Tim O'Keefe was appointed to Division Chief of Operations on September 5th, 2021. Division Chief O'Keefe joined the department in 1995 and has served as Firefighter, Paramedic, Training Coordinator, Lieutenant, Captain, and previously as a District Chief. Chief O'Keefe is responsible for the operations of over 240 uniformed firefighters. He also serves as the City of Rockford's Emergency Services Disaster Agency Coordinator, and through this role, helps to coordinate emergency disaster response and emergency preparedness. Chief O'Keefe also graduated with an Associate's degree from Rock Valley in Fire Science before transferring to Southern Illinois University, where he completed his Bachelor's degree in Public Safety Management in December of 2022. He also holds certification as an Illinois Professional Emergency Manager (IPEM) from the Illinois Emergency Management Agency