The scope of this course is to prepare local responders to operate as a local member of a regional team within the NIMS that has resulted in the need for an Operations-level, Permit-required confined space rescue. The Confined Space Rescue Awareness and Operations course has been designed in accordance with NFPA Standards. The class covers the federal and state regulations; the use of specialized equipment for atmospheric monitoring, ventilation, and isolation; SCBA use inside a confined space; and employment of rescuer-constructed retrieval systems. Special emphasis will be given to rescuer safety, scene management, patient care and movement utilizing full-body patient immobilization, and the construction and operation of retrieval systems. Simulated rescue evolutions involving various rescue problems will be conducted.
Students who successfully complete the course will qualify for National Certification through both Pro Board and IFSAC, NFPA 1006, 2021 Edition Operations Chapter 7.2.
The course will provide the participant with a fundamental understanding of elevator equipment, how elevators operate during normal function, and review safety and failure modes for such equipment. This will include a review of rescue considerations and preparing for the advanced rescue if needed.
Upon successful completion of this class, the student will have an increased understanding of the function of an elevator and techniques to be considered as part of the rescue operation.
This 40-hour course is designed for firefighters who are assigned to or may be assigned to operate fire department apparatus in the normal course of their duties. This course is designed to develop firefighters understanding of mechanical principles of fire pumps and their controls, principles of water and water distribution systems, intake and discharge hydraulics, fire stream production, relay pumping operations, care and maintenance of pumper apparatus, and troubleshooting. Students will practice producing effective fire streams from hydrants, relay operations, and static water sources. Students will also practice determining pump discharge pressures for hydraulic situations that range from single line problems to multiple-line relay operations to provide a solid understanding of fire ground hydraulics and practical solutions to apply these concepts to their department.
This class will provide the student with a basic knowledge of search and rescue tactics and mindsets. This class is designed for the firefighter with at least one year of experience. In this class the student learns basic firefighter skills and hones these skills during realistic exercises. Upon successful completion of this class, the student will walk away with an increased level of basic firefighter competencies.
Fire Inspector I is the first required course of the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal’s Basic Fire Prevention Officer certification program. Fire Inspector I is a blended online (8-hour) and classroom (40-hour) educational delivery designed to prepare an individual to conduct foundational fire and life safety inspections. The class is structured for those individuals who are pursuing a fire prevention related career or who want to establish a quality understanding of fire inspection related issues.
This course is designed for all levels of the fire service. In this course, the student will learn the basics of fire and sprinkler systems as well as basic elevator functions during an alarm. The knowledge gained from this course will assist fire companies to identify and respond to different types of alarms. This will increase their awareness of tactical and strategic decision making. Upon completion of this course, the student will have a better understanding of using the fire alarm system as a tool in identifying where a true fire may be located before it starts growing exponentially.
The goal of this 80-hour course is to prepare responders to operate as a local member of a regional hazardous materials response team within the National Incident Management Systems (NIMS) at a CBRNE (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, or Explosive) event requiring a statewide response. The course provides the essential knowledge, skills, and abilities to operate offensively or defensively at an incident involving the release of hazardous materials. The objectives of the course are to teach participants: to classify, identify, and verify known and unknown material by using field survey instruments and equipment; to select and use the proper chemical protective equipment provided to the hazardous materials Technician; to understand hazard and risk assessment techniques for Hazmat and CBRNE environments; to be able to perform advanced control, containment, and/or confinement operations within the capabilities of the resources and personal protective equipment available; and to develop action plans within the parameters of the State plan for statewide response to WMD events.
Customized courses take any of the subject areas and are tailored to meet the needs of the organization requesting the training.The class emphasizes a topic identified by the group. Each class is handled on a case-by-case basis, covering a topic essential for firefighters, pump operators, fire officers, or fire based first responders in fulfilling the mission of the fire service in their area.
The Instructor I course is designed to give the student the knowledge and ability to teach from prepared materials which are predominantly skills oriented. Areas covered include issues relating to today’s Emergency Services Instructor, the learning process, methods of instruction, using lesson plans, communication skills, safety in training, technology in training, and evaluating the learning process.
The Instructor II course is designed to emphasize teaching formalized lessons from materials prepared by the instructor, including relating information from one lesson or class to the next. Areas covered include instructional development, evaluation and testing, program management and training resources.
This course is designed to provide the knowledge and skills for successful certification in Instructor III. The Instructor III course satisfies the requirements of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1041, Chapter 6. It provides the tools necessary to obtain certification through the National Board on Fire Service Professional Qualifications (Pro) Board.
This course is designed around classroom lectures and group interactive exercises to improve your abilities to serve as a fire instructor. This includes Instructor III - specific responsibilities including the administration of AHJ policies and procedures for the management of instructional resources, staff, facilities, records, and reports. Skills taught include planning, developing, and implementing comprehensive programs and curricula. The successful candidate will be able to develop an evaluation plan; collect, analyze, and report data; and utilize data for program validation and student feedback.
Pipeline Emergencies – First Responder Awareness course provides those who are or will be responding to pipeline emergencies the basic skills necessary to determine the presence of pipelines and the release of various products being transported within. The objective of the course is to provide information for the student to conduct risk assessments, perform public safety actions, and make appropriate notifications to pipeline operators and response entities effectively and safely.
