From the Director’s DeskOn behalf of the some 400 full and part-time

staff at your State Fire Academy, I want to thankyou for your continuing and growing support of ourefforts to develop and provide services to help ev-ery Illinois Firefighter do their work. During thepast year we have reviewed and updated our plans.In 1998, we developed and implemented a 5-yearplan entitled Vision 2000, which focused on reach-ing throughout the State to deliver programs tai-lored to the needs of both volunteers and careerfirefighters, on enhancing and modernizing ourtraining facilities, and on achieving financial sta-bility. During 2003 we developed an updated planentitled Vision 2010 to carry the Institute throughthe end of this decade. In January 2004, we sharedthis plan with both our statutory advisory commit-tee members and with our field staff. They haveendorsed the vision goals and have committed tohelping us reach them.

We have included a description of each of thepillars in our FY03 Annual report, which is avail-able on our web site at: http://www.fsi.uiuc.edu/news. Here are a few highlights:

* Homeland Security: As a member of theIllinois Terrorism Task Force (ITTF) we are work-ing with other first response disciplines to providea common curriculum focusing on four areas (fordetails see the newsletter at:http://www.fsi.uiuc.edu/Homeland_Security/documents/layoutfinal.pdf)

* Provide training Committee leadership.* Provide common terrorism core curriculum

for all Illinois first responders.* Provide courses for crisis team members in

incident command, unified command, HAZMATIncident Management System and the NationalIncident Management System (NIMS).

* Provide baseline training and support vali-dation of statewide-deployable State Weapons ofMass Destruction (SWMDT) teams, Illinois Medi-cal Emergency Response Teams (IMERT), regionalHAZMAT and technical rescue teams, and law en-forcement Regional Containment Teams. (RCT)

* Research: We are routinely getting requestsfrom researchers to partner to find technology so-lutions to first responder challenges. We hope tobring researchers and first responders together todefine and prioritize your technology needs and todevelop practical research programs to addressthem.

* College Degree Programs: As you mayknow, the American Council on Education (ACE)

accredits more than 20 IFSI courses for col-lege credit. In 2003, ACE accredited our Cer-tified Firefighter II course (both resident andonline versions) and our EMT-Basic courses andgrandfathered the credit back several years. Weare also working to seed fire prevention technol-ogy lectures into already existing courses in theCollege of Engineering at the University of Illinois.

* Programs for Firefighters: Regardless ofthe additional challenges we undertake, our corefocus remains training, educating and assistingfirefighters. We have constructed new trainingsimulators for rescue and fire training, and con-tinue work to help develop regional training cen-ters with local fire departments around the state.We look forward to our 80th Fire College3-6 June 2004 - online registrationwill be available again thisyear. In 2004, we will beconducting pilot courses toconduct Fire Investigationmodules in an intensiveweekend format in the MetroEast area, and a full FireOfficer Series with our newpartner Southeastern Illi-nois College in Harrisburg.We are also working with theOffice of the State Fire Marshal and Illinois fireservice leaders to restore and enhance the Cor-nerstone funding for FY05 and beyond. As youreceive this newsletter you should be receiving thesecond installment of the Down and DirtyFirefighting Skills CD - on engine and pump op-erations, provided at no cost under a grant fromthe Illinois Firefighter’s Association.

Our VISION 2010 effort is an attempt to lookinto the future and anticipate your needs and thenew demands that will be placed upon you as firstresponders. We intend to ensure the Vision re-mains a living document, which grows and evolvesas these needs and demands change. We intendto seek and incorporate your thoughts in this pro-cess and look forward to hearing from you.

Thank you,

Richard L. JaehneDirector

IFSIIFSIIFSIIFSIIFSI NEWSLETTERSPRING 2004

See page 20for informa-tion on thissummer’sAnnual FireCollege.

www.fsi.uiuc.eduPage 2

DirectorRichard L. Jaehne

Deputy DirectorDavid F. Clark

Assistant Director forChicago MetroJohn McCastland

The Illinois Fire Service Institute Newsletter is the official publica-tion of the Illinois Fire Service Institute, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The Newsletter is published twice a year and is solely aneducational and advisory aid to the fire service and individuals work-ing to establish and maintain a fire safe environment in Illinois.

Opinions expressed in the Illinois Fire Service Institute Newslet-ter are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent theofficial opinions of the Illinois Fire Service Institute unless otherwisenoted in the article.

The Illinois Fire Service Institute will consider for publication ar-ticles or items of interest to the fire service of Illinois and encouragesmaterials from all fire-related professions for consideration.

Persons interested in furnishing articles, should forward materi-als to:

IFSI Newsletter11 Gerty DriveChampaign, IL 61820

or E-mail information to Terri Hopper at hopper@uiuc.edu. Pleaseinclude appropriate graphics or digital photos.

Materials in this newsletter may be reproduced or republishedprovided credit is given to source and author.

The University of Illinois is an affirmative action, equal opportunityinstitution.

From the Director

News & Notes

Table Talk

80th Annual Fire College

Library Update

Arson Inverstigation Update

Web Based Training Update

IFSI Web Site

State Instructor Program

Auto Extrication Program Update

EMS Update

Scholarship Fund

Rescure Program Update

Guest Column: Aerial Checklist

Summer Fire College

Special Thanks to Donors/Development

New IFSI props

New Down & Dirty Training CD

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8

9

10

12

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24

Our web site has the most current class information

www.fsi.uiuc.edu

Table of Contents

This could be your last IFSInewsletter.The IFSI newsletter is mailed to all fire depart-ments in the state, IFSI field instructors and per-sons who have requested to be added to the mail-ing list. In an effort to save postage and printingcosts and to be certain the newsletter reachesthose who have an interest in receiving it, we areasking individuals to confirm that they want tocontinue to receive the newsletter. If you wish tocontinue receiving the newsletter, you must emailor otherwise communicate your request to TerriHopper at hopper@uiuc.edu or by phone at 217-244-7313. Fire Departments will continue to re-ceive the newsletter regardless.

Illinois Fire Service Institute Spring 2004 Page 3

FY-03 was another year of excitingchanges and growth for IFSI, and we expect2004 to be even better. We are constantlyseeking ways to better serve the firefightersof Illinois. This is our first responsibility. Theseefforts take many forms, from new and im-proved classes, increased use of technologyfor both instruction and administrative pur-poses, new on-site and mobile props, reach-ing out to non-fire first responders so we canwork better together, and building new part-nerships with a variety of people who want tohelp make Illinois safer. Let’s look at a few ofthese things specifically.

Starting in mid-March we will offer Instruc-tor-I and Management-I classes on weekendsso that volunteers can more easily attend.These 40-hour certification classes will be heldat IFSI in Champaign.

Similarly, certified Fire Investigation mod-ules I, II, and III will be offered on Fridays andSaturdays this summer in the Metro-East area.This is a new trial format for delivering thesemodules, and we are hoping that it will workwell for those in Southern Illinois who havedifficulty attending weekday classes.

Various other weekend classes will be heldat our Southeastern Illinois College/Harrisburgand other Regional Training Centers (RTCs).

I am quite pleased with the new “Engine/Pumping Operations” CDs, which IFSI pro-duced for free distribution to every fire depart-ment in the state, thanks to funding from theIllinois Firefighter’s Association. These arecompanions to the “Down & Dirty Fire Fight-ing Skills” CDs we produced last year. Anima-tions illustrate how things work, and short vid-eos show procedures. The CDs can be usedby instructors to teach classes, or by individu-als for self-study. I hope you appreciate asmuch as I do the efforts of those who assistedin producing these CDs. We intend to continueto produce additional CDs yearly.

Work has begun on the 80th Annual FireCollege, which will be held June 3-6, ’04. Youcan look forward to some new classes and ad-ditional props and facilities, plus a number ofhands-on classes that are always well re-ceived. Career or volunteer, whatever yourage, interest, or experience in the fire andemergency services there will be somethingof value for you. Please check our web sitefor details and registration information aboutFire College. Come and bring a friend to thenation’s oldest continuous fire school, andmeet and interact with instructors and students

from throughoutthe United States.

Our catalogof on-line coursesis expanding. TheC e r t i f i e dFirefighter-II On-line continues tobe popular, andwe have added both HazMat Awareness andEmergency Response To Terrorism: BasicConcepts (ERT:BC) online. We will be work-ing to add other Awareness level coursesonline in the future.

IFSI recently underwent the periodic re-view of several of our courses by the Ameri-can Council On Education (ACE) for collegecredit. All of our courses, which were previ-ously approved, were again accepted, pluswe now have approval for 6 semester hourseach for Certified Firefighter-II (retro-activefor 5 years), Certified Firefighter-II Online(retro-active to the first class), and EMT-B(retro-active to the first class).

