The Springfield City Council voted 10-0 May 20 to confirm Nicholas Sumo as fire chief and adopted an ordinance implementing modest changes to the cityEMS system intended to increase oversight and accountability.

The appointment ordinance for Nicholas Sumo took effect May 17, 2025; the council approved the motion placing his appointment on final passage and voted unanimously. Sumo addressed the council, saying he had worked through every rank in the department and described his local ties and service in the Illinois Air National Guard.

Separately, the council placed on final passage an EMS-related ordinance that supporters described as the first significant update to the local EMS framework in decades. Canaan Renneberger, president of the Springfield Firefighters Union, spoke in favor, calling the measure "a great first step" and urging continued work to reduce response delays and expand coordination among ambulance providers and hospitals.

Renneberger told the council the local system has seen an increase in calls and longer wait times and urged further steps for mental health and unhoused populations who frequently require emergency services. "This is a great first step," he said, adding the ordinance can be revisited annually.

Council members thanked outgoing staff and former leaders for earlier work on EMS and said they expect continued collaboration among private ambulance companies, the hospital-based EMS director and county dispatch to improve performance. Several aldermen said they wanted additional, ongoing review of system metrics and partnerships to address nonemergency demand for EMS.

The council approved the EMS ordinance and Sumo's appointment by roll call; both measures passed 10 yes, 0 no. The council noted the EMS ordinance is intended to be a starting point, not a final solution, and asked staff and partners to continue work on broader system reforms, including potential shared presence or integrated response models.

Ending: Nicholas Sumo will lead the Springfield Fire Department; council members said they expect ongoing work on EMS operations and performance reporting.