The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is a state law that provides citizens with access to public records.  Each City department is a separate agency responsible for maintaining its own records, so requests should be submitted to the department that maintains the records you want.

Submit a FOIA request online

All Freedom of Information requests submitted to City of Chicago departments must include the following information:

• The name, mailing address and contact information of the requester;
• A description of the records that are being requested.

The Chicago Fire Department (CFD) maintains the following categories of records:

• Commercial and Institutional Building Inspection Reports
• Hazardous Material Records
• Code violation reports e.g., commercial/institutional locations, pump, sprinkler tests and fire alarms
• Fire and investigative reports on closed and/or inactive cases
• Employee lists

Please provide specific information in your request:

• Exact location
• Date of fire incident
• How you would like the information sent (via email, fax or mail) 

For Fire FOIA requests, write to:

Please note that all FOIA requests are posted online.  FOIA requests are public information, and when you submit a FOIA request, your name and information about the request will be made available on the City’s website.

Click here for the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Program and Initiative Page.