Similarly, last fall we submitted some ad-ditional courses to the National Fire Academyfor “Endorsement.” We received approval forVertical Rescue-I and Fire Apparatus Engineer(FAE). Also, since they were approved byACE, we anticipate receiving NFA “Endorse-ment” for Certified Firefighter-II and EMT-B.“Endorsement” qualifies courses for dual-cer-tificates from IFSI and NFA.

We have recently constructed a large stor-age building for use by our Hazardous Mate-rials Program. This will be much more effi-cient, because we have been renting spaceacross town. Also, since we expanded our fleetof trailers and tow vehicles to enable us toconduct more specialized training classes onthe road, we have installed two gravel park-ing lots for these vehicles. This makes oursite more organized and safer.

During recent months IFSI has added sev-eral new full-time personnel, some of whompreviously worked for us part-time. GregFisher, a long-time field instructor who hasbeen overseeing the “Cornerstone” Programis now performing a variety of additional du-ties. Likewise, Bob Foster has now expandedbeyond helping in the shop. Lynelle Looker isour new Assistant Librarian, and Jeff Coursonis our first Director of Development. They arejust examples of the many dedicated top qual-

& & & & &NotesNotesNotesNotesNotes

News

continued on next page

David F. ClarkDeputy Director

www.fsi.uiuc.eduPage 4

TableTalk

As you are aware, much activity is takingplace throughout the State of Illinois in creat-ing a system of state-wide response to a widevariety of Mutual Aid . The system being builtwill provide for Fire Suppression, Emergency

Medical Services, HazMat andTechnical Rescue Teams (TRT),

for each of the regions createdthrough the State by the Il-linois Terrorism TaskForce.

The fire suppressionand EMS capability is pro-

vided through an expansionof the Mutual Aid Box Alarm

System (MABAS), a concept that has servedthe Chicago Metro region well for over twentyyears.

Fire Apparatus and EMS, exist through-out the State so it becomes a matter of for-matting a response of existing equipment tofulfill the needs of an extra alarm incident.When the State was surveyed for technicalteams, either HazMat or TRT, the pool was alittle shallow. The Terrorism Task Force madea commitment to try and provide these re-sources to each of the regions of the State. In the State of Illinois, Technical RescueTeams have been identified. The Illinois FireService Institute has been charged with theadministration and execution of the grant fundsthat have been ear-marked to provide train-

ing to first responders. The allocated fundsare part of the Department of Homeland De-fense efforts to establish adequate initial re-sponse to hostile acts that may take place inthis country. It is the intention of the State toprovide training, through the State TrainingAcademy, The Illinois Fire Service Institute,to advance each of the recognized TRT teamsto Level “A” status. This designation isawarded to teams that have required person-nel, training and equipment, with team mem-bers trained to the highest level (technician)in the four core disciplines: Structural Col-lapse, Trench Rescue, Confined Space, andVertical Rescue.

To maximize the allocated funding, tuitionwaivers can be requested for Technical Res-cue courses approved through IFSI, in the fourcore subjects. To qualify, a team roster mustbe on file with me, as IFSI grant administra-tor, listing each team member, their Fire De-partment affiliation and training level theyhave attained in the core subjects. If you haveany questions on this matter, give me a callat 815-834-9201 or contact me by email atjmccastl@uiuc.edu.

Stay safe, keep the faith. Give me a call,put the coffee pot on, and we’ll talk.

“Mac” McCastlandAssistant Director for Chicago Metro

ity people who work full and part-time to helpIFSI and you the firefighters of Illinois.

We recently received a “new” used enginefrom the Lockport Township Fire Department.This brings our apparatus fleet to four engines,one ladder tower, one snorkel, and one ambu-lance.

IFSI has been quite successful in buildingrelationships with Engineering and other col-leges on campus and beyond, and with privateindustry to foster research in fire and home-land security related topics. Hardly a week goesby that we are not approached by professors,grad students, and others interested in work-ing with us on research to benefit the fire ser-vice and to make our country safer. We seethis as a great opportunity for the fire service,and we are working hard to help in any way wecan.

This year’s budget for the “Cornerstone”Program, which enables us to provide no-costbasic training to you, was cut from $300,000to $150,000. Obviously, this means we can-not provide as many free classes. It would behelpful if you would politely remind your statelegislators and officials that this is money wellspent, and you would like to see, and need,the funding restored and even enhanced toenable IFSI to provide more training forfirefighters.

Please use our web site to update yourstudent information in our files. We are nowusing driver’s license numbers to track stu-dents, as we move away from social securitynumbers. Also, check our web site for classesnear you, plus a wealth of other information.

News andNotescontinued

photo

Illinois Fire Service Institute Spring 2004 Page 5

The University of Illinois Fire Service In-stitute is proud to announce plans for the 80thAnnual Fire College from June 3-6, 2004. Thisis the oldest continuous fire school in the na-tion, and the largest in the Midwest.

This year’s theme is “Training for the 21stCentury - Protecting our Communities andOurselves.” The keynote speakers will bemembers of the Illinois Fire Caucus, the groupof legislators that are attuned to the needs ofour fire service, and have put together thesecond caucus in the nation dedicated to meet-ing the needs of our country’s first respond-ers. Following their address, Dr. Denis Oniealfrom the National Fire Academy will updateour firefighters on the status or our fire ser-vice at a national level.

As far as classes, expect to see the corecourses that every firefighter needs to suc-ceed. Recruit Fire Training, Core Competen-cies, Coordinated Fireground, SCBA, andFighting Single Family Dwelling Fires will allbe back. “Saving Our Own”, Building CollapseRescue, Farm Rescue, Confined Space Res-cue, Trench Rescue, and Basic and AdvancedAuto Extrication classes will again be offered.Myths and Realities will be offered on Thurs-day night. Come see how to operate a two-and-a-half line with limited manpower, whysmooth bore nozzles are preferred over wide-angle fog for modern interior firefighting, andhow to effectively use hand tools to your ad-vantage.

Some of the classes that were run in thepast will be modified based on your feedbackfrom last year. Thermal Imaging Training willhave access to more cameras than before,and will be offered twice. Commercial Build-ing Operations has been expanded to be a 24-hour class. The Basic Fire Investigation classwill be expanded to 24 hours, and now includesa hands-on module to get some first-hand ex-perience with cause determination.

New this year will be a 24-hour class onthe Essentials of Vertical Rescue, which isaimed to prepare rescuers to complete andassist in basic evolutions on rope. Like theother technical rescue classes offered at FireCollege, this course will not meet the objec-tives of OSFM certification, but will train therescuer to perform specific evolutions. Twonew 24-hour programs will prepare EMTs andparamedics for working in the Hot Zone. Oneis aimed at preparing EMS personnel to pro-vide patient care in a variety of technical res-cue settings, and the other will focus on treat-

ing a contaminated patient. Also new this yearis a High Rise Operations class being taughtby John Norman of the FDNY. Returning thisFire College will be a First In Officer Class, a12-hour repeated class that will prepare se-nior firefighters and officers to get the first lineinto operation for an effective interior attack.

Also returning this year will be Dealingwith Propane Emergencies. This Friday nightsession will be open to the public, and willallow firefighters with proper PPE to approach,contain, and mitigate a variety of LP sce-narios, ranging from a twenty-pound cylinderto a bobtail truck, and other scenarios thathave multiple hazards such as multiple firesor problems involving flame impingement.This impressive program will be funded bythe Illinois Propane Education and ResearchCommittee (IPERC).

This year will see the continuation of afew successful endeavors from the previousyears. All participants will again receive acolored wristband to help us control accessto our programs. These bands will again en-title you to discounts on food and beveragesaround Champaign-Urbana. For those tak-ing hands-on classes, water bottles are beingprovided by Cabot Corporation to help keepyou hydrated during your training. We will beoffering lunch on-site from three vendors aswe did last year, and will be expanding themenu and the schedule — we will now beserving lunch on-site on Thursday in additionto Friday and Saturday. We will also be hav-ing a vendor display room at the ChancellorHotel and Convention Center, to allowfirefighters and officers to get a feel for whatproducts are available to help their depart-ments.

A complete list of classes and a registra-tion form will be available on www.fsi.uiuc.eduin early March. Like last year, your registra-tion fees will be billed AFTER Fire Collegethis year. We’re also proud to announce that

80th Annual Fire CollegeJune 3 - 6, 2004

“Training for the 21stCentury -- Protecting Our

Communities and Ourselves”

Brian BrauerFire Fighting

Training Director

continued on the next page

See page 20for informa-tion on thissummer’sAnnual FireCollege.

www.fsi.uiuc.eduPage 6

we are once again offering online registrationto expedite the process of signing up forclasses. Remember, you will be billed for anyclasses that you register for, even if you don’tattend, unless you cancel before the deadlineof May 15th.