Pipeline Emergencies – Initial Incident Command
This course will provide Initial Incident Commanders with the knowledge and skills to operate safely and effectively at a pipeline emergency incident. Students will identify the pipelines that can be found within their jurisdiction, demonstrate strategic and tactical level decision making at pipeline incidents, describe the information needed to model the release, and describe key points to be included in initial public emergency notifications. At the conclusion of the course, students will be able to develop an initial incident action plan at a pipeline emergency incident.
This course is designed for firefighters, officers and non-commissioned fire department staff pursuing a certification as a Public Fire & Life Safety Educator. The course is designed to train and equip students in fire prevention and life safety education. Topics include: a history of fire prevention education, learning styles, methods for effective teaching, public relations, high-risk populations, professionalism, developing life safety curricula, and evaluation & assessment.
Students must meet the requirements as stated in NFPA 1035, Standard for Professional Qualifications, Standard on Fire and Life Safety Educator, 2015 Edition, and the requirements of the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal.
One hundred percent of the 40 class contact hours and a passing score of 70% on the end of course exam are required for successful course completion. In addition to successful course completion, the student will also receive national certification to the level of Fire and Life Safety Educator I NFPA 1035 2015 Edition Chapter 4.
Any missed class time must be made up before a student can challenge the examination. Class hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (Unless otherwise scheduled). Students must advise the instructor if they leave for emergency reasons.
The scope of this course is to prepare responders to operate as a member of a team within NIMS at an event requiring the need for low- or high-angle rescue. This course provides personnel with the basic knowledge and skills needed to perform rescues using rope systems. The class will cover the use of rope, rope equipment, hardware, construction of mechanical advantage systems, belay and safety systems, twin-tension lowering systems, anchor systems, patient packaging and care, transport, self-rescue, and rescue litter handling techniques. In addition, course topics include equipment selection, maintenance, and record-keeping.
This course was adapted from the NFPA 1006 standards with information also derived from 1500, 1670, 1858, 1983, and 2500. This course awards Pro Board and Illinois OSFM certification.
The scope of this course is to prepare local responders to operate as a local member of a regional team within the NIMS at a CBRNE (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, or Explosive) WMD Event requiring statewide response that has resulted in the need for a high-angle rescue. This course provides those personnel with the basic knowledge and skills needed to perform rescues using rope systems. The class will cover the use of rope, rope equipment, hardware, construction of mechanical advantage systems, belay and safety systems, anchor systems, and patient packaging. Special consideration will be given to the policies of standard-making agencies such as OSHA, ANSI, NFPA, and others. This course awards Pro Board certification.
Students successfully completing this course will be eligible for ProBoard and IFSAC certification under NFPA 2400 Chapter 5, Professional Qualifications for sUAS Public Safety Personnel, which identifies the job performance requirements for public safety Remote Pilots and Visual Observers. Students will review Crew Resource Management, the roles of the Visual Observer, the Person Manipulating the Controls, and the Remote Pilot in Command. Students will learn the sUAS team’s role and function within the Incident Command System (ICS). Students will learn sUAS flight mission planning and prepare a mission plan for a given public safety scenario in a real-world setting. Students will prepare for and engage in practical flight operations, developing mission-critical neuromotor and communication skills.
NFPA 2400, Standard for Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) Used for Public Safety Operations, 2019 edition details the minimum requirements for the safe operation, deployment, and implementation of sUAS including organization program criteria and considerations, professional qualifications for safety personnel, and elements of a maintenance program. It was created with support from the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).
NFPA 2400 is the primary reference for this course. Prerequisite: Registrants must be certificated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as a Remote Pilot with sUAS rating under 14 CFR Part 107. Registrants must be up-to-date with FAA recurrent knowledge requirements, and if certificated prior to March 2021, must have completed one of FAA’s new recurrent knowledge courses (ALC-515 or ALC-677, as applicable).
Students (or each team of up to three students) will need to bring their own small unmanned aircraft system in order to participate in this training. We recommend starting out with a basic and relatively small/inexpensive sUAS while first learning to fly.
If you are not a member of a Fire Department and wish to register for this course, you will need to contact IFSI class support at 217-333-3800 or email fsi@illinois.edu
The ventilation class includes the reasons for, and advantages and disadvantages of the different types of ventilation as they relate to building construction and procedures. Students will review fire behavior as it relates to building construction and its relationship with fuel load, occupancy type and its place in the list of tactical priorities. From jalousie to double hung, from gambrel to four – twelve pitch, the window types and roof styles have an affect on the ventilation operation. The recognition of signs and methods of preventing potential backdrafts and flashovers is an important part of the class. Advantages and disadvantages of vertical, horizontal and forced ventilation are discussed and practiced when possible at the local level.
This two-day course is based on the requirements of NFPA Standard 1030 pertaining to the Youth Firesetting Prevention and Intervention Specialist. This course empowers students with a broad understanding of the knowledge, skills, and abilities the Youth Firesetting Intervention Specialist should have for a dynamic intervention program. Topics include: The extent of the youth firesetting problem and justification for local youth firesetting prevention and intervention programs, examination of the typologies of firesetting and the motivation behind firesetting behaviors, identification, intake, screening, disposition, and follow-up, and youth firesetting educational interventions. This course is for the practitioner who provides services at the program delivery level.