- Home
- Departments
- Fire Department
Fire Department
Message from The Fire Chief
Having just celebrated our 100-year anniversary, I’m honored to lead the dedicated men and women of the Midlothian Fire Department into our next century of service.
Our mission remains rooted in protecting life, property, and the environment—but we’re also evolving to meet the changing needs of our community. Whether we’re responding to emergencies, educating the public, or working to prevent fires before they start, our focus is always on safety, professionalism, and service.
We take pride in our values of Honor, Courage, Pride, and Duty, and we strive to carry out our work with compassion, integrity, and respect.
This section of our website is designed to be a useful resource—offering information on fire safety, emergency preparedness, and how we operate. We welcome your questions, feedback, and partnership as we continue building a safer Midlothian.
Martin J. Rita, Fire Chief
Midlothian Fire Department
- How do I dispose of needles?
-
You can contact our local residential disposal service: Republic Services at
(708) 385-8252 for information or order the kits below off their website at:
https://www.republicservices.com/residents/sharps-and-needle-disposal
The needles can be placed in these containers and mailed for disposal.
1.4 Quart Sharps Disposal Mail-Back Kit
1.4 quart container, 3.75" x 3.5" x 8"
Holds about 42 3cc syringes
Available to ship to all 50 states
$39.29
1 Gallon Sharps Disposal Mail-Back Kit
1 gallon container, 9" x 5.5" x 8.5"
Holds about 125 3cc syringes
Available to ship to all 50 states
$51.49
- What responsibilities do firefighters have other than fighting fires?
-
Firefighting actually represents a relatively small portion of the work of a typical fire department in today’s world. The number of residential and commercial fires has steadily decreased over the years due to a variety of factors, including improvements in construction, a greater public awareness of the risk factors leading to fires, and a significant reduction in smoking nationwide. Fires, however, are only some of the emergencies to which the Midlothian Fire Department responds. The majority of the Fire Department’s emergency responses are, in fact, for calls for medical aid, including illnesses / accidents at home and work, injuries resulting from vehicle accidents, and other medical trauma in Midlothian. Other calls for emergency response involve hazardous materials releases, response to fire alarms, and other calls for public assistance. Firefighters also spend quite a bit of time maintaining equipment, doing routine public safety inspections for businesses, training for all types of emergency responses, and filling out the reports and paperwork associated with these activities.
- Why does the Fire Department bring the fire engine just for a simple inspection?
-
The Fire Department brings the fire engine for two reasons. First, these inspections are conducted by on-duty engine companies that must be ready to respond to an emergency call from the field. This is why you almost always see the personnel together as a crew with the fire engine out with them when they are out of the fire station. Second, an important part of the value of the public safety inspection is to familiarize your local firefighters with the buildings and businesses in Midlothian. While they check for hazards and consult with business owners on how best to eliminate or minimize the likelihood of a fire, they also familiarize themselves with access points and the layout of the facility.
-
Martin Rita
Chief
-
Michael Lonkar
Fire Prevention OfficerPhone: (708) 752-8963
-
Fire Department
Physical Address
14801 S. Pulaski Rd.
Midlothian, IL 60445
Phone: (708) 489-4742Fax: (708) 389-2436
Follow the fire department on Facebook...