A final change for this year is the fee struc-ture. Based on demand from you, thefirefighters that attend Fire College, we have

changed the fee structure so that you now payonly for the sessions you attend. In the past,if you attended only 12 hours (1 session) ofFire College, you paid for all 24. Effectivethis year, billing will be done by the sessionfor 12-hour classes. You now only pay for theclasses that you attend.

The fee per session is only $50 (Downfrom $60 last year), with a $50 per sessionlab fee for hands-on classes. In the past, mostof this lab fee was underwritten by a portionof the Cornerstone Grant that IFSI receivedfrom the Office of the State Fire Marshal.However, due to budget cuts at the state levelthis funding is not available this year to un-derwrite this portion of the Fire College.

Watch the web site for registration informationavailable in early March at www.fsi.uiuc.edu,and we’ll see you at the 80th Annual Fire Col-lege in June!

Lian Ruan, IFSI Head Librarian was in-vited by Jesse White, Secretary of State andState Librarian, to serve on the Illinet NetworkAdvisory Council for the Illinois State Libraryto represent special libraries.

Lynelle Looker, IFSI assistant librarian, haspublished an article for the Illinois Libraries.To access the article, go to http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com, Click Publica-tions, Click Library/Literacy, Click Illinois Li-braries.

In addition to Special LibrariesAssociation’s Steven I. Goldspiel MemorialResearch Grant award for Lian Ruan and Pro-

fessor Linda Smith, GraduateSchool of Library and Infor-mation Science (GSLIS),University of Illinois at Ur-bana-Champaign, the Cam-pus Research Board alsoawarded them a fund to

support the project inOctober 2003. Theyhave sent out the sur-vey packets to 6 partici-pating libraries to askfeedback. These librar-ies are: National FireProtection AssociationLibrary; IFSTA Library;

New York State Office of Fire Prevention andControl, Academy of Fire Science Library; NewYork City Fire Department Library; Fire/EMS/Safety Center Library (Minnesota); and Na-

tional Memorial Institute for the Prevention ofTerrorism Library. We plan to start survey datacollection in January.

IFSI went international when Lian did twopresentations at the Department of Informa-tion Management, Peking University (Beijing,China) in September. Her 2-hour talk was“Strategic Planning in American Special Li-braries: A Case Study.” She also did a jointtalk with Professor Leigh Estabrook (GSLIS),entitled “Mr. Wang Chungmin’s Contributionsto the Library Education in China: When EastMeets West, a Comparative Study.” Duringher stay, she visited and met with three librarydirectors: Mr. Longjing Dai and Mr. Qiang Zhu(Peking University Library), Mr. Xiaolin Zhang(Library of Chinese Academy of Sciences),and Mr. Jiangzhong Wu (Shanghai Library).

The IFSI library hosted the GSLIS Spe-cial Libraries Association Student Group for afield trip in October. The library also hosted53 people from two Chinese delegations fromthe UofI’s China’s Executive Program in No-vember.

The IFSI Library Materials link on thelibrary’s web site has been renamed the IFSILibrary Virtual Bookshelf. Please visit the Vir-tual Bookshelf at:http://library.fsi.uiuc.edu/dbtw-wpd/newWeb/newMat.asp or go to IFSI Library web site,http://www.fsi.uiuc.edu, click Library, then clickVirtual Bookshelf under “What is New” (leftside corner).

Library UpdateLian RuanIFSI HeadLibrarian

Illinois Fire Service Institute Spring 2004 Page 7

One significant strength of the Fire Inves-tigation Program conducted by the Institute hasbeen the agency interaction fostered by themodule classes. Firefighters and police offic-ers have worked together in these class ses-sions to learn about each other’s fields of pro-fessional practice. It has always been good tosee how individuals from different agencieslearn to work toward the common goal of fireand arson investigation.

From this interaction, Institute Instructorshave identified the need to support additionaltraining for police officers. Those officers whoare planning on challenging the Firefighter IIBy-Pass exam, through the Office of the StateFire Marshal, have been “on-their-own” tostudy and prepare for this exam. Since theFirefighter II certification (or By-Pass) is re-quired for police officers to obtain the Certi-fied Arson Investigator status, Institute instruc-tors decided to develop a workshop to assistin this effort. Last year Field Staff InstructorsDavid Atkocaitis, Mike Wurtz and Bob Finnwrote and delivered a pilot program to assistthe police officer who was planning on chal-lenging the FF II By-Pass exam. The programconsisted of one eight-hour classroom sessioneach week for three weeks.

New Course UnderDevelopment for Arson

Investigation

Eddie BainInvestigation and

PreventionTraining Director

This format was used to allow the studenttime to read scheduled assignments and re-turn to class with questions and discussiontopics. While attendance to the class wassmall, is was discovered that 90% of the stu-dents passed the By-Pass exam on their firstattempt. Instructors had heard from other po-lice officers that had taken the exam in thepast that it was not unusual to attempt theexam two or three times before successfulcompletion.

The By-Pass Workshop was conductedagain in January of 2004 to a larger regis-tered class. Some changes to the class pre-sentation included upgraded Power Point pre-sentations, updated references and texts anda supplied student text for the workshop. In-structors hope that this preparatory sessionwill help those challenging the Firefighter By-Pass exam obtain a first time success.

Summer WeekendFire Investigation

Series to beFeatured in

East Metro Area

IFSI, as part of its continued efforts tomake training more accessible to firefightersand other first responders, is offering Fire In-vestigation 1 - 3 classes in the East St. LouisMetro Area on Fridays and Saturdays this sum-mer. Students completing Modules 1, 2 and 3are eligible to apply for Certified Fire Investi-gator. To assure each student the full benefitof 40 hours of training, each training day willbe a 10-hour day beginning at 7:30 a.m. Thereis a minimum enrollment of 35 students. Theregistration fee is $200 per module.

Module 1 includes fire investigation op-erations, basic fire science, building construc-tion, detection/suppression systems, fire pat-terns, origin determination, cause determina-tion, motives, canine accelerant detection anda “burn cell” practical.

Module 2 covers communication, inter-viewing, fatal fires, insurance, evidence, elec-trical, legal, fire scene practical and group pre-sentations.

Module 3 includes: explosives, financial,photography, drawings, reports, arson-for-profit, vehicle fires and vehical fire practical.

Registration information is available on the

Dates:Module 1: Friday & Saturday, June 11 & 12Module 1: Friday & Saturday, June 25 & 26

Module 2: Friday & Saturday, July 9 & 10Module 2: Friday & Saturday, July 23 & July 24

Module 3: Friday & Saturday, August 6 & 7Module 3: Friday & Saturday , August 20 & 21

IFSI web site at www.fsi.uiuc.edu or by call-ing Patty Wieland at (217) 333-8921.

Deadline for registration is April 12, 2004.

www.fsi.uiuc.eduPage 8

Web Based Training ChatsTechnology provides many advancements

in E-Training. One of the most exciting is con-necting with people from all parts of the globeto share information and ideas. Illinois FireService Institute offers a great monthly train-ing opportunity to anyone who wishes to takea little time to create a login and passwordand then meet at a designated time on theweb. The staff at IFSI strives to provide themost qualified individuals to host our trainingchat sessions. We hope you will take advan-tage of this training opportunity.

“Ask the Expert “Training ChatSometimes the answers just can’t be found

in a textbook. That’s why IFSI is offering thisunique learning opportunity called Ask theExpert. Fellow firefighters, rescue personnel,instructors, and industry professionals join ina group chat tailored around a topic specificto emergency services. Find out how to solvea problem, find a piece of equipment or learnmore about a hands-on approach to the hottopics of today.

News from Web Based TrainingRich ValentaCoordinator

Battalion Chief Don Hayde of the NewYork City Fire Department will be the nextscheduled guest for a training chat. BattalionChief Hayde is currently working with SpecialOperations Command of FDNY. He is a 27-year member of the department, where he hasbeen assigned to Ladder and Squad Compa-nies. Don has also offered his service to thevolunteer firefighting ranks for 33 years onLong Island and serves as an IFSI instructor.

