UPDATE: Peoria Fire Department leader of safety initiatives heads to Normal for assistant chief role

(Peoria Fire Department)

UPDATED 4:32 P.M.

PEORIA, Ill. – A veteran of the Peoria Fire Department who focused on safety is moving on to the Twin Cities.

The department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that Division Chief of Prevention Nate Rice will be leaving after 27 years of service. Rice will continue his career with the Normal Fire Deparment where he will become an assistant fire chief, with 25 News reporting that he will eventually become their next fire chief.

In his time in Peoria, Rice led numerous public education programs, created Community Risk Reduction strategies, and last year led the department to accreditation with the Center for Public Safety Excellence.

The department calls Rice an excellent example of a Peoria firefighter, but also as a “father, husband, a mentor, and a leader for this community.”