Mayor DeShawn Williams announced the appointment of Tal Prendergast as interim fire chief for the City of Urbana. Prendergast’s term will end on or before June 5, 2026. An Urbana native and Urbana High School graduate, Prendergast holds a Bachelor of Science in Technical Systems Management from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
With 29 years of experience in the fire service, Prendergast has served 17 years with the Urbana Fire Department, five years with the Danville Fire Department, and 22 years with the University of Illinois Fire Service Institute. The Urbana City Council approved the appointment during a special meeting on Dec. 8.