Chief Hayde will be offering a chat inMarch 2004. (Watch the website for specificdate and time) Battalion Chief Hayde willshare his knowledge on Structural Fire Attack:A systematic approach. Participants can ex-change information on

* Initial fire attack* Ventilation practices* Rapid victim search

Visit the Virtual Campus of the IFSI web sitefor the latest Guest Chat schedule, and ac-cess information at:http://www.fsi.uiuc.edu/virtual_campus/guest_chat/index.cfm

IFSI R.I.T. UNDER FIRE will instruct tactical and strategic rapid intervention operations usingrepeated “Mayday” deployments into various types of occupied structures using live fire condi-tions, a review of firefighter injury and fatality case studies, demonstrations and lecture mate-rial. This program is designed for the ranks of firefighter, company officer, and chief officer. Thefirefighter who will operate under the direction of a R..I.T. company officer will execute tacticalskills such as search operations, victim extrication, and disentanglement. The company officerwill direct and manage the search operation, size-up conditions, and execute the rescue.

The chief officer will manage the rescue sector and a R.I.T. sector by executing multiple searchand rescue action plans and accountability.

There will be two tracks for students in the course - Company level and Chief Officer level.Enrollment in both tracks will be limited. Please submit a resume and cover letter to assist thecourse coordinators in making selections.

Course fee: $600 Prerequisite: IFSI Saving Our Own skills recommended.

To learn more, visit the IFSI web site and click on “course descriptions” on the left side.

RIT Under Fire: Rapid Intervention Team OperationsJune 14 - 18, 2004

IFSI Champaign Campus

Illinois Fire Service Institute Spring 2004 Page 9

With the constant flow of information andever changing course offerings at IFSI, Direc-tor Jaehne made a commitment in the Springof 2002 create the third generation of the IFSIWeb Site. This commitment would provide adifferent type of web site that would provide asource for the latest IFSI information as wellas an interactive means for visitors to obtainservices provided by the Institute. In keepingwith this commitment Web Based Trainingmaintains the IFSI web site and is pleased toshare several of the many options that we of-fer to you. We encourage you to visit our siteoften. In many cases changes take place on adaily basis.

On-line RegistrationStudents can now register for selected

classes online. Online registration offers a one-stop source for course information, course of-ferings, with a direct link for registration. Anauthorization pin number is needed to regis-ter on-line. Please visit our site for further in-formation: https://www.fsi.uiuc.edu/online_registration/info.cfm

Illinois Fire Service Institute Web SiteRich ValentaCoordinator

Student Information UpdateWe will no longer use your social security number as your personal identification

number, although we will still collect your social security number for billing purposesand reporting of training to the Office of the State Fire Marshal. Your driver’s licensenumber will become your personal identification number. The use of the driver’s li-cense is the first step in developing a national identification system for responders toemergencies. This identification system will provide an added layer of security for emer-gency response agencies during multi-jurisdictional incidents. Your driver’s license willalso serve as the identification number along with a secure password that will provideyou access to our Online Student Center, which will be operational soon. With theincreased demand for online services and programs, this Student Center will providesecure access for those who participate in Institute web related activities.http://www.fsi.uiuc.edu/news/student_info_update.cfm

Please take a minute to visit our web site and upate your per-sonal information.

As a quick reference you can find out the latestinstitute information in the NEWS section of the site.Please make sure to visit specific program sitesfor updates as well.

IFSI SurveyIn an effort to provide the best possible

service to you, we offer an in-depth survey.We encourage you to fill out the survey formanytime that you feel the need to share orobtain specific information with us here atIFSI.https://www.fsi.uiuc.edu/ifsi_survey/index.cfm

Online CoursesIFSI offers a variety of online courses. Manyare provided at no charge to you. Virtual Cam-pus of the IFSI web site has the informationabout these classes along with login access.We have courses under development so visitfor the latest updates.http://www.fsi.uiuc.edu/virtual_campus/

Look us upat FDIC --Booth#5356

www.fsi.uiuc.eduPage 10

Within law enforcement and the fire servicethere are over 70,000 responders in Illinois thatrequire training based upon their commitment toresponse. Each year there is a 20% or higher turn-over in personnel for these occupations. The Stateof Illinois built the need for basic CBRNE and WMDtraining upon the principle that to achieve the goalof reaching these responders training would needto be delivered by means of direct delivery and toprovide train-the-trainers, so local “trusted agents”could then provide a portion of the base level train-ing.

The Illinois State Instructor program, providesresponders with the means to train the basiccourses at the local level by certifying instructorsto teach the standardized curriculum supported byState funds. State Instructors are provided trainingmaterials and equipment and a means to profes-sionally certify their employees, thus allowing lo-cal law enforcement, fire service and other publicagencies to utilize a cost effective means to de-liver training locally.

The program began under the HMEP grantsand has been used by law enforcement, emergencymanagement personnel, and the fire service of Illi-nois since the late 90’s. The number of hours oftraining vary based upon the job classification ofthe public sector employee. Each State Instructoris versed on how they should utilize the curriculumbased upon which audience they serve, thus fireinstructors can teach law enforcement, law enforce-ment can teach fire and public works can be taughtby law enforcement, fire or emergency manage-ment, which encourages interagency cooperationas instructors share resources. The program wasestablished to provide curriculum at the baselineand operations level for local communities to de-liver to their responders. Four programs currentlymake up the first two tiers of training:

* Awareness - Contains both terrorism andhazardous materials awareness level material.* Operations - Provides responders with the

practical skills to do defensive work actions atthe scene of a CBRNE incident. It also quali-fies the responder to respond to hazardousmaterials emergencies. Includes Donning anddoffing chemical protective clothing, SCBA and/or respirators, basic command structure, haz-ard analysis, monitoring and decontaminationprinciples.* NFA Emergency Response to Terrorism

Basic Concepts - Provides responders withbasic knowledge on implementing self-protec-tive measures, scene security, and tactical con-siderations when dealing with terrorism.* Hazardous Materials Incident Manage-

ment System - Provides responders with skillsnecessary to direct and coordinate all aspectsof a CBRNE incident including knowledge of

and the ability to implement the incident man-agement system, implementation of emer-gency response plans, the decontaminationprocedures, identifying potential action options,evaluation of the planned response, documen-tation, and final termination requirements.* Clandestine Laboratories - In development

- Designed to assist local responders with ba-sic knowledge on self-protective measures,scene security and tactical considerationswhen responding to laboratories associatedwith the development of CBRNE clandestineproducts. The course will provide examples ofprecursors that may be present at the make-shift laboratories, how to identify the differencebetween CRRNE labs and the stage of pro-duction of the products, state protocl on sam-pling and state and local resources availableto the responder when if and when assistanceis required. Primary audience is the baselinecapability level.

Three courses used in the State Instructorprogram are offered online: Awareness, Aware-ness Refresher and Emergency Response to Ter-rorism: Basic Concepts.

Support of Student and Instructor TrainingFunding for revision and the prerequisite train-

ing necessary to use the curriculum has been co-sponsored by the Illinois Emergency ManagementAgency (IEMA) and the Illinois Fire Service Insti-tute (IFSI) through grants from the Federal Emer-gency Management Agency and the Office of Do-mestic Preparedness (ODP). The instructional andstudent materials are packaged into training kitswhich contain all the necessary supplies to de-liver the programs, but remain the property of theState of Illinois. In order to utilize the instructionalmaterials, the trainers must become certified as aState of Illinois Instructor.

The curriculum is PowerPoint ready and hasa student text designed to provide a complete edu-cational package for the Fire Service. Instructorsreceive training on both how to deliver the presen-tations and also on how to complete the practicalsrequired for Operation level courses.

State Instructors are permitted to borrow thekits located at Regional Training Sites throughoutthe State or by reservation from the IFSI lendinglibrary. The IFSI library provides Instructor, Stu-dent kits, video or reference materials necessaryfor instructors to deliver the program. There is nocharge for the service and all the State Instructorwill need is a local library card to gain access tothe material.

State Instructors that are trained to deliver theOperations class are also approved to utilize theState Training Trailer, which contains the neces-sary equipment, supplies, and props to completeall the practicals required for certification. Thistrailer is available on a first-come first-served ba-sis. It is reserved utilizing the Request for Training

State Instructor ProgramNancy MasonHazardousMaterials andTerrorismTraining Pro-gram Director

Illinois Fire Service Institute Spring 2004 Page 11

form available from IFSI. If approved, the host de-partment will sign an agreement to maintain theequipment while it is within their jurisdiction. A fa-cilitator is provided to transport the trailer and toassist with the distribution of equipment while thepracticals are being completed.

State of Illinois InstructorsAll training held under the federal grants for

Hazardous Materials Emergency Response is re-quired to meet CFR 29, 1910.120 (q). Attendanceof prerequisite training, instructor development andthe signing of a contractual agreement outliningthe terms in which State Instructors may utilize thepublic resources are necessary to ensure thatcourses meet both federal and state regulations.

