The Illinois Fire Service Institute (IFSI) has received a grant of $486,390 from the Assistance to Firefighters (AFG) Grant. The AFG is part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which is part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The grant, expanded in 2014 to include state fire academies, was created in 2001 to provide fire departments and non-affiliated emergency medical service organizations funds to acquire equipment, protective gear, emergency vehicles, and other resources.

IFSI will use the funds to support the expansion of the educational programs as well as protective equipment used by instructional staff in its training programs.

According to Royal Mortenson, Director for IFSI, “With the grant, we will purchase a dual station Fire Apparatus Driving Simulator which will improve firefighter safety and basic firefighting operation. The driving simulators will be used to train new apparatus drivers on basic vehicle handling, vehicle maneuvering, and also be used to help experienced drivers exercise their defensive driving skills. This type of training is not feasible on public roadways. Students will be able to operate a variety of apparatus in real-life driving scenarios thereby providing experiences they would otherwise only have on the road in real emergencies.”

IFSI will also be able to purchase additional protective clothing utilized by instructors across the state to provide hands-on firefighter training IFSI prides itself on the quality and realism of its hands-on training provided to students throughout the state of Illinois.

The Illinois Fire Service Institute is the statutory State Fire Academy for Illinois. In addition to training provided at its Champaign campus, the Institute offers one-day hands-on classes for fire departments at Regional Training Centers and local fire stations across the State. The mission of the Illinois Fire Service Institute is to help firefighters do their work through training, education, information and research.

For more information about the Institute, call 217-333-3800.

https://www.fsi.illinois.edu/

 

More than 60 current and former Pine Creek employees attended the 30th anniversary of the Pine Creek station on Saturday. In the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument area, Pine Creek has provided advanced ambulance service to visitors since 1986. Reunion attendees came from all over Washington and Oregon, as well from California, Montana, Arizona and Mississippi.
- PUB DATE: 7/11/2016 6:03:07 AM - SOURCE: Vancouver Columbian

Depending on how voters decide in the Aug. 2 primary election, Cowlitz County Fire District 6 in Castle Rock may see its first fire levy increase in 50 years to help retain ambulance service. This year, volunteer levels are at an all-time low, with only four volunteer EMTs residing within the fire district.
- PUB DATE: 7/11/2016 2:12:29 AM - SOURCE: Longview Daily News

A crash on Highway 140, north of Winnemucca, has claimed the life of two firefighters and has sent a third to the hospital. Captain Ken Whittaker with Humboldt General Hospital said the crash happened at mile marker 6 in the southbound lanes of Highway 140, the road that goes up to Denio. According to the Bureau of Land Management, it was a single- vehicle crash but its cause is currently under investigation.
- PUB DATE: 7/11/2016 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KOLO-TV ABC 8