South Beloit Fire Chief answering the call with over four decades of fire service
South Beloit Fire Chief Brian Kunce brings decades of experience to his calling.
South Beloit Fire Chief Brian Kunce knew at the age of 15 that he wanted to go into fire service.
Kunce's career began on April 19, 1982, as a junior firefighter in his hometown of Stillman Valley, where he spent 27 of his 44 years dedicated to his calling.
When he first started in the fire service, Kunce attended Stillman Valley High School in Meridian County District 223.
Kunce left Stillman Valley between the years of 2010 and 2011.
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Kunce also served in Boone County, Station 2, and was deputy chief of North Park Fire Protection District since 2024.
Kunce advanced from his first position into being a firefighter, a lieutenant, captain, and assistant chief before he was named South Beloit Fire Chief.
In Jan. 2026, Scott Fisher was named fire chief, but remained on the job one week. Kunce was hired after Chief Fischer resigned.
Adam Neblock
Kunce was officially sworn in as South Beloit's fire chief on March 2, 2026.
Fire protection districts handle emergencies in their area and farther away, as many assist in larger fires or disasters to fill a need.
Kunce came in with strong support. He was highly recommended to be the next fire chief by The Concerned South Beloit Citizens, who were organized to save the South Beloit Fire Department.
Jack Redieske, a former South Beloit firefighter and school board member, said of Kunce, “He is the person that we were recommending the whole time. We would like to wish him luck in building the department back up to serve and protect the community.
City Administrator for the City of South Beloit Sonya Hoppes says, “Chief Kunce has been a refreshing addition to the South Beloit community. We knew October 1 was our absolute deadline for taking on EMS and fire services from the Town of Beloit, but challenged Chief Kunce to move as quickly as possible to provide relief to all departments involved.”
Hoppes adds, “It is no secret that all fire departments in the country are experiencing difficulties maintaining high levels of staffing. We were happy to relieve the town of their responsibilities by April 1. Chief has a long history of proven leadership and experience but the thing I most appreciate as we continue to evolve and raise the bar, is that he is a good human.”
Kunce reflects on the time he has spent in his profession, “I have been very fortunate to have had such good mentors and to have learned the ropes and to have gained valuable experience directly on the job. It has come with a lot of sweat and tears.”
Kunce faced a personal challenge after he was diagnosed with Stage 4 colorectal cancer in June 2025, on his birthday.
He is now in remission and he has a positive outlook.
“I got the chance to hear success stories which has helped me get through this," Kunce said. "I have had 12 rounds of chemo and will be on maintenance chemo for the next three weeks. The maintenance chemo can be stopped when two blood tests come up as zero."
Kunce has a supportive family including his wife and three children, Lindsey, Grody and Braeden.
Chief Kunce remains as dedicated today to serving the community as he has in his decades of experience. Under his leadership, many believe that the South Beloit Fire Department is moving in the right direction toward future progress.