Criteria for Becoming a State Certified Instruc-tor:

* Approved application that reflects successfulcompletion of instructor development courseor equivalent (a copy of Instructor I or equiva-lent certification required for verification)* Successful completion of the course you arerequested to teach* Successful completion of the Train-the-TrainerMemorandum of Understanding (MOU)

Authority of State InstructorsUpon completion of a Train-the-Trainer, quali-

fied instructors will be issued an identification num-ber, which provides authorization to teach the classand to acquire certification through one of the fol-lowing agencies based upon their audience’s re-quirement for professional certification:

* Illinois Fire Service Institute for firefighters* Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Stan-

dards Board (ILETSB) for law enforcement* Illinois Emergency Management Agency

(IEMA) for all other public sector employees

Certifying AgenciesIFSI, IEMA and ILETSB each have their own

assigned State Instructors, thus each agency pro-vides certification to the student who successfullycompleted training taught by their assigned StateInstructors. IFSI, IEMA and ILETSB are also re-sponsible for monitoring the needs and confirmingqualifications of the State Instructors assigned totheir agency. Fire instructors report to IFSI, whothen review the State Instructor’s required paper-work and prepare documentation for certificationfrom the State and Federal Agencies.

Supplies, instructional kits and student mate-rials are supported by the ODP funding throughthe lead agencies. IFSI is responsible for main-taining trailers, props, and instructional suppliesfor all training above the Operations level for theState Instructor Program.

Each State Instructor is required to go throughan annual refresher at the level of which they arecertified to teach. If they fail to meet the qualifica-tions required of them, they will be placed on the

Inactive List and no longer allowed to teach untilthey meet the required criteria. Instructor refresh-ers are held regionally, available sites are postedon the IFSI website and instructors are requiredto fill out a registration form to confirm their atten-dance.

Who Should Be Trained?Those included in the training provided by the

Training Objectives established by the Illinois Ter-rorism Task Force include law enforcement,firefighters, emergency medical personnel, civil-ian volunteers, city and state public employeesand emergency management agency personnel.

The Illinois Fire Service Institute providestraining through direct delivery and support of re-gional training sites and mobile training units uti-lizing homeland security funding provided to theState of Illinois. This training is not limited to thefire service. Most courses are offered as open en-rollment courses and specialized training is donefor the MABAS, RCT and SWMD teams.

Regional Training is supported at the followinglocations statewide:

Beardstown Regional Training SiteJoDaviess County / GalenaKankakee County ESDACarbondale Regional Training SiteMacomb Fire DepartmentCherry Valley Fire Protection DistrictNIPSTA / GlenviewDecatur Fire DepartmentNorth Palos Fire Protection DistrictEast Moline Fire DepartmentNorthlake Fire Protection DistrictEffingham Fire DepartmentOttawa Fire DepartmentFrankfort Fire DepartmentScott Air Force Base Fire DepartmentGalesburg Regional Training SiteSouthern Kane County / AuroraGardner Fire DepartmentIllinois Fire Service Institute, ChampaignGurnee Fire DepartmentTinley Park Training SitePeoria Fire Department

Watch fordetails on aTrain-the-Trainercoursebeing of-fered forEMS profes-sionals atthissummer’sAnnual FireCollege.

www.fsi.uiuc.eduPage 12

Toward the end of last year, the Washing-ton Post published an article about a fire de-partment that had just extinguished a smallfire in the floor of a vehicle. The Fire Chiefheard two loud explosions that sounded likeshotgun blasts. When the Chief returned tothe vehicle, he found one firefighter lying un-conscious in the front seat of the car and an-other firefighter wandering around in a daze.The vehicle’s front air bags had deployed intheir faces. One of the major news networksdid an article on the hazards that rescue work-ers face at accident scenes because of thenew safety devices installed on today’s ve-hicles.

Around September, Ford Motor Companyis coming out with their version of the hybridcar that will be comparable with the Toyotaand Honda hybrids already out. Little infor-mation is available on the Ford hybrid at thistime, but more and more hybrids will be outon the roads.

When we did our last 40-hour Vehicle/Ma-chinery Operations class, we took one of the2003 SUVs and set it on fire, documentingsome of the hazards that we observed duringthe fire. In addition to all the airbags that wentoff at various intervals during the fire, the AClines going to the back ruptured and ignited.One of the biggest explosions occurred whenthe drive shaft exploded. According to a StateFarm Insurance research representative,today’s drive shafts are nothing but a hollow

Auto Extrication ProgramUpdateDuane BalesAuto ExtricationCoordinator

A 2003 SUV was set afire at IFSI to document some of the hazards that firefightersmight encounter when dealing with a vehicle fire on a newer model.

aluminum shaft which can ex-plode when heated.

In the photo (bottom) yousee the front core support of aFord 2004 pickup truck. Themounting is made of magne-sium, which means that youwill see fireworks when wateris applied. Magnesium wasbasically eliminated years agoin vehicles, but recently it ismaking its way back into ve-hicles because of its lighterweight. I have a photo of atruck being hauled on a trans-porter that caught fire whenfirefighters applied water.Needless to say, you knowwhat happened next. We can’temphasize enough the impor-tance of SCBAs on vehiclefires.

The State Fire Marshal AdHoc Committee for Vehicle/Machinery is working on theTechnician level certificationprogram. This program isslated to be ready by January2005. In order to take the classfor certification, you must havebeen certified in Operations.Check the IFSI website or2004 calendar for scheduleddates for the Transition andOperations classes. If youhave any questions, feel freeto call me at (618) 920-5901.

Illinois Fire Service Institute Spring 2004 Page 13

In 2001 more than 49,000 people were ar-rested for drinking and driving in Illinois.According to State Police Director Larry G.Trent, last year 107 persons lost their lives onIllinois roadways in the month of December,

Another DUICathey Eide

EMS Trainingof which 43 of the deaths were alcohol re-lated.

The National Institute of Alcohol Abuseand Alcoholism documents that in 2000 totaltraffic related fatalities reached 41,945 ofwhich 31% were alcohol related.

Signs & SymptomsAlcohol is a central nervous system

depressant. The more alcohol that entersthe bloodstream the more vital body func-tions become depressed. At high levelsblood pressure, pulse and respirations candecrease. Expect to see the followingchanges in vital signs in someone who hashad too much to drink.

Vital SignsCommon signs and symptoms of CNS ef-

fects due to acute alcohol poisoning are simi-lar to the signs and symptoms seen in pa-tients who are hypothermic or suffering fromhigh altitude cerebral edema. The person’sgross motor coordination has been impairedleading to falling and stumbling. The individualmay become belligerent and even violent. The

continued on next page

Blood Alcohol Content TableThis table shows the effects of alcohol on a normal person of a given body weight. Please

do not take this table as a license to drink irresponsibly. Everyone is different, and alcoholaffects each person in a slightly different way. Only you know your limits. Please drink withinthem.

One drink equals:* 1 oz. 86 proof Liquor, or* 3 oz. wine, or* 12 oz. Beer

Levels of Intoxication:* BAC less than .05% - Caution* BAC .05 to .079% - Driving Impaired* BAC .08% & up - Presumed Under the Influence

This table shows the effects of alcohol within one hour on a normal person of a given bodyweight. Please do not take this table as a license to drink irresponsibly. Everyone is different,and alcohol affects each person in a slightly different way. Only you know your limits. Pleasedrink within them. (BAC Table re-printed with permission from the Illinois State Police)

BodyWeight

Number of Drinks

100

120

140

160

180

200

220

240

1

0.032

0.027

0.023

0.020

0.018

0.016

0.015

0.014

2

0.065

0.054

0.046

0.040

0.036

0.032

0.029

0.027

3

0.097

0.081

0.069

0.060

0.054

0.048

0.044

0.040

4

0.129

0.108

0.092

0.080

0.072

0.064

0.058

0.053

5

0.162

0.135

0.115

0.101

0.090

0.080

0.073

0.067

6

0.194

0.161

0.138

0.121

0.108

0.097

0.088

0.081

7

0.226

0.188

0.161

0.141

0.126

0.113

0.102

0.095

8

0.258

0.215

0.184

0.161

0.144

0.129

0.117

0.108

9

0.291

0.242

0.207

0.181

0.162

0.145

0.131

.0121

A 24-hour EMSRescue Opera-tions class isbeing offeredat this year’sFire College.Visit the IFSIweb site forcompleteinformation.

www.fsi.uiuc.eduPage 14

person may be incoherent. This “drunken be-havior” it is in fact a clear indication that higherbrain function is impaired. This is someonewho has begun to slide down the AVPU scale.As more alcohol is absorbed into the blood-stream “drunken behavior” can have tragicconsequences.

