As a youngster, newly appointed Waukegan Fire Department Chief Matthew Burleson said he
idolized an uncle who was a police officer. Burleson knew he wanted to help people, leading him
to become a firefighter/paramedic and a member of the military.
A 1993 Waukegan High School graduate, Burleson said he joined the Illinois Army National Guard at 17, six months before graduation. He had a few jobs, including as a part-time firefighter
in another town before joining the Waukegan Fire Department on March 8, 1999.
“I wanted to be like my Uncle Scott,” Burleson said. “That’s what I wanted to
do.”
Burleson took his oath of office as the city’s newest fire chief Monday at City Hall immediately
after the Waukegan City Council unanimously approved his appointment by Mayor Sam
Cunningham to lead the 127-member department.
Cunningham talked about Burleson’s achievements both as a firefighter and a sergeant first-class
in the military. He has led soldiers in battle in Afghanistan, as well as helping others in some of
the city’s most challenging times.
“Mr. Burleson is a decorated military veteran and a Bronze Star recipient who was selected by the
White House to introduce President Barack Obama in the 2010 National Memorial Day
Ceremony,” Cunningham said.
When the AB Specialty Silicones plant exploded in 2019, killing four people, Burleson was the
shift commander of the team that responded. He was present when a tornado twirled around
York House Road the same year.
During the coronavirus pandemic, Burleson helped find a place for mass testing. It was also
about teamwork. Initially the location was on Northwestern Avenue. When a different site was
required, he used relationships he built to get it relocated to a large downtown parking lot.
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“I worked with the people I had gotten to know at the city and the county to move it to the
parking lot,” he said, referring to the square block bounded by Water, Genesee and Washington
streets, as well as Sheridan Road.
Though he participated in all three of those events and more, Burleson said it is always the effort
of a well-trained team, not one individual, responsible for the heroics. A majority of their time is
spent training for the emergency when it happens.
“You’re always part of a group that does this,” Burleson said. “One guy makes the save, but there
are 25 other guys who are there so the person can make the save. It’s the relationships that enable us to get things done that people didn’t think we could do.”
Training is a critical part of a firefighter’s life. Burleson said a shift lasts 24 hours. As long as
there is not a call, they sleep for five to six hours, train for three hours, take a meal break, train
for another three hours, and work out. When the alarm sounds, everything changes.
“We’re polishing our skills to make them better,” Burleson said.
When he joined the fire department in 1999, Burleson said he already had seven years in the
military. He retired from the National Guard in 2013. In 2011, he became a lieutenant, where he
made “sure the guys who worked for me were up to the task.”
After seven years as a lieutenant, Burleson became a captain in 2018, which made him an
assistant shift commander. In June of 2025, he ascended to the rank of deputy chief. Administrative tasks were added to his workload.
Burleson said fire departments go through cycles where there are a lot of veteran firefighters, and
other times when many of the members are younger. Currently, the Waukegan department is on
the younger side. He sees that as an opportunity.
“It’s an opportunity to use my military experience to build the young people and make sure they
have the knowledge they need when the time comes,” Burleson said. “I want them to have the
knowledge so they can go help people.”