Excerpts from centralilliinoisproud.com:
The only fire station in Peoria to bear someone’s name is named for the city’s first Black firefighter, who paved the way for future generations.
Edward B. Gaines Jr. served as Peoria’s first Black firefighter from 1957 to 1978. In October 2022, Fire Station 4 in South Peoria opened with his name on it.
James McCoy, retired Peoria firefighter and past president of the Afro-American Firefighters’ Association, said Gaines was a “guiding light” who overcame many obstacles and broke barriers.
“You got to keep in mind the time that we were dealing with. Jim Crow laws at that time, African Americans were viewed as second-class citizens, so there were a lot of different adversities that Mr. Gaines had to go through when he came onto the job,” he said.
Gaines’ nephew said his uncle had to deal with a lot of racism from his coworkers, who believed he was not their equal, but Gaines had tough skin and persevered, showing up every day for more than 20 years.
McCoy said Gaines taught others to stay professional, no matter what.
“He would actually teach you that you got to persevere and be willing to go through things you know are not right. Because if you act up, or respond the way most people want to respond, you’re going to hurt the opportunity for somebody coming along behind you later,” he said.
Through the fire station and trucks bearing his name, Gaines will continue to inspire generations of young Black men to become firefighters,
Peoria Fire Chief Shawn Sollberger said the visibility of Gaines’ name will continue to keep his legacy alive.
Fire Station 4 is located on Western Avenue in South Peoria.