It is important to do a thorough physicalexam and history before ruling out either al-cohol poisoning or hypothermia, as a misdi-agnosis in the field can lead to inappropriatetreatment. If the person were hypothermic wewould immediately begin active steps to re-warm the person. If the person were at highaltitude, we would start to get them to descendimmediately before they became unable towalk. Should we do anything less aggressivein our treatment of someone who has a com-promised central nervous system caused byalcohol rather than by cold or high altitude?The impact of alcohol on the brain is just aspotentially deadly.

Always follow your local EMS system pro-tocols.

BLS Treatment Includes:1. Assure ABCs.2. Oxygen via non-rebreather mask. Con-sider airway adjunct and hyperventilationwith 100% oxygen for markedly decreasedLOC, inability to maintain a patient airway,or for GCS <8.3. Provide supportive measures.

4. Transport to designated hospital.5. Contact Medical Control for any ques-tions or problems.

ALS Treatment for acute alcohol intoxicationincludes:

6. Assure ABCs.7. Oxygen via non-rebreather mask. Con-sider intubation and hyperventilation with100% oxygen for markedly decreasedLOC, inability to maintain a patient airway,or for GCS * 8.8. Initiate IV of lactated Ringer’s TKO.9. Attach cardiac monitor and pulse oxime-ter.10. Determine serum glucose level withGlucometer or DextroStix.

o If glucose < 80 mg/dl, administer25 gms 50% Dextrose IV.

o If glucose > 80 mg/dl and < 250mg/dl, go to step #6.

o If glucose > 250 mg/dl, go to Hy-perglycemia Protocol.11. If history suspicious for alcoholism, ad-minister 100 mg thiamine IV OR IM.12. If history of drug abuse, and patienthas constricted pupils or respiratory de-pression, administer Narcan 1.0-2.0 mg IV.13. If history of possible Benzodiazepineusage, administer 0.3 mg of Flumazenil(Romazicon) IVP over 30 seconds. Repeatas needed to a maximum dose of 1.0 mg.14. Provide supportive measures.15. Transport to designated hospital.

Acute Alcohol Poisoning

How alcohol affects the brain:

Part of Brain Controls Effects Blood Alcohol Level

Cerebrum advanced functionslike recognition,vision, reasoning,and emotion.

lowers inhibitions, and affectsjudgement. As alcohol levelsincrease, vision, movement, andspeech are impaired.

.01% -.30%

Cerebellum coordinating move-ment

problems with coordination,reflexes, and balance

.15-.35%

Medulla basic survival functionssuch as breathing andheartbeat

your brain’s ability to controlrespiration and heart rate isseverely diminished. Your heartrate can drop and breathingcease, causing death

as low as.30%

Illinois Fire Service Institute Spring 2004 Page 15

16. Contact Medical Control for any ques-tions or problems.

Resources:1) Illinois State Police2) Illinois Secretary of State DUI Fact Book

3) The National Institutes of Health; National In-stitute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism4) National Highway Traffic Safety Administration;Department of Transportation; National StandardCurriculum.5) Centers for Disease Control6) American Academy of Family Physicians

Vitals

AVPU

RespiratoryRate

Pulse

BloodPressure

Temperature

Skin

Early Signs

Alert; possibly confused and/or combative

Normal

Normal

Normal

Normal

Red, flushed from vasodilation(evident in lightly pigmentedpeopleonly)

Late Signs

Decreasing to V = response toVerbal stimulation, P = responseto Painful stimulation, the U =Unconscious

Decreases

Decreases

Decreases

Normal

Pale, cool, clammy

Basic and Advanced Disaster LifeSupport Classes to be Offered

March 24 - 27, 2004The Illinois Terrorism Task Force has ap-

proved the Basic and Advanced Disaster LifeSupport (BDLS & ADLS) class being co-spon-sored by IFSI and Region 6 POD. The 3-daycourse is being offered for $600 with an addi-tional $100 fee for Instructor Coordinator train-ing. An additional Train-the-Trainer fourth dayis available to those who are recommendedby course instructors. Members of Illinois’IMERT, SWMD and RMERT specialty teamsand recommended participants from POD hos-

pitals may take the course for a reducedamount of $300 for all four days. The reducedfee is intended to help offset the total costbeing incurred by Region 6. All participantsmust have a sponsoring organization. Thosenot recommended will be invoiced the fullcourse fee of $600.

For complete information, contact CatheyEide, EMS Training Coordinator at 217-333-4215 or by email at ceide@uiuc.edu.

Look us upat FDIC --Booth#5356

www.fsi.uiuc.eduPage 16

The Illinois Fire ServiceInstitute ScholarshipCommitteeH. Stott

One of the characteristics of the Instituteis not just the technical training in fire servicesubjects, but also the presence of a commit-tee that helps provided the opportunity forfirefighters to receive that training.

The IFSI Scholarship Committee wasloosely organized in 1990 to provide a mecha-nism for fundraising. The intent was to collectmoney to assist field staff instructors so thatthey could attend classes, seminars andschools at little or no expense. In the past 13years, the committee transitioned to the pointwhere they now fund 4 scholarships that arematched and distributed by the Illinois FireChief’s Association, Research and EducationFoundation. Currently, $500 scholarships arematched by the Chief’s Association to createa total scholarship of $1000.

One scholarship is named after former IFSIdirector Gerry Monigold. Another is namedfor the late Dean Mercer, a former IFSI instruc-tor. Recently the committee approved an ad-ditional scholarship named for IFSI field in-structor, Andrew Fredericks of the FDNY, wholost his life on September 11, 2001.

A significant component of thecommittee’s fundraising capability is the vol-untary annual contribution made by IFSI fieldinstructors. It is requested that each instruc-tor make a contribution equivalent to two hoursof instructor’s salary, generally $50. Alongwith the fundraising item sales, these contri-butions have created a current endowmentof approximately $65,000. Sales of IFSI win-dow stickers at Institute classes has been themost recent activity for the committee’s on-going fundraising efforts.

In addition to the scholarships giventhrough the Illinois Fire Chief’s Association,the committee also provides a mechanism forIFSI instructors to receive grants to conductresearch projects, attend seminars or confer-ences, or to underwrite special projects.

To obtain further information on theInstitute’s Scholarship Committee and how tocontribute, contact Marcia Miller, Director ofBudget and Resource Planning at 217-333-3800.

EMS Classes Approved for CEUsThe following classes have been approved

by the Illinois Department of Public Health(IDPH) for continuing education credits for2004.

EMSAuto Extrication for EMSConfined Space/Trench Rescue Awareness forEMSFire Fighter Rescue Awareness for EMSFire Ground Operations for EMSEMS HazMat OperationsIce Rescue Awareness for EMSIncident Command for EMS

RescueAuto Extrication IAuto Extrication Technician IIConfined Space Rescue AwarenessConfined Space RescueConfined Space/Trench Rescue AwarenessGrain Bin AwarenessGrain Bin Rescue

Ice RescueStructural Collapse Awareness Structural Collapse OperationsStructural Collapse TechnicianTechnical Rescue AwarenessTrench RescueVertical Rescue I, II and III

HAZMATEmergency Response to Terrorism (ERT):Basic ConceptsERT: Tactical Considerations:Company OfficerHazardous MaterialsEmergency Medical ServicesERT: Strategic Considerations:CommandHaz Mat AwarenessFirst Responder Operations Awareness (24)First Responder OperationsTechnician ATechnician BIncident Command for Hazardous Materials

Illinois Fire Service Institute Spring 2004 Page 17

IFSI Offers a New Course for the RopeRescue Technician

The Illinois Fire Service Institute has de-veloped a course to train rope rescuers at thetechnician level. The objectives of the coursewere derived from the NFPA 1006 Standardfor Rescue Technician Professional Qualifica-tions, the NFPA 1670 Standard on Operationsand Training for Technical Rescue Incidents(technician level), the OSFM Rope Rescue -Week Two, and IFSI’s past programs of WeekOne, Week Two and Week Three. More than90% of the course is designed to be practicalskills development. Objectives includerappelling, pick-offs, line transfers, movementof the litter basket in a wide variety of configu-rations and environments, high lines for res-cuers using an English reeves system, highlines for litter basket transfer and climbingrope. Skills will be developed and practicedin both wet and dry conditions. Rescue sce-narios will be practiced in low light conditions,requiring the use of headlamps.

Due to the time required for the objectivesto be completed and the number of skills tobe covered, the course will be two weeks inlength. The first course will be offered theweeks of March 22 and 29. The second coursewill be offered the weeks of May 3 and 10.Students may register online or by using thestandard IFSI registration form. The OSFMcertification for Rope One (Ropes and Rigging)is a prerequisite for this course.

