like to extend a HUGE thank you to everyone who came out this past weekend to support our fire department and our community during Tonica Fest! It was a great success, and we couldn’t have done it without all of you!

A very special thank you to all of the local businesses and individuals who sponsored our car show, helped sell our 50/50 tickets, donated their time, and contributed in so many ways to help make this year’s Tonica Fest such a memorable event.

We also want to give a HUGE shout-out to Tonica Community Festivities for being the driving force behind so much of what made this event possible. Your hard work, dedication, and vision continue to elevate our yearly celebration and make Tonica Fest something our entire community can be proud of. 👏

From all of us at the Tonica Fire Department, thank you for your support, your generosity, and for helping make Tonica such a great community! 🇺🇸

We’re already looking forward to seeing what’s in store for Tonica Fest next year!

09/01/2026

Another busy month!
We are currently on pace to beat our over all run total of 248 from 2024!

08/30/2026

Tonight we held the drawing of our 50/50 with a grand total to the winner $2,156! Congrats to Jim C. of Wenona, IL!

08/29/2026

08/28/2026

🚗🔥 LOOKING FOR SOMETHING TO DO THIS SATURDAY?! 🔥🚗

Come on out to Downtown Tonica for our Annual Car Show during Tonica Fest! There will be plenty of awesome cars, great people, and a whole lot of fun for the entire family! 🇺🇸

🎟️ And don’t forget about our 50/50 Raffle! 🎟️

The pot is currently sitting $1,705 to the split — and it’s STILL GROWING! 💰💰💰

We’ll be selling 50/50 tickets this evening and throughout Tonica Fest, so be sure to grab yours for your chance to take home a great payout while supporting a great local cause!

📍 Downtown Tonica
📅 Saturday, August 29th @ 4 p.m.

Come for the cars, stay for the fun, and don’t forget your 50/50 tickets! 🎟️🔥

We’ll see you in Tonica! 🚒🇺🇸

08/23/2026

Press Releases for the events that occurred 08/22/2026

08/06/2026

Yesterday, Tonica Fire & EMS had the opportunity to participate in an excellent hands-on training hosted by Oglesby Fire & EMS, working alongside both Oglesby and Utica Fire & EMS.

Hands-on training like this is what sharpens our skills, builds confidence, and strengthens our ability to work seamlessly with our neighbors when seconds matter. The more we train together, the better prepared we are to serve our communities together when the time comes.

A huge thank you to Oglesby Fire & EMS for putting together a great training.

Train together. Work together. Respond together. 🚒🤝

08/04/2026

When we work in emergency services, we don’t often get to experience closure.

We respond to the call. We do our jobs. We give everything we have in those critical moments—and then, more often than not, we never find out what happens after we leave the scene or hospital. Last night, we were given something truly special. Last night, we got to meet Cailynn. ❤️

On the evening of October 28, 2025, Cailynn was traveling home on Interstate 39 when the unimaginable happened. A devastating crash left her seriously injured, and emergency crews from Tonica, Lostant Illinois Fire Protection District, Oglesby Firefighters Association, Oglesby Ambulance Association, Illinois State Police Troop 2, and OSF Life Flight responded to the scene.

That night, everyone there gave 110%. Firefighters fought one car that was on fire (located next to the car Cailynn was in) while other firefighter & EMS personnel worked together to free Cailynn from her car. EMS provided care at the scene before she was transported by OSF Life Flight for further treatment.

We knew that night that we had done everything we possibly could. But we never knew how the story would end. Thankfully, Cailynn had the cards in her favor—and she pulled through. So Cailynn, her parents and family got to meet the incredible people who were there that night.

There were smiles. There were hugs. And there was a whole lot of gratitude.

For those of us who answered that call nearly a year ago, getting to see Cailynn standing in front of us, smiling and doing well, was a moment we will never forget.

Emergency services can be a profession filled with difficult calls, with difficult outcomes, and memories that stay with you forever. But every once in a while, we get a reminder… This is why we do what we do.
Last night was one of those reminders.

Cailynn, we are so incredibly happy to meet you. Keep fighting, keep smiling, and keep being the miracle we got to see come full circle.

From everyone at Tonica Fire, Lostant Fire, Oglesby Fire, Oglesby Ambulance, Illinois State Police, and OSF Life Flight— Thank you for letting us be a part of your story.

08/03/2026

🚗☀️August is here… which means it’s officially Cruise In Month!

The countdown is on for the 25th Annual Tonica Cruise In and now is the perfect time to get your 50/50 tickets!

🎟️ $1 each or 6 for $5

You can get your tickets at:
🏦 Illini State Bank
💈 Small Town Style
👨‍🚒 Any Tonica Volunteer Fire Department member

The winning ticket will be drawn during the Cruise In on Saturday, August 29, but you do not need to be present to win!