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Training

As with other teams our goal is to train all of our members to the highest level of expertise. The beginning level is Awareness, then the Operational level and the highest level being Technician. Technician level allows us to be prepared for just about any emergency with the highest amount of knowledge available needed to mitigate the incident.

Through the Illinois Terrorism Task Force funding program the Team was able to send our newest members along with our veteran members to various classes offered through the Illinois Fire Service Institute, one of the most respected fire service teaching organizations within the United States . According to my calculations the ITTF funding program provided the Specialized Rescue Team with approximately $55,000 of training in 2007 at virtually no cost to the Joliet Fire Department— Joliet only had to pay for transportation and meals. This is the fourth year that this funding has been available to us and we really took advantage of it again this year. Every year we hear rumors that the program is going to be discontinued but the State always seems to come up with the money needed for it.

We were able to send many of our team members to specialized training classes this year.

All of our members went to N. Aurora where the Southern Kane County Training Association maintains a facility. This training site operates under the auspices of the Illinois Fire Service Institute.

• Certified at the Structural Collapse Operations level through the ITTF were Captain Fox, Lt. Vic Stachelski and Apparatus Operators Lande and Chaplin. This was a 40 hr. class.

• Certified at the Trench Operations level through the ITTF was Lt. Woods and AO Chaplin. This was a 24 hr. class.

• Certified at the Trench Technician level through the ITTF were Captain Vershay and Lieutenants Jim Blake, John Stachelski, Pat Strocchia, and Vic Stachelski . Apparatus Operators Foster and Chaplin were also certified. This was a 40 hr. class.

• Certified at the Confined Space Operations level were Lieutenant’s Vic Stachelski, Eric Mattson, Floyd Woods and Apparatus Operators Tim Chaplin and Tarence Foster. This was a 40 hr. class.

Our annual CART (Combined Agency Response Team) evaluation took place in September and it involved a confined space situation with 2 victims.

The simulation took place at a Bolingbrook fire station. We were evaluated by various members of the CART organization and passed with flying colors. The evaluation involved a written exam as well as a hands-on practical demonstrating various rescue techniques.