Bill RenakerTechnicalRescue TrainingProgramDirector

Personal protection equipment for thecourse includes harnesses, ascenders, hel-mets and headlamps and will be provided.The course is designed to provide advancedrope skills needed by the state’s new regionaltechnical rescue teams.

March - April Rescue ClassesMarch 1 - 5

Structural Collapse OperationsConfined Space Rescue Operations

March 8 - 12Vertical Rescue OperationsTrench Rescue Operations

March 15 - 19Vertical Rescue Technician (week 1)

March 22 - April 2Vertical Rescue Technician (week 2)

April 2 - 4Structural Collapse Rescue Operations(held at Frankfort Training Center)

April 5 - 9Confined Space Rescue Operations

April 12 - 16Trench Rescue TechnicianStructural Collapse Rescue Technician

April 17Large Truck Extrication

April 18Bus Extrication

April 19 - 20Vehicle/Machinery Transition

Complete class descriptions and schedule can befound on the IFSI web site at:

www.fsi.uiuc.edu

www.fsi.uiuc.eduPage 18

“The magical Number Seven plus or minus 2:Some limits on our capacity for memory for pro-cessing the information.”

George A. MillerThe Psychological Review, 1956, vol.63, pp. 81-97

Anyone involved in training should rememberthe number seven, plus or minus 2. Frankly, if youare anything like me, expect the worst and stick tofive. In other words, don’t try to give me morethan five things to remember at a time. Break yourprocedures down to chunks of information andmaster those. Then move on to more. It’s a for-mula we’ve used with Smoke Divers for years andit still works today.

In the fire service we often fall back on theage old excuse that it is an emergency. The impli-cation is that because our job involves some riskand a great deal of responsibility we are exemptfrom the rule of seven. Sorry, that just isn’t true.Experienced firefighters know that and airline pi-lots certainly do. But, don’t believe me! Try thisdrill/test!

Dig out a copy of your aerial devices operator’smanual. I don’t mean the one covered in trainingclass, or the published SOP, but the one sent tothe department from the manufacturer when yourdepartment took delivery of the aerial. Most ofthese manuals quickly go into a file drawer some-place and reappear in one form or another as AerialSOP on how to place the rig into service. Com-parison of the manufactures procedure and theSOP may vary, but only at risk and liability. Take ahalf hour and write down the manufacturers pro-cedure step by step in sequence labeled 1, 2, three. . . as a sequence should be labeled. Be sure toleave some room on the right another columnmarked correct/Incorrect. Have one check for eachoperator you are going to test and be sure to havea spot for the name. If you elect to time the evolu-tion, create a spot to write the total time elapsed.

Now, armed with several of your checklists, atraffic cone and stopwatch, head out to an openarea of your station parking lot or training area anddrop a traffic cone on the ground. Ask you driver/operators to stand off a about 100 feet, then atyour signal, drive up and stop by the cone andplace the ladder or tower up in the air. You canstart the stopwatch when they stop and again whenthe ladder/aerial starts out of the bed. Remember,your primary task is the correct sequence so it isvery important for you to note the steps in the pro-cedure the driver/operator uses as being eithercorrect or incorrect when performing the task. Behonest in your evaluation. Remember, this is notthe time to re-teach the procedure. This is de-signed to be a test. The truth may hurt but it is

sometimes the best way for us to improve. Natu-rally, common sense should prevail and any un-safe procedures should be stopped immediately.

Is the published procedure being followed byeveryone? Are there unsafe events taking place?Do some operators seem to do it faster than oth-ers?

If your department is like any of the ones I’vetested you get a wide variety of methods and times.We’d expect performance to increase with depart-ments who use these rigs daily but this is not of-ten the case.

Don’t be too quick to bring out the faults toyour operator/drivers. Remember, if they aren’tdoing it right perhaps they weren’t taught correctly.Most people don’t come to work each day hopingto screw up and make mistakes. Look deeper intothe problem. Before finding fault with them, takea look at their training and see if there is some-thing you did not do. Often the answer to manytraining problems is looking back at you in themirror.

The problem is probably related to that magicnumber seven mentioned earlier. The sequenceto erect an aerial ladder just might be a bit longfor someone to remember. Sure if you do it everyday you’d think they would get it right, wouldn’tyou? But, hey why do you think airline pilots stilluse checklists. Because they know they mightforget. What makes firefighters think they won’tforget, especially when things are getting hectic.

Remember an old fighter pilot saying,“You don’t rise to the occasion you default to your level of training.”

How can we safely put up ladders and aerialdevices before we have an accident? First, makesure you adhere to the manufacturer’s recom-mended procedures. Sure, Captain Bigbody ofthe Know It All Fire Department will blow you offon this one and claim he puts it up daily on oneoutrigger. Well just picture yourself in court onthe witness stand explaining how you did that.

Second, create a ladder/aerial device check-list. This aids in putting up a ladder or aerial safelyand correctly each and every time.Here are some guides and caveats in creating yourchecklist along with an example.

* Design for single operator (Drivers/opera-tors should perform entire procedure by them-selves to ensure completion of all items)* Break your checklist down into areas of work(Cab, Side/Rear Panel, Outriggers, Operator’sStation etc.)* Print actual switch position text (When posi-tioned correctly) (See sample)* Place in strategic place (Where it can be seenand used)* Weather and Waterproof exterior checklists* Print checklist using large readable fonts* Leave plenty of white space for easy read-

Aerial ChecklistsJ.R. Rutledge

DistanceLearningEducator

Illinois Fire Service Institute Spring 2004 Page 19

ing* Ensure they are maintained (Sunlight fades)Now, repeat your drill/test using your checklist.You probably won’t set any speed records, butin the heat of battle we want it done safely.

As you adapt the checklist for your fire de-partment you may want to gather some times foreach driver/operator. You’d be surprised what acolorful bar chart can do to your drivers/operatorsperformance when they are put up for everyone tosee. Using competitive times can help foster some

healthy competition if desired. Just be sure to cre-ate heavy time penalties for safety or other con-cerns you might have. That way the emphasis ofthe test/drill always stays with safety not time.

One thing for sure, you and your driver/opera-tors will learn something. Perhaps there are someother areas within your department where a check-list can enhance your procedures.

If you want a sample checklist Evaluation forme-mail me at jackrutledge@mindspring.com andI’ll attaché a copy for you to modify. Good luckand if you have any comments, suggestions orneed some details please call me at 770-631-8824.

Ladder Check ListUsed to ensure aerial ladder is set up correctly. Laminated and placed in strategic location, depending on ladder set-upprocedure.

Side Panel

www.fsi.uiuc.eduPage 20

“Training for the 21st Century - Protecting ourCommunities and Ourselves”

Summer Fire CollegeJune 3 - 6, 2004

Champaign, Illinois

Schedule

Wednesday, June 2Registration 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.Library open 8:30 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Thursday, June 3Registration 6:30 a.m. - 9:15 a.m. and

11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.Orientation 8:30 a.m.Assembly 9:15 a.m.

Keynote Address by members of the Illi-nois Fire Caucus, Dr. Denis Onieal & HalBruno (unconfirmed at press time)

Lunch 11:00 a.m.Classes 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.Vendor Displays 7:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.

General Session “Myths and Reality”7:00 p.m.

Library open 8:30 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Friday, June 4Registration 7:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.Classes 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.Vendor Displays 8:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Propane Fire Fighting and Open House7:30 p.m.

Library open 8:30 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Saturday, June 5Registration 6:30a.m. - 10:00 a.m.Classes 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.Vendor Displays 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Sunday, June 6Classes 8:00 a.m. - Noon

FIREFIGHTING CLASSESEntry Level Recruit Training“Saving our Own”: Techniques for Firefighter

RescuesCommercial Building OperationsFirefighting Core CompetenciesCoordinated Fire Ground OperationsSelf-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA)Fighting Single-Family Dwelling FiresThermal Imaging Camera Training

DRIVER/OPERATOR CLASSESEmergency Vehicles Operations Train-the-

TrainerPumper OperationsTanker Operations

OFFICER CLASSESFirefighter Initial Fire InvestigationThe Fire Scene OfficerFirst-In OfficerPublic Information OfficerHigh Rise Operations

RESCUE CLASSESTechnical Rescue AwarenessBasic Auto ExtricationAdvanced Auto ExtricationBuilding Collapse RescueEssentials of Vertical RescueConfined Space RescueTrench RescueFarm Extrication & Rescue

EMS CLASSESHazardous Materials Operations for EMS Pro

vidersEMS Rescue Operations

TERRORISM CLASSEmergency Response To Terrorism:Basic

Concepts

Illinois Fire Service Institute Spring 2004 Page 21

NFA CLASSESNFA: Emergency Response to Terrorism: Stra

tegic Considerations for Command Officers

NFA: Managing in a Changing EnvironmentNFA: Methods of Enhancing Safety EducationNFA: Fire Prevention for First Responders and

Small DepartmentsNFA: Introduction to Wildland/Urban Interface

Firefighting for the Structural Company Officer

Fire College Registration FeeEarly registration fee (post-marked on or

before April 30, 2004) $50.00 per 12-hour ses-sionLate or on-site registration (postmarked afterApril 30, 2004) $100.00 per 12-hour session

Lab FeesSome classes require an additional lab fee

of $50.00 for each 12-hour session.

Payment of FeesAll registrations will be billed upon comple-

tion of Fire College. Do not include paymentwith registration form.

Cancellation PolicyFailure to cancel registration prior to 5:00

p.m. CDT, May 15, 2003 will result in full feesbeing billed after conclusion of Fire College.After May 15, 2003, cancellations will only beaccepted under emergency situations. Stu-dents will be required to sign the registrationform acknowledging cancellation policy.

Notification of cancellations can be made viaU.S. mail, e-mail, telephone, or fax to:

* Phone: (217) 244-7131* E-mail: hopper@uiuc.edu* FAX: (217) 244-6790

On-Site Check-In and RegistrationEach person participating in Fire College

activities must check in at the registration deskat the Chancellor Hotel to pick up their regis-tration identification, attendance tickets, andclass assignments.

* Each registrant must complete a sepa-rate registration form.

* You must show a photo ID at the regis-tration desk in order to receive you registra-tion packet.

* No pick up of multiple registrations byone person will be allowed.

* Registration identification will be pro-vided to each individual.

* Failure to check in at the registrationdesk will prevent you from participating.

* If you have not registered in advance,you may register on-site at Fire College reg-istration desk.

* All classes not filled in pre-registrationwill be filled at on-site registration on a first-come/first-served basis.

* On-site check-in and registration takesplace on the lower level at the ChancellorHotel and Convention Center, 1501 S. NeilStreet, Champaign.

Visit the IFSI web site after March 1, 2004 to learn complete details.Registration materials will be mailed in early March.

www.fsi.uiuc.edu

www.fsi.uiuc.eduPage 22

Special ThanksStudents at the University of Illinois Fire

Service Institute (ISFI) benefit greatly fromthe many in-kind donations of hardware andservices. As state budgets shrink, IFSI is

grateful for the support we receive from manu-facturers, distributors, organizations and in-dividuals in providing funding, equipment andtime to provide the finest fire service training.

Our long-standing supporters5 Alarm Fire & Safety EquipmentAirshore InternationalAjax Rescue ToolsAlexis Fire EquipmentAmkusAssociated Firefighters of IllinoisBirkey’s Farm StoreBosch Tools & AccessoriesBP AmocoBrown’s TruckingBureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Fire-

armsCarle Foundation HospitalCarle Regional EMS SystemCaterpillar Tractor CompanyChampaign & Urbana Fire Depart-

mentsCity of ChampaignColumn MasterCommonwealth EdisonCon-Space Communications Ltd.CTI/Paxton FacilityDaimler ChryslerDeWalt ToolsEnvironmental Safety GroupEquipment Management Co.Federal Drug Enforcement AgencyFederal EPAFranzen ConstructionGateway Rescue EquipmentGenesis AmericanGlasMaster

Grand Prairie Co-opHale PumpsHolmatroHurst Rescue EquipmentIllini ContractorsIllini Emergency Medical ServicesIllinois Association of Arson Investiga-

torsIllinois Association of Fire Protection

DistrictsIllinois Concrete Company, Inc.Illinois Department of Natural Re-

sourcesIllinois Emergency Management

AgencyIllinois Firefighter’s AssociationIllinois Fire Chiefs AssociationIllinois Fire Inspectors AssociationIllinois Fire Services AllianceIllinois Firefighter’s AssociationIllinois Professional Firefighters Asso-

ciationIllinois Propane Education and Re-

search CouncilIllinois Propane Gas AssociationIllinois Society of Fire Service Instruc-

torsIllinois State PoliceIndustrial Scientific CorporationMarathon RefineryMedtronic Physio Control

Milwaukee ToolsMotorolaMSA Breathing SystemsNational Fire AcademyOffice of the State Fire MarshalParatech Emergency Equipment

ManufacturerPower Hawk RescueParkland CollegeProgramRESCOM Sales Inc.Reynold’s TowingRoberts TankScott AirScott AviationScott Blanchard Gas Detection

EquipmentShaff ImplementStanley ToolsState Farm Insurance CompanyTasco Woodriver RefineryTNT Rescue EquipmentTransport TowingTurtle PlasticsUnion Pacific RailroadUniversity of IllinoisUniversity of Illinois Extension/

Continuing Education AgriculturalSafety

University of Illinois VeterinarianMed. Research Farms

Our most recent supportersCabot CorporationChampaign Fire Department

Lockport Township Fire DepartmentRescue 42

Development Office -- Open for BusinessJeff Courson, who joined IFSI in October asDevelopment Officer, is looking for your sug-gestions on whom he might contact for po-tential in-kind or financial support of IFSI. Jeffwill also be introducing the Illinois Fire Ser-

vice Institute Fund at this year’s Fire College.The Fund is being developed to recognize andinvolve alumni of the Institute. Anyone inter-ested in arranging a visit to IFSI’s facilitiesshould contact Jeff to arrange a tour.

Illinois Fire Service Institute Spring 2004 Page 23

New Training PropsThis new prop debuted at last years’Fire College. Fashioned after a simi-lar model at Texas A & M EmergencyServices Institute, the structure wasdesigned and constructed to trainfirefighters and first responders onthe skills in collapsed building res-cue. The prop simulates whatfirefighters might encounter in amulti-story collapsed office building.Complete with broken computer ter-minals and office chairs, the 30-foothigh structure forces firefighters toconsider obstacles as they investi-gate unstable confined spaces.

A new expanded liquid propane (LP) burnpad is now available for training evolutionsat IFSI. The equipment, which includes anLP bobtail delivery truck, gas grill, storagetanks, and flange fire props, was made avail-able to IFSI through a grant from the IllinoisPropane Education and Research Council(IPERC). The site for the LP Burn Pad, lo-cated at IFSI’s Champaign campus, is de-signed to train and prepare firefighters onhow to deal with fires resulting from propanetank leaks and punctures. The prop also pro-vides firefighters the opportunity to learn howto extinguish fires from residential and agri-cultural propane tanks, such as those usedto fuel corn dryers.

Want to know more? IFSI is exhib-iting at FDIC, April 29 - May 1, 2004.Look for us at Booth #5356.

Get a first-hand look atthis newprop at theFridayeveningOpen Houseduring FireCollege.

A new multi-story prop goes intoservice at this year’s Annual FireCollege. The prop will be used fora variety of rescue training classes,including Vertical Rescue, RopeRescue and “Saving Our Own.” Aningenious use of materials -- an-choring sealand containers to-gether -- was used to create theprop.

Illinois Fire Service Institute11 Gerty DriveChampaign, IL 61820

Non-Profit OrganizationU.S. Postage Paid

Champaign, IL. 61820Permit No. 499

In keeping with IFSI’s commitment tomake training available to every firefighter inIllinois, a new Down & Dirty CD is being re-leased. Down & Dirty Fire Fighting TrainingSkills Package: Engine and Pump Operationsis second in a series of CDs developed by

IFSI and funded by theIllinois Firefighter’sAssociation. The CDpackage is beingmailed early in 2004at no charge to ev-ery fire departmentin Illinois.

The 2-CDset provides in-struction inpump theory,pump andpanel compo-nents, hydrant

types and connections. The video portion ofthe CD illustrates pumping techniques forsingle-line, dual-line, and master streamsamong others. Viewers will also learn aboutpump maintenance and driver safety.

While the first CD, “Down & Dirty FireFighting Skills” was best suited for instructor-led training, with an outline and video to sup-port training, “Engine and Pump Operations”can easily be used for self-paced and indi-vidual training. The new format also providesfor instructor-led content.

The CD was developed entirely in-houseby IFSI staff to provide this cost-effectivemethod of reaching every firefighter in Illinois.It is being delivered as part of IFSI’s web-based training program. Recipients of the CDare encouraged to register their CD on IFSI’sweb site at www.fsi.uiuc.edu. Registration as-sures that updates are available and providesfeedback to IFSI on the package.

New Down & Dirty Training CD Available